New Listing – 19106 Piney Way Drive Tomball Texas
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4 Hurricane Myths & Houston Hurricane History
When you move to a gulf coast area, you suddenly learn that you need to become an expert on hurricanes. There are many types of storms we see in Texas. In fact we’re pretty much subject to all major disasters except (rarely) earthquakes. We have fires and floods, droughts and pestilence, tornadoes and of course….hurricanes. In fact, with the high humidity, constant mosquitoes, flooding issues and of course….hurricanes! It’s a wonder so many people have decided to call the gulf coast home!
But this post is not about the reasons people flock to Houston and the surrounding coastal areas. There are many factors that outweigh a little bad weather when it comes to finding a great place to live, work and play. That being said, new residents to the greater Houston area need to know more about Hurricanes.
Hurricane season runs from June 1 until November 30. I’ll post separately about what common items Houstonians keep on hand to ensure readiness for any storm event. In this post, I’ll provide you with 4 myths about hurricanes and a list of Houston’s top hurricanes in the last 100 years.
4 Hurricane Myths:
1. The size and area of a hurricane determine its impact/damage probability.
No! Some of the smallest hurricane storms in history have caused the greatest damage. Take Tropical Storm Allison in 2001. Allison caused flooding and damage in areas of Houston that had never flooded before. Thousands of Houstonians were affected.
2. If you don’t live on the coast, you don’t need to worry about hurricanes.
Wrong. Although hurricanes lose their strength as they move inland, they can often dump excessive rain and cause flash flooding, tornado activity, and wind damage while moving through inland areas.
3. The stronger the storm, the bigger the storm surge. Storm surges are the most deadly part of the hurricane.
Nope. Not so. A storm surge is a dome of water pushed ashore as the hurricane makes landfall. The size of the hurricane, air flow, angle of approach, and land shape all affect the size of the storm surge so a weaker storm can still produce a large storm surge. The surge is deadly, but there are more recorded deaths from inland flooding and wind damage. Probably because most people evacuate the immediate storm surge area before it hits, thus avoiding the danger.
4. You don’t need to evacuate under evacuation order until the weather begins to get bad.
This is probably the biggest myth. If evacuation orders are issued it is to the benefit of all residents that these orders are followed. When people follow evacuation orders it cuts down on extreme traffic situations and prevents last minute chaos. When people delay, lives are lost. Typically in a hurricane the weather doesn’t get bad until the storm hits, at which point it is then too late to evacuate.
Houston Hurricane History:
- In 2008, Hurricane Ike devastated the Bolivar peninsula and Galveston Island. Damage in the gulf coast region was extensive.
- In 2001, Tropical Storm Allison — not even a hurricane — stalled out and dumped nearly 37 inches of rain on the Port of Houston over a five-day period, according to the National Weather Service. It killed 22 people and was the costliest natural disaster in Houston’s history.
- In 1983, Hurricane Alicia killed 21 Texans. Wind gusts of hurricane force in downtown Houston littered the streets with broken glass as windows broke in tall buildings.
- In 1961, massive Hurricane Carla whipped up peak winds of 175 mph. Only 46 Texas residents died, largely because about 250,000 people had evacuated.
- A 1919 hurricane came ashore south of Corpus Christi as a Category 3 on Sept. 14. The death toll is estimated at between 600 and 900 people, including more than 500 lost on ten ships that sunk or were reported missing.
- The Great Storm of 1900 is memorialized in a Galveston storm history museum. This storm killed between 8,000-12,000 residents and was the reason that Galveston built its sea wall.
Take a Trip Back in Time to Holidays Past
Join the fun at Sam Houston Park in downtown Houston for a visit to the 49th Annual Candlelight Tour. The Candlelight Tour is sponsored by the Houston Heritage Society and the goal is the bring the past to life for visitors. Attractions at the tour will include characters from Houston’s past walking the trails, beautiful light displays will abound, historic structures are decorated for the season, games are available in the Museum Gallery, refreshments are being served at the Candlelight Cafe, children can make crafts in Santa’s Workshop, and carolers will be strolling throughout the park all evening. This is truly an event for all ages to enjoy.
The Heritage Society is a museum complex within Sam Houston Park downtown. The museum collects, preserves and displays the diverse history of the Houston area on 10 acres in the park. Structures in the park are dated from 1823 to 1905.
The 49th Annual candlelight Tour will take place this Friday & Saturday, December 9-10 from 6:30-9:30 PM, rain or shine. Gates open at 6:30 and parking is available in the Heritage Clay Street Garage at 1200 Bagby Street for $10. Tickets are required. Prices are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors over 65 and students ages 6-18, and children 5 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased online or by phone. Visit the website for complete information on this fun event.
Social Media in Action – Houston Tweeters Join Interfaith Ministries
This year marks the second year that Houston tweeters and local business sponsors will join forces with Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston to create a special holiday gift drive for underprivileged children in the greater Houston area.
The 2nd Annual Holiday Tweet Drive was put together last year by Joelle Eid and other social media mavens in the area to help spread the word through social media avenues on the needs of Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston. The event was so successful, Joelle Eid decided this would be an annual event. The goal of the Tweet Up is to provide food, drinks and holiday cheer to Houston Tweeters, posters and bloggers while holding a toy and book drive for those children who will receive no other gifts this year. Local sponsors of the event include Oh My! Pocket Pies, Beaver’s Ice House, Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Graham’s Texas Tea, Paula’s Texas Spirits and Treaty Oak Distilling Co.
The Tweet Up organizers decided to partner with Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston. Interfaith Ministries (IM) is a diverse non-profit organization that brings people of different faith traditions together for dialogue, collaboration and service in an effort to demonstrate their shared beliefs. IM focuses on four areas of service in the community including Meals on Wheels for Greater Houston, Refugee Services in conjunction with the U.S. State Department, Office of Disaster Preparedness and Response, and Interfaith Relations. You can learn more about Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston HERE.
Word of this event is spread entirely through web-based social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and local bloggers.
WHEN: December 15, 7 PM
WHERE: Caroline Collective, located at 4820 Caroline St.
ADMISSION: Attendees are asked to bring a new toy or book to the event.
Keep up with news about this event on Twitter.
http://twitter.com/HOUTweetDrive
Attendees can RSVP through Eventbrite at http://houtweetdrive.eventbrite.com.
Christmas Cruise Down Buffalo Bayou
Did you know that many residents of Houston have never even explored Buffalo Bayou?
Buffalo Bayou officially starts just west of Katy, Texas about 35-miles from downtown Houston where a few intermittent streams empty into the bayou. From this point, Buffalo Bayou lazily winds its way through South Katy and West Houston towards downtown. Its journey includes passage through 500-acre Terry Hershey Park , the Memorial area, the Houston Arboretum, Memorial Park, and River Oaks.
Beginning in 1986, the Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) took control of 10 square miles of the bayou beginning at Shepherd Drive. Since that time, the BBP has raised millions of dollars in funding to renovate and restore vital ecosystems along the bayou and to create visitor stops. Some of the projects the BBP has completed include miles of hike and bike trails, restoration of Tapley Tributary, Allen’s Landing, and Sabine Promenade. They recently unveiled the Shepherd to Sabine Master Plan. Because of the tireless efforts of the BBP, Houstonians now have a fantastic place to enjoy the natural environment of Houston and take part in outdoor recreation such as kayaking, hiking and biking.
At Allen’s Landing, the historical birthplace of Houston, White Oak Bayou meets Buffalo Bayou. From Allen’s Landing east, Buffalo Bayou becomes much wider and deeper. Allen’s Landing is now a pontoon boat landing site for Buffalo Bayou Boat Tours. At Christmas time, special 30-minute tours are being served up first come, first serve to area visitors complete with plenty of decorations, brightly colored lights, song and cheer. Share a holiday evening with your fellow Houstonians an ponder the upcoming year as you cruise down the Bayou enjoying the lights
November 26, December 3, 9, 15, 16 and 17 from 5-8pm
Departing at Allen’s Landing (Commerce and Main Street)
You don’t need a reservation. This is first come, first served (we suggest you arrive 10-15 minutes before you’d like to board)! Fee is $7 for adults and $5 for children. Weather dependent.
It’s Time Again to Honor our Veterans with Wreaths Accross America
Since it first began in 1992 in Arlington National Cemetary, the Wreaths Across America program has spread throughout the country and is now celebrated annually all over our great land.
Wreaths Across America Houston is taking place this Saturday, December 10, at the Houston National Cemetery starting at 11 AM. If you’ve never heard of this program, the group’s mission is to “Remember, Honor, and Teach.” Wreaths Across America is a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring and thanking our veterans for their service by laying wreaths on the headstones of fallen soldiers.
The story of how Wreaths Across America came to Houston is touching and should be read at the Wreaths Across America Houston website. Since it’s beginning here in Houston, the organization’s goal has been to lay a wreath on every single one of the 59,000+ headstones in the Houston National Cemetery. Last year, in 2010, 26,000 wreaths were placed and each of the four years of the program here in Houston has seen exponential growth. Started by just one boy and his father, this organization now has the support of the entire city behind it.
Due to the high traffic at the event, various shuttle services, bus services, and parking options are available to get visitors to the event. There is no requirement for visitors wanting to come. Visit the website for full info on transportation. Wear comfortable walking shoes and appropriate clothing for the weather. The event is free and all are welcome. My son’s cub scout troop will be attending this year as it has every year since the beginning. We look forward to seeing all of the Houstonians who will come out and show respect and remembrance of our heroes sacrifice.
Prestonwood Forest in Houston TX Continues to Shine
It’s Christmas time folks and whatever holiday you choose to celebrate aside, this is the season of lights! In the NW Houston area, one of the top neighborhoods to visit each year for light viewing is Prestonwood Forest, just off Hwy. 249 N (see map below for access points into the neighborhood). Prestonwood Forest has been serving up holiday cheer to area residents for many years, and this year is the year for it to shine even brighter as it has been rumored that even HGTV may make a visit to this famously bright neighborhood. The Prestonwood Forest ‘Nite of Lites’ festival runs from Saturday, December 10 to Sunday, January 1. Lights are on daily from 6:30 PM – 10 PM.
If you haven’t been to “Christmas Lights Neighborhood” before then you’re in a for a treat. Residents go all out to decorate their streets and homes with massive amounts of Christmas lights. Many streets have a theme that each neighbor participates in and the neighborhood as a whole offers fun competitions for categories such as best cul-de-sac, best lamp post, best front door, best mailbox, best block. High traffic congests the area at this time, but no one is upset. In fact, visitors frequently pile into the backs of trucks or on trailers equipped with friends, Christmas tunes and hot chocolate while they meander the neighborhood checking out the displays.
Over the 36+ years that Prestonwood Forest has been hosting the Nite of Lites festival, many families in the area have made a visit to Prestonwood part of their annual holiday tradition. If you’re looking for a new tradition for your family, consider making a visit to Prestonwood Forest. If you do come, here a few rules that the homeowners association has asked visitors to keep in mind and a map of where to access the neighborhood.
DO’s
1. Have fun!
2. Remember lights are on all days during the Nite of Lites from 6pm until 10pm weekdays and until 11pm on weekends.
3. Visit both sides of our neighborhood (see map – Many visitors miss some of the best decorated houses in our neighborhood by failing to visit the streets between Ravenhurst and Hargrave).
4. Respect our residents and let them in and out of their driveways.
5. KEEP YOUR VEHICLE LIGHTS ON.
6. Remember to make a bathroom stop before enjoying the lights.
7. Be patient and show courtesy to other visitors.
8. Use caution when backing your vehicle.
9. Feel free to say “Merry Christmas” and “your house looks great” to homeowners who are outside enjoying the event.
10. Have Fun!
DON’TS
1. Drive with your vehicle lights off.
2. Enter our residents’ yards without permission.
3. Think bushes or trees are public bathrooms.
4. Throw trash in the streets or yards.
5. Tamper, adjust or move decorations.
6. Take a souvenir string of lights.
7. Feed the bears (ok maybe you don’t have to worry about this).
Frosty Jinglebells! Someone Broke Into My Car Last Night!
This is the time of year out in the suburbs when thieves come out and start breaking into cars on a regular basis. It happens every year that someone wakes up to find their window smashed in and their car vandalized and items stolen. Here’s a few tips on helping to prevent car break-ins.
Before I give the tips it should be known that in Houston, Texas, many home owners do NOT park in their garages. We use our garages for storage in lieu of basements. So our vehicles are outside all night exposed to thievery.
1. Leave all of your outside lights on. If you have a porch light that’s good. What’s better is a motion detector light on your garage pointing at your cars.
2. Don’t leave your car on the street if possible. The closer to the house and your outside lights the better.
3. Lock all the doors. I know this one is obvious, but if you have kids or you get busy, you’d be surprised how often one or more of your doors gets left open. The thieves will check.
4. If you use electronic gadgetry in your car, don’t leave it in there and don’t leave in the cables and mounting docks that imply to thieves that your gadget might still be hidden the car. EVERYTHING that is not physically part of the car should be out of sight including power cables and mounting docks. CD’s, headphones, spare change, game controllers, GPS, tools, etc. should all be out of the car or stashed out of sight.
5. Remove all packages from your car. This includes things you may not think about such as a child’s diaper bag, backpack, or sports equipment bag. Thieves will break in just on the chance that there may be something good inside that bag. They often use flashlights to penetrate tinted windows, so never assume they can’t see the bags in the car.
6. A car alarm is a good thing. Make sure you turn it on. Even better is a secondary locking device. In our area, there is danger of truck tailgates being stolen. There are special covers that can be purchased to cover the lock on the tailgate and prevent the tailgate from being removed. As an example, this summer thieves came through my neighborhood and stole 5 tailgates in one night. Layers of security are the best protection.
7. Forget the “Hide-A-Key”. These are easily checked for and located by thieves.
Hopefully these tips will help keep you and your property safe this holiday season.
The House that Burned – A Story of Hope
I think it is probably due to the heavy drought conditions we are living with here in the Houston area, but I’m sure other factors played a hand. Several homes that I know of over the past year have caught fire. One burned to the ground killing a teenage girl trapped inside. One started due to a bird nest built near some electrical wiring behind an outside light. Fires happen when no one expects them because none of us ever expect a home to catch on fire.
There is a home that caught fire about a year ago just a few blocks from my home that has captured my interest. My family and I drive past it every day. For almost 8 months it sat there, empty, after the fire. The top floor windows had been blown out and the roof was blackened. Parts of the siding were completely gone leaving the home exposed. Within two weeks of the fire we watched with interest as the large dumpsters were set up outside and the home was gutted of furniture and debris. Then the home sat. And sat, and sat and sat.
About 4 months ago construction began on the home, and I write this post because every day I drive past this home and see the workers drawing closer and closer to completion. The owners have an entirely new interior to their home. We’ve watched new framing, walls, stairs, windows, and doors go up. The plumber and the cabinet installer have come and each day is bringing the owners closer to their dream of returning home. The sight of this always lifts my spirits. I think of how they could have sold the home and moved away, but they chose to stay and I find that cheering.
Our neighborhoods here in Cypress, TX are just such a place that people want to stay and build lives. There are deep connections here to the community. Neighbors know one another and they don’t quit when times are tough and adversity strikes. They help each other, bond, and start again. I hope that the owners of this house will get to move in before Christmas. What a wonderful gift that will be for themselves and their neighbors.
End of the Year Chores – Everyone Has Some
Well folks, it is that time of year again. November is already hitting its mid-point and that means that with holiday madness swinging into full gear, January 1 is just around the corner. A time for New Year’s resolutions and inner resolve. Over here at Great Houston Properties our inner resolve is usually that we will get our taxes filed by February 15, archive the previous years files, and be operating on a newly updated business plan.
What is the readership’s opinion of tax filing and business planning for the independent or small business owner? We use a variety of tools to get our jobs done. This year we will be using an outstanding real estate business planning tool that will be new to us. Past years have been spreadsheets of our own design along with a few cobbled-together online templates that we customized for our own needs. We are quite excited about our new planning tool. Everything about it is created for the top-producing agent’s needs.
In addition to our business plan we keep our accounting simple. We use Mint.com to track & categorize our expenses over the year and then we whip it all together via Turbo Tax for filing. Occasionally we seek the review of a CPA to answer questions we may encounter. Files we store electronically via our on-line back-up service and flash drives here in the office.
We’re starting early this year with our preparations. 2012 is going to be a monumental year. We want to get the jump on it. How about you? What do you do to close out your year, maintain your records and set your mind into action for the coming year?
If making a move for your home or office is in the works for next year, please let me know how I can help.
