Hurricane Season in Texas: Will the Public Prepare or Return to a Nonchalant Attitude?

Hurricane Dean hit Mexico twice and Southern Texas is expected to receive light to moderate precipitation from the fall out of Hurricane Dean. It is the luck of the draw that Hurricane Dean did not move north toward Texas but South toward Mexico. A change in pressure or wind could have driven Hurricane Dean toward the Gulf of Mexico to landfall on Texas. We were lucky this time. It is hard to say that when you see the pictures on the other web pages showing Mexico's people living through the devastation of Hurricane Dean.

I had family stay with me last year when forecasters warned of Hurricane Rita making landfall in the Gulf of Mexico. After Louisiana and Texas were both pummeled by Hurricane Katrina, my aunt and cousin were driven out of the Houston area by both request of the governor and fear. My cousin had gassed up her car the night the governor warned of possible evacuation. She called as she was on her way home that evening to ask if she could stay with me instead of going to a shelter if Houston had to evacuate. That may sound strange to some families and not so strange to others. My family is close enough that we know every one of mom and dad's brothers and sisters and each of their offspring but we are lucky to see or speak to any aunt, uncle or cousin once a year if not longer. I have yet to turn away an aunt, cousin or grandparent. I told my cousin to come straight over and that her children, her mom and her husband would be welcomed at my apartment. (I did warn her that we would be very cozy as my husband and I was living in a two bedroom apartment.)