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Ex-Keokuk resident survives Ike
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| Dennis Jenkins, formerly of Keokuk, cleans up storm damage from hurricane Ike at his home in Houston, Texas. His 1-year-old twin daughters, Price and Grace, are with him. Jenkins and his wife, Carolyn, and two daughters spent time in Oklahoma City, Okla., after the hurricane. |
By Steve Dunn/Gate City Managing Editor
Former Keokuk resident Dennis Jenkins has survived two hurricanes and a typhoon.
His latest brush with nature's fury ended Sunday when he and his family left their home in northwest Houston, Texas, to wait out hurricane Ike in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Although Jenkins, his wife Carolyn and their 1-year-old twin daughters Price and Grace escaped injury, trees and a fence in their yard were damaged.
“There was a mandatory evacuation area. Thousands of people chose to stay in that area,” Dennis said. “Some people kept their kids in those areas. One guy stayed on Galveston Island in a RV trailer. Stupid, stupid people. Now they are complaining that there is no ice or water.”
The area where the Jenkins live was ordered to shelter in place so that highways could remain open for people in more danger to leave first.
While Jenkins and his wife did not fear for their lives during Ike, they were concerned about their twin daughters.
“We brought them down into our bedroom on the ground floor of our home because of concerns about falling trees and breaking windows,” Dennis said. “Our home is surrounded by 40- to 60-foot pine and oak trees. Those fears were not unfounded as we drove around the neighborhood and saw huge trees that had crashed through our neighbor's roofs literally all around us.”
Dennis and his wife actually started preparing for the hurricane on Wednesday, three days before the storm struck Houston. First, they gassed up their vehicles and filled all of their gas cans. On Thursday, he started making ice and bagging it.
“The plan was to wait as long as we could before we lost power and then load our two coolers with the food and drinks we would use over the first couple of days after the storm,” he said. “On the third day we figured we would open the fridge and eat what we could from there and throw everything else away. We hoped the power would come on before we lost everything in our fridge.”
On Friday, school was canceled and most businesses started to close so that people could get ready for the storm.
“I went around the yard putting away lawn furniture, taking down wind chimes, thermometers, etc. Anything that could be picked up and used by the wind as a missile got stowed in the garage or greenhouse,” Dennis said. “I also helped several older neighbors with their yards. I made room to get both cars in the garage. I got my chainsaw out, cleaned it and let it run Š and wished I had thought to buy extra chains.”
The Jenkins decided not to board up their windows.
“I had duct tape in the house and plastic sheeting. If it got too bad, I was prepared to tape the windows from the inside to keep them from shattering,” he said. “We also had an inside closet under the stairway we were prepared to use if anytime during the storm we did fear for our lives.”
Carolyn bought supplies for her family at the local supermarket. She also did the laundry and got all the baby bottles cleaned and ready.
“She stored about 10 gallons of drinking water for us to use after the storm. Carolyn also got all the flashlights out, organized the batteries, candles, etc.,” Dennis recounted. “On the way home from school Thursday afternoon she even stopped at Home Depot and asked if they had any generators for rent or sale. They were completely sold out.”
The Jenkins listened to reports on Ike's path all day Friday, the day before Ike hit Houston.
“More and more it looked like it was heading our way. As we prepared to go to sleep Friday night there was very little wind and no rain. At 11p.m. the hurricane was about 90 miles off the coast. Our home is located in northwest Houston off Highway 249 at Louetta, a location known in Houston as the world headquarters of HP. That is approximately an hour from the coast on a good day.”
Next: The Jenkins cope with the hurricane and then head for safer ground in Oklahoma City, hoping to return to their home today.
His latest brush with nature's fury ended Sunday when he and his family left their home in northwest Houston, Texas, to wait out hurricane Ike in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Although Jenkins, his wife Carolyn and their 1-year-old twin daughters Price and Grace escaped injury, trees and a fence in their yard were damaged.
“There was a mandatory evacuation area. Thousands of people chose to stay in that area,” Dennis said. “Some people kept their kids in those areas. One guy stayed on Galveston Island in a RV trailer. Stupid, stupid people. Now they are complaining that there is no ice or water.”
The area where the Jenkins live was ordered to shelter in place so that highways could remain open for people in more danger to leave first.
While Jenkins and his wife did not fear for their lives during Ike, they were concerned about their twin daughters.
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Dennis and his wife actually started preparing for the hurricane on Wednesday, three days before the storm struck Houston. First, they gassed up their vehicles and filled all of their gas cans. On Thursday, he started making ice and bagging it.
“The plan was to wait as long as we could before we lost power and then load our two coolers with the food and drinks we would use over the first couple of days after the storm,” he said. “On the third day we figured we would open the fridge and eat what we could from there and throw everything else away. We hoped the power would come on before we lost everything in our fridge.”
On Friday, school was canceled and most businesses started to close so that people could get ready for the storm.
“I went around the yard putting away lawn furniture, taking down wind chimes, thermometers, etc. Anything that could be picked up and used by the wind as a missile got stowed in the garage or greenhouse,” Dennis said. “I also helped several older neighbors with their yards. I made room to get both cars in the garage. I got my chainsaw out, cleaned it and let it run Š and wished I had thought to buy extra chains.”
The Jenkins decided not to board up their windows.
“I had duct tape in the house and plastic sheeting. If it got too bad, I was prepared to tape the windows from the inside to keep them from shattering,” he said. “We also had an inside closet under the stairway we were prepared to use if anytime during the storm we did fear for our lives.”
Carolyn bought supplies for her family at the local supermarket. She also did the laundry and got all the baby bottles cleaned and ready.
“She stored about 10 gallons of drinking water for us to use after the storm. Carolyn also got all the flashlights out, organized the batteries, candles, etc.,” Dennis recounted. “On the way home from school Thursday afternoon she even stopped at Home Depot and asked if they had any generators for rent or sale. They were completely sold out.”
The Jenkins listened to reports on Ike's path all day Friday, the day before Ike hit Houston.
“More and more it looked like it was heading our way. As we prepared to go to sleep Friday night there was very little wind and no rain. At 11p.m. the hurricane was about 90 miles off the coast. Our home is located in northwest Houston off Highway 249 at Louetta, a location known in Houston as the world headquarters of HP. That is approximately an hour from the coast on a good day.”
Next: The Jenkins cope with the hurricane and then head for safer ground in Oklahoma City, hoping to return to their home today.
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ME wrote on Sep 18, 2008 2:22 PM: