LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Coming soon to a river near us – A FLOOD.
Maybe an epic flood. Worse than the 2015 floods, terrible as they were.
How can we protect ourselves?
Here are three important ways to protect yourself. You’ll learn them here, not from the usual sources. I don’t know why this life saving information is not found on the usual sources of advice for emergencies.
1. Get a rain gauge It is like a smoke detector, but it shows high water near you. It will not show how much water has fallen upstream from you. Rain gauges are cheap – many are less than $10 – and widely available. A rain gauge goes in the ground or on a fence. It needs to be open to the sky. It can also be attached to an apartment balcony, if the balcony is open to the sky.People have been using rain gauges for more than 2,000 years! Because they help.
2. Remember these numbers: 2 and 3 Two inches of rain in one day in your rain gauge means that the low water crossings near you are FILLING UP. Three inches or more of rain in one day in your rain gauge might mean FLASH FLOODS. Very possibly, not certainly, but very possibly. But three inches or more of rain in one day is very dangerous for people, animals and property.
Don’t drive anywhere without checking on road conditions.
If you have children, get them to draw a yellow line around the two inch mark on your rain gauge. Ask them to draw a red line around the 3 inch mark. The yellow and red lines remind you and your family of danger, like yellow and red traffic lights. You and your children could keep records of rainfall, maybe by writing the rainfall on a calendar.
By the way, I verified these numbers with the National Weather Service in New Braunfels.
3. Stay in touch using CB radios Our cell phones give us instant access to any phone in the U.S. But cell phones may not work in an emergency. Texans experienced that in 2021 during Winter Storm Uri and this year after Hurricane Beryl.
If you want to stay in touch with loved ones when cell phones go down, get 2 CB radios – one for you and one for them. It doesn’t need cell towers to work. CB radios have changed a lot since the famous Bandit movies that featured them. They come in different sizes and prices. Some are small enough to clip to a belt. Many can work on batteries and don’t need electricity if the power is out. They are easy to use and don’t require a license.
Channel 9 is the dedicated emergency channel. It is monitored by first responders.
CB radios, like all radios, are line of sight, so make sure there isn’t a mountain or building in the way.
4. Just a reminder, please look at the usual sources of advice about preparing for emergencies They include ready.gov, CDC.gov and many state and local websites. Sign up with warncentraltexas. org to get text alerts on your phone. Check haysinformed. com to find out about fires, floods and other emergencies in our county.
Buy supplies like bottled water and food you don’t have to cook. Etc., Etc.
To conclude, protect yourself and your loved ones with a rain gauge. For reliable communication in an emergency, get CB radios. Stay safe here in our beautiful hill country!
Camille Phillips
