Hurricane Beryl turned out to be a windy situation with about six inches of rain.
There was minimal flooding, but the power grid took a beating from 60-70 mph winds in Montgomery County and 80 mph winds in Houston. It is interesting how we so rely on our electricity. Although the temperatures cooled down on Tuesday morning, the widespread power outages caused serious problems. It was not until Wednesday afternoon and evening when power was restored in many parts of The Woodlands where power systems are underground. Those served by aerial power lines are still waiting in many parts of Montgomery County for power.
Rotarians stepped into action working with various nonprofits to assist those in need. Rotarians have found it best to work with established organizations in our communities like the Salvation Army, Interfaith of The Woodlands, and the Montgomery County Food Bank to assist those in need. Since power was out in much of Montgomery County, hot meals were a scarce commodity.
Rotarians are assisting in food lines to serve hot foods. Many Rotarians are providing food to those that are food needy via Interfaith of The Woodlands and the Montgomery County Food Bank. With power out and generators scarce, a lot of refrigerated food has been thrown out. Â Many of those that were not food needy became food needy since hundreds of dollars of refrigerated foods and frozen foods were removed from their refrigerators and freezers.
Individual Rotarians are also helping in cleaning up neighborhoods of tree debris and fallen trees. They work with others in their communities to help where needed. These Rotarians also check with the elderly to ensure their power is back on and their systems working properly.
Individual Rotarians are helping those who cannot speak English to assist them in getting their needs translated and assistance provided. There are also those who are stuck within their homes due to down power lines. Cell phone communications are improving as the power grid comes back on. Â
Rotarians serve our communities and the world in a variety of ways. We serve our communities with compassion and work within our communities to make the world a better place. If you have compassion for your community, then perhaps Rotary is for you. Â
The Rotary Club of Conroe meets at noon Tuesdays at Honor Cafe at 103 N. Thompson in downtown Conroe.Â
For more information on Rotary, please contact Ron Saikowski at rsaikowski@comcast.net.Â
Storm debris removal is underway in many Houston-area communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.
There’s perhaps nothing more stressful than when house guests overstay their welcome, don’t you agree?  And it gets even worse when you discover dirty towels on the bathroom floor or unwashed dishes in the sink as they’re pulling out of your drive.  Sorta like Beryl.  He didn’t stay all that long but he sure left a huge, dirty mess.  Lots of folks are still cleaning up, and will be for a while.  You and all your neighbors likely lost power at some point and, as you read this, there are still areas here in our corner of Texas where the power is not yet fully restored.  So, considering everything that’s happened and is happening, we here in Bentwater fared pretty well through it all. Â
And, not meaning to sound too much like a Pollyanna, I usually find that there’s a silver lining somewhere around every bad situation if you really look for it.  And, sure enough, there it was.  Folks standing in groups in the middle of the streets chatting, sharing experiences and comparing stories.  Neighbors helping to cut up fallen trees and cutting off broken limbs from others.  Sweeping up debris.  Sharing space in their refrigerators and freezers.  Offering the use of spare bedrooms.  Feeding others.  Running extension cords across lawns to provide a little relief for neighbors who didn’t have generators.  Anything and everything to help others.  Neighbors helping neighbors.  Though some suffered more expense or discomfort than others, the sense of community Beryl caused was downright uplifting for everyone.  Of course, we don’t need such outside forces to appreciate our neighbors so, when you get a call from one of Beryl’s cousins-in-law asking about maybe paying a visit sometime in the future, just don’t answer the phone.
Meanwhile, a special shout out to the grounds crews of both the POA and the country club for their efforts and dedication to keeping Bentwater beautiful.  While we have a right to expect that the debris left courtesy of Beryl be efficiently cleared from our streets and common areas, these crews went above and beyond despite the heat.  I hope you’re also paying attention to what’s going on throughout our community.  It’s like that proverbial butterfly emerging from her cocoon. Â
You don’t even have to be a golfer to see how many of the treed areas have had the undergrowth cleared and the canopies raised.  Even dozens of those messy Bois d’ Arc trees have magically disappeared.  There’s an obvious and concerted effort to groom our community to appear larger, more open, more appealing and more desirable.  The next time you roll past a golf hole bordering Bentwater Drive, take a close look.  Take it all in and, if you’re honest with yourself, you’ll find it impossible to ever take for granted where we’re blessed to live. Â
Send Bentwater fun news and social tidbits to Bruce at Bruce@TheLakeConroeGroup.com
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Most Houston-area hospitals rushed to keep up with an influx of patients as power outages moved through the area, leading to a rise in heat-related issues and emergency conditions.
As a Category 1 hurricane when it hit Texas, Hurricane Beryl caused significant damage to homes in the Houston area, leaving residents concerned about damages and repair costs. As a result, some cities have waived permit fees for repairs.
CenterPoint Energy did not provide a timeline for complete power restoration, but a company executive said it would take longer to restore power in the areas hit hardest by the storm, including The Woodlands and Matagorda, Brazoria and Galveston co…
Hurricane Beryl hit Greater Houston as a Category 1 storm, Conroe and Montgomery have started recovering.
As power outages in the wake of Hurricane Beryl have wreaked havoc on the Greater Houston area for the last four days, many Houstonians have found themselves waiting in long lines for essentials, including gasoline.