Flooding risk and how to respond, or Bert bashing at the window.

 Whilst I was in America, Hurricane Helene raged,  and someone I know was caught up with it.  She said for several days before they had to evacuate as the sound was horrendous, but they are used to living in Florida and so mostly know how to deal with these things.  However, they were a bit caught out when it came to the evacuation and the getting the wood to board up the property as they had not got any in ahead of the storm.  It was only because there were several people in the house, that it was possible to nail the property as tight as possible before leaving the home. The other thing about the evacuation was thinking about everything they needed to take with them including the hamster.  Again this is a family used to these things, and used to getting text messages telling them what to do, a family that already has a grab bag ready for such events, but even they had a few difficulties and if they had not got a car or the $1000 dollars the hotel away from home cost them, how would they have managed.  Would they have been like the people of Valencia, literally swept up in the disaster and dead, for the want of sufficient warning and useful messages of advice.  

Every since my sister's neighbourhood got cut off in the snow, I have wondered how I and others in my situation would manage.  Some of the residents of Weardale were cut off in the snow wihtout any heating, so the carers, who knew their clients, found themselves helping with solultions, rather than the Council.   Since then, the locals in Weardale have tried to build their resilience e.g. learning where power operates, where power doesn't, who has a spare generator, who is totally isolated. However, when they tried to work with the Council on this, the volunteers found them got bogged down in the Council systems, so no permanent way forward was found as far as I know.  

A wet and windswept Broxbourne. 

This weekend I was supposed to be travelling to Basildon, but I decided in view of Bert's activities to give it a miss. Bert is the second named storm is it of the season?  And at present there are about a 100 flooding warnings out and 20000 in the UK without power.    How many of us know how to prepare for such a situation?  There is this Government website Prepare for a flood,  and that on a personal level is definitely a good starting point, and I know that various organisations locally have a plan, but us individuals who they are planning for, have not been let into the plan.  Some years ago I approached the local Council asking for greater coordination between them and us, and they replied thoughtfully but said that there was no such a mechanism.   Since then the number of floodings and the seriousness of floods has only increased, so a reminder for myself, be prepared, a reminder to dear reader/s be prepared, but also I need to go back to the Council and see if more can be done.  

Also remember there are plus sides from not being able to travel three hours in the wind and rain as yesterday I managed to go to a music concert by harpist,

Harriet Adie,  which was really lovely and I also dropped in on the WTBL Christmas do, however, I feel really sorry for those like Love Hoddesdon putting events on today as the wind and the rain will put most people off, it certainly has me, which is why I am at home writing this.  I finally have a bit more work as I have done my training to update my sklls, but I am still not very adept at the new system so am taking it gently. 

Small work crisis.

 One of the thing facing many older people is how and when to give up work and how much money is needed to do so.    In my head I had thought keep going to 70.  I am only doing about 10 hours a week, so that is manageable till then,  maybe even May.... July etc. Always extending it (a third goes in taxes now) , not just because of the money but because I have always worked.   But I had a real shock today, apparently I am not going to be offered any more private work and as that is 98% of what I do that is in effect it unless I retrain.    So now I am in the midst of an internal debate as to whether to give up or try to go on.  Many friends are still working part time.  Most of them have better pensions than me but value the intellectual stimulation. Others say don't be daft stop working.   J's kindness means I am not the impoverished soul I once was or felt myself to be, but having been told how much it will cost to do up my place.... etc etc and really what I was earning was pin money.  So I do not know.    I may not have a choice in the matter.  And now it looks like my last ever student is not going to turn up!. 

And to make things work,  America voted Trump back in.