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. 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.
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.
The Rotary Club of Conroe meets at noon Tuesdays at Honor Cafe at 103 N. Thompson in downtown Conroe.
For more information on Rotary, please contact Ron Saikowski at rsaikowski@comcast.net.