Hurricane Beryl started lashing the Houston Gulf coast area on Sunday, July 07, 2024, evening. That whole night we experienced heavy pounding of rain and gushing wind on the windows, walls and roof. Early next morning July 08, 2024, around 5:00 AM we lost electricity. It was not the power alone, but we also lost cellular phone service and internet connectivity. Very fortunately we did not lose the water connection or gas connection, for which we are thankful. The forced downtime without the amenities that we take for granted in our modern life of hustle and bustle was not a welcome guest. We are so used to power, AC and internet connectivity that their absence knocks us out. Lest we forget hurricane Beryl had left a devastating legacy behind in Barbados, Caribbean last week. It was the same city where the T20 World Cup finals were held a week earlier.

The challenge was how to stay calm and occupied with sweat dripping down our brow when no props are available to keep us engaged, as everything runs on electricity and internet connectivity. One easy escape from this handicapped situation in the sweltering and muggy weather was to escape from our town to some hotel away from this punishing hurricane area that came barreling down on us, plus to reembrace the comforts that we have become so accustomed to. But the authorities had issued a directive not to leave your homes from midnight till midday Monday. We decided to endure and persevere under these severe weather conditions. With almost 2.7 million losing power the restoration efforts were going to be daunting. We were quite clear that our residence not being an emergency service, was not going to be a priority so our wait will be longer.

Now the fun part of the wait game started, while enduring sweating conditions and hoping for speedy restoration, simultaneously praying for it. Monday July 8, 2024 morning started by watching the lashing rain and the howling wind, which continued till 2:30 PM. After lunchtime the wind and rain subsided a little and it became intermittent. Around 3:00 PM, we started collecting all the fallen branches and leaves from the front yard. When we looked at the bushes and plants of Plumeria and Roses, we could see that there were burrows around the main trunk as if angry Beryl was forcefully trying to yank those out to uproot them. We filled the empty pockets with fresh soil and thanked them for enduring the hurricane.

Next, we went to the backyard to survey the damage and were expecting a similar extent of damage as in the front yard but were shocked to see our big Neem tree knocked out. Considering that we were in the eye of the storm and the landfall was only 4 miles away, it is the only consolation then we can come up with. Imagine this was just a Category 1 storm, then how the ferocity of Category 5 storm will be like? Now we have to wait for a certain normalcy to return before we can hire someone to saw off the tree and haul it away.

By 5:00 PM the Sun came out making working outside impossible under the unbearable humidity conditions. Around 6:30 PM, I decided to go for a walk to survey the damage in the neighborhood. All around I could see littered with loose objects, tree branches, water meter covers, street signs, broken fences, debris and roof shingles etc. The walk felt like a hot sauna bath. In one house a loose log had hit their water supply line, punctured the PVC supply line, and their backyard was turned into a swimming pool, while they had no water inside. I even saw a dead rabbit in a jumping pose. I could not resist wondering how those creatures were responding to such a natural calamity, while we were staying indoors in our cozy houses and complaining about power and internet outages. I had personally never seen the devastation of this scale with my own eyes before, except having seen it on TV. The shower after the walk feels like a necessity, as well as a ritual to express our thanks for the availability of running water.

The dinner had to be taken care of before the evening sunset. That time of the day becomes most challenging as with the existing handicaps a new one of invisibility was added. That one little addition makes the lives of creatures of comfort unbearable. With nothing else to do, the only option is to hit the bed early. But with no AC the bed feels like a hot plate and the bedroom feels like an oven, providing a hot embrace, not the sought-out relief after the agonizing day. It can be said that we had added a new dimension of “Sleepless in Houston”.

In the meantime, the Gulf Coast region had been placed on the heat advisory on Tuesday, with heat index expected to reach around 106⁰F, the National Weather Service said. After two days (48 Hours) of this excruciating punishment, we were yearning back for our life of comforts what we call “normal”, after all we are creatures of comfort. Driving a car feels like a necessity to charge our dead cell phones, as well as to cool the body. The long lines at the gas stations acts as a reminder to thank that car tank is luckily full. Talking about the cooling relief for the body, reminds that we have three options as below to cool off:

• Go for a spin in the car for two purposes as mentioned above and no go anywhere in particular.
• Take a shower to cool off. Thank God, at least we have running water.
• Find a place where there is power, so that we can get respite, have a restful sleep for a change.

In the meantime, the clock was still clicking, sweat was still dripping, and the unabated wait continued. By nighttime the inhouse air was feeling hotter than the outside hot air. So, we opened the front and back doors to get some air circulation going and get the hotter air out. We were fortunate that we had been invited by our friends to spend the night in their house as they got the power back yesterday. That was a very welcome relief to enjoy dinner in lights with AC running. The sleep with AC blasting and weighted blanket on felt good. Now the body is charged and ready for Thursday’s gruel.

Thursday July 11, 2024, another day starts without power and hope. The morning passed away slowly and listlessly, but by 1:00 PM clouds appeared cooling the air. It was a great respite to finally sit outside in the covered patio. Then around 2:00 PM it started raining, bringing a welcome relief. Finally, at 3:00 PM we had the power back on. It felt like icing on the cake and our agonizing wait was finally over. We had survived Beryl. But there are still over a million without power and many houses and businesses will take months before they are habitable and functioning.    

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