This was written after Hurricane Ike hit Texas in 2008

(Note from Amy:  I have retyped this because I only had a hard copy.  I do not know who the author is, other than “Jyl”, who appears to live in Tomball, Texas.  This was a forwarded email I received in 2008 after Hurricane Ike hit Texas.

Wikipedia says: Hurricane Ike was the third-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States.Due to its immense size, Ike caused devastation from the Louisiana coastline all the way to the Kenedy County, Texas region near Corpus Christi, Texas. In regional Texas towns, electrical power began failing on September 12 before 8 p.m. CDT,^[50]leaving millions without power (estimates range from 2.8 million^[102] to 4.5 million ^[103] customers). Grocery store shelves in the Houston area were left empty for weeks in the aftermath of the storm.)

Forwarded message

From Rozanne

Date: Tues. Sept. 23, 2008

Subject: Preparedness

To: Undisclosed Recipient

Just want to share this email that I received from a friend.  It’s a letter sent to her friend from people in Texas who just experienced “Ike”.   What a testimony for preparedness.

Dear Friends:

We have a 6’x6’ hole in our roof, no electricity or running water, Trees down everywhere.  However, because we listened to the counsel of our Prophet we are prepared.  In fact it seems to me that it’s only the members of the church who seem to be calm, prepared, and helping one another with trees in roofs, flooding, etc.

There is a POD or Point of Distribution in Tomball where we live.  There you get water and ice IF you have enough fuel to wait in the 3-hour lines.  We don’t have to do that because we have 3 full water barrels, 75 juice bottles filled with water, and our pool, which is dirty, but we use it to flush.

It is very difficult to get gas.  Police guard the stations when fuel is delivered and you might wait half a day to get up to the pump just to have them say, “Too bad, we are out.”  I am grateful that we have a generator.  We run it 4 hours a day to keep our fridge and light.  I am grateful that we have had fuel for it.  You can’t even buy gas containers as they are rationed.  We can only buy bread once a week and limited to 2 loaves at a time.  Water is rationed by the case at the grocery store- 3 cases per family.

The ATM machines do not have power.  For the past 6 months I have stashed small bills away because I have had such a feeling of foreboding.  We have cash because of that.  LISTEN TO THE SPIRIT.  Get cash in small bills because the stores can’t make change and credit and debit cards often don’t work.  I had to pay 5 dollars more for an item because they couldn’t make change for me.  And....PHONES ONLY WORK OCCASIONALLY.

Believe it or not....I have not had a bath in 4 days, Today was the first day I got to wash my hair with pool water.  I haven’t fixed my hair in a week!!! It just doesn’t matter anymore.  We cannot do laundry because we don’t have water.  So, we wear our clothes until they are literally disgusting.  When we do finally get water we will have to boil it since it is contaminated.

I am grateful for my parents.  When we got low on generator fuel they drove 45 minutes to help us.  They filled up their cans and brought us 10 gallons of fuel, which kept us going until this morning at 6:00 am when we finally found some gas. 

A prepared family and a loving extended family is the key to survival and making it through right now.  I know that my parents would drive to the end of the earth to help me and it’s nice knowing they are there.  I know that I would do the same for my children.

I want all of you to know that I have such a testimony of following the counsel of our living prophet.  There really is safety and peace in your heart if you are prepared.  Please get your generators, 5 gas cans full of gas, canned goods, baby items, baby wipes to bathe, and all the water you can store...even if you have to trip on it in your home.

Have your lanterns, crank flashlights, tarps, rope, etc. ready to go because you never know when it will be your turn to endure the test.  It’s overwhelming, but its going to be ok eventually.  I have a home, I have food, and I have water, because I listened to the counsel of the prophet.  Please make sure you do the same.  It’s time to have your life it order.  Tomorrow may be too late.

I love you all so much.  I wish you were here.  Take care!

Jyl