Exhausted

[MDW]

To Whom it May Concern:

Here’s my story.



Hurricane Rita is on her way.

Time to evacuate.

Load up the Trucks and trailers with our possessions.

Spend 9 hours getting nowhere, actually to Hwy 146 at the Main St. exit from Texas City.

Where one of my trucks breaks down. The one towing our home away from home, our travel trailer.

Call the Baytown police, they arrive much quicker than expected, about an hour.

They call a wrecker

Wrecker shows up quicker than expected but can’t tow the travel trailer just the truck.

After discussions with the officer he tells me if I can get it into the emergency lane it will stay there till I can return to retrieve it unless Rita does it in first.

I refuse the towing and push the truck and trailer to the side of the road with the other truck.

We move as much of our possessions as we can to the other trailer and keep going but now have no place to stay. My wife my mother and myself. What to do.

As we sit in traffic worrying we try hotels to no avail.

Our only option as we see it is to go to my uncles in Louisiana just north of New Orleans.

After about 36 hours of no sleep we make it to refuge finally.

We sleep.

Hurricane Rita turns north unexpectedly and missed Texas City.

The place we are at loses power. Time to evactuate again.

We go to New Orleans of all places as my other uncle has power.

We return the next day as power is restored.

We are now on the other side of the damaged area with no route back as officials say to stay away.

We obey.

I talk to people in Houston on Sunday who goes to look for the truck and trailer to see if it is ok.

No truck and trailer??

We start calling Baytown police but are told “we didn’t tow any vehicles” call Harris county sheriff.

We call all agencies: Harris county, Houston police, DPS, TX Dot(trying anything at this point) to no avail.

We call back to Baytown to be told “we don’t have it” but that they heard Harris County came through and towed vehicles call them.

We call Harris County again.

This goes on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

We return Tuesday. I call Baytown again. They heard that Harris county was holding vehicles at a park and ride lot on North Shepard and the only way to see if it was there was to drive up and look for it.

We go look. Not there.

Wednesday morning, I call Baytown again this time to report the truck and trailer stolen since noone can find it.

They tell me Baytown police cannot make the report as its the county’s problem call them.

I call Harris County again.

I’m told the only way to make the report is I have to drive up to the Wallisville rd sub station.

I’m losing my mind after hours of being told, “we didn’t tow it or call someone else, we can’t help you”

I call Harris County back to see if anyone can make to report over the phone please.

I find a beckon in the storm. Someone willing to help, finally.

She calls every agency she can think of to no avail so she says I need to make out the stolen report with Baytown.

My heart sinks.

I inform her that was why I was calling her.

She informs me its Baytown jurisdiction but while I’m still on the phone with her she calls Baytown PD gets Baytown to understand it’s there report to take.

Thank you.

Baytown now informs me that an officer must call me back.

Dejected again.

An officer calls me within 2 hours, great.

He asks me “what can I do for you”?

I say that I need to report a stolen truck and trailer.

He says do you mean the truck and trailer had towed by XXXX towing company??

I said WHAT??

You know where it is??

He gives me the name of the towing company and phone number.

I call to find out I owe over 500 dollars to get my vehicle back. OMG…

A big portion is storage fees.

Someone shoot me now…….

First I was told it wouldn’t be towed.

Then its gone and noone has it…. . Baytown police WE DID NOT TOW ANY VEHICLES, then how did it end up in a tow yard.

Come to find out Baytown police had it towed and didn’t inform anyone as to its location (including itself) as it racks up storage fees.



To say I am disappointed would be the understatement of the century.

We had a horrible time evacuating.

Come to find out for no apparent reason, as the hurricane didn’t even come here.

Now feeling like a fool and reevaluating our choice to leave, we get let down by our own system.

I will have to say this will be a large factor as to wether or not I leave in the face of another hurricane.

I have much more to say but just don’t have the energy.



Michael

 

[Crazygator]

Well I was wondering where it had gone to, and now we know.



I guess me saying that all sucks is probably not even close. I am sorry you went through all that. Could be worse, being over in New Orleans or other torn up communities with no home, no car, and family missing or worse.



Just learn a lesson here, get your stuff back and go on. You battled it this far, dont give up on us now!!

 

[MDW]

I realize things could have been worse.

This just didn't need to happen.



I am thankful that we didn't take a direct hit from Rita and I'm mournful of those that did.

 

[DSteimle]

you know i've been thinking of this problem since katrina. there's nothin like loading up you most important stuff and family and leaving without knowing where to go. i think possibly our members on the gulf coast and florida could get together and help each other when this stuff happens- maybe like the travel companion but for evacuee's. i had land and power that you could use north of n. o. . but didn't think fast enough to help. in the future if a storm comes i'll try to post name, address, etc. so that people can plan to go somewhere. sorry for your mess but i've been there too (aint hurricanes fun ) daryl

 

[MDW]

DSteimle: What a wonderful offer, thanks.



Here's an update:

I talk to a captain at the Baytown PD. He investigated the matter and found that one of his officers was delinquent in reporting my truck and trailer towed.

He admitted to the mistake and told me they would take care of the wrecker and storage bill.

So I went and picked up the trailer and had the wrecker co. tow the truck to the shop.

I'm just hoping I don't get a bill in the mail at a later date.

 

[Rd.Runnr]

Mike, you always have a spot at my place--full hookups. How could I refuse a man on whose sofa I slept?

 

[Bill Lins]

Mike, as bad as the evac sucked, you wouldn't have wanted to be in Texas City if Rita had come in anywhere between Matagorda & Galveston as they first predicted.



I helped deliver a load of relief supplies to Rye, Texas on Saturday- 100 miles from the Gulf & on the "clean" side of the storm- the damage & destruction we saw was amazing!



Dunno if I can get the family to leave for the next one- the wife was PI$$ED about the traffic (but her trip wasn't nearly as tough as truckstom's was!).

 

[JeepRig]

Michael, I know exactly how you feel about future storms and evacuating.

We live in Charleston, SC. A few years back a Cat 1 storm was heading our way. It was supposed to strenghthen. They said to leave so we secured the house and packed our 2 very young kids and stuff in the van and hit the road. We decided to go to Charlotte where my wifes sister lives. Normally that trip takes about 3 hours. Well, it took us 14 hours. That made me feel that next time I was not leaving. And after all that the storm turned and skimmed the coast of NC and missed Charleston. It is frustrating.

Glad you got the truck and Rv back, good luck with everything!

 

[PUMPERDUDE]

I have made many dry run evacuations... Lots of packing up,headaches,kids and dogs,driving long distances in traffic for nothing... This time for Katrina it payed off... It was life and death this time... St Bernard Parish was the worst hit parish in Louisiana. . Be happy that you had a dry run. Be happy to have a home to go back to... Thank the good Lord for steering Rita away from your home.

 

[MDW]

Thats all good advice