Hurricane Rita…

 

Nine years ago this week Hurricane Rita hit.  It was right after Katrina and was sort of the “forgotten” hurricane.  It struck Southeast Texas and was very scary for a lot of folks.

My parents packed up Max and came to ride out the storm at my old house in Spring.  It was an anxiety filled couple of days.  When it was over, Daddy and I made the trip back to Vidor to look at the damage.  It was horrific.  It literally looked like a giant had stepped on trees and houses.  It spared some houses and demolished others.  There were area where trees were destroyed but the next tree over was spared. My parent’s house was not spared. There were broken windows and tree limbs everywhere.  It had been flooded and they lost almost everything.

Over the next few months my parents waited for the insurance and Federal Government to move at their slow pace.  When it was all said and done, the house was condemned and they were forced to move out.  FEMA bought several houses in Vidor and my parent’s house was one of them.

My mom especially took it very hard.  In hindsight this was the end of an era.  The Vidorian Hillbilly Wistners moved west.  More anxiety followed with where to live and getting the VA loan in order and so forth.  As luck would have it, my brother and sister-in-law were selling their house in The Woodlands.  (About 20 minutes from me and about 45 from Amy).  The deal was made and the Vidorians moved to the true suburbs.

I know there are not as many memories in this house, but I don’t have to worry about my mom fretting when it rains.  Their new house is high and dry and weathers the storms nicely.  They were so confident in it that they didn’t evacuate for Hurricane Ike.  It’s far enough inland that it didn’t get anything but rain and strong winds. 

The new house is where William and Erin know my parents.  They are safe and comfortable there and will never know any differently.  I’m so glad that my parents moved over here.  They help us both out when the kids are sick or when something breaks, but the best part of the move has been the time they get to spend with their grandkids now.  They’re not 2 hours away!

Mom lost a lot of “stuff” when the house was condemned, but ultimately she gained.  I think if you asked my parents today they would tell you the forgotten hurricane was the best thing that happened to them!