Houston natives’ families battle floods, power loss

IU students from Houston know the value of being prepared.

When Hurricane Ike hit Houston this Saturday, the streets of junior Lori Star’s neighborhood turned into a river, threatening her family’s home.

“Everyone in Houston is taught to prepare for a hurricane,” Star said.

Rescuers in Houston said Sunday they had saved about 2,000 people from the streets and damaged houses after the storm hit the coast. As of press time, the death toll was 17.

Star’s family raised its furniture on cinder blocks and stored away the computers.

Star said the situation is scary. She stayed up with her friend, also from Texas, until 5 a.m. watching CNN and talking to their families.

The family of senior Emily Levy stored bread, batteries, radios, fans, canned goods and other non-perishable items – things to keep her family comfortable while the power is out.

Sophomore Sarah Capps said her family filled the cars up with gas – which she said was more than $5 a gallon.

All three of the families stored bottled water. Star said there is no water pressure and little opportunity to get drinking water.

Star said the storm, though an extreme example with 110 mile per hour winds and extensive flooding, wasn’t anything new, but the city-wide blackout was, which could continue for weeks.

Star’s was a rare house in her neighborhood because the electricity came back on. She said they’re going to use the electricity to help her neighbors. Star’s mom plans on entertaining about 50 guests, each bringing whatever they can from their homes.

Levy’s and Capps’ families both lost power, along with most other residences, schools, banks and supermarkets.

Star said she knew of one supermarket that’s open, but it doesn’t have meat or dairy.

Levy said it was nerve-racking because she was away from IU when the hurricane hit and without internet access. She said that after her extended family’s houses flooded, they moved in with her immediate family. She said there wasn’t much damage to her house, except that her fence blew away.

It was hard to be so far away from her family when a natural disaster hits, Levy said.
“There’s not much you can do but wait,” she said.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report.