I've sent the following brochure out to most of my local email list
http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/.../The Ready, Set, Go! Wildfire Action Plan.pdf
I got a bit spooked after taking a drive this evening. Dropped in on mom a few miles away and she comments, "I guess you'd take the convertible if you had to evacuate." Uh, hadn't really been thinking about that. Drove west and saw this big cloud, wow, maybe we might have some rain, eh? Consulted that fire map just posted and, no, that is the fire to the west of us. That's not fog around the street lights, that's smoke. Little fires to the south of us contained now. Bigger fire to the west of us, not so much.
Got to thinking about how fast things could have gone up if that strong wind had been blowing the other way a few days ago. Not sure where that fire was, but dead pines go up pretty fast. Jump a highway? Sure, with that wind.
What WOULD I take? How long is a fire proof safe good for? I read that the most important thing to take is photos, to prove the condition of the house when you left. Important papers, small valuables, food and meds. Pick up flammables from the outside, patio furniture, welcome mat, check the roof for pine needles. How much time might one have? Gee, I thought this only happened in California. OK, yes, I am overdoing it right now. Not an emergency, but I do like to be prepared.
Reading that brochure above, clear the ground of dry leaves and pine needles. Uh, in The Woodlands? That is called mulch. It covers the greenbelts all over here and most of the yards as well.
We really, really need rain. Not with lightning though, just rain.
BTW, that WunderMap is not all that current. The Tamina Road fire that I saw yesterday is listed there as not verified and it is already out and residents who evacuated are returning. Still better than the TX Forest Service map
http://ticc.tamu.edu/Response/FireActivity/ that does not even show it at all.