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Hurricane Ike

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Another ‘Hood Hero of Hurricane Ike: CSTEM Founder Dr. Reagan Flowers

written by AQM Blog Staff


Written By Jesse Muhammad

Originally published 9.26.08

Photos courtesy of CSTEM

After I wrote the first ‘Hood Heroes of Hurricane Ike piece on Khallid Greene and IN-CERT, I got an overwhelming response especially because everyone likes the name….maybe I should hurry up and trademark it! What do you think? (smile)But seriously I like recognizing those who get overlooked at times so I have decided that this will be a series for the next several months wherein every week I will find someone or organization that went beyond the call of duty to do their part during Ike.

This week I would like to recognize the works of Dr. Reagan Flowers (pictured below in red shirt), who is the founder of CSTEM Teacher and Student Support Services. On September 18, 2008 CSTEM volunteered by providing fun science, technology, engineering, and mathematics enrichment to over 50 children at the 3rd Ward Multi-service Center. These were children who were displaced due to temporary school closures. CSTEM also thanked the 3rd Ward Multi-service Center for donating space. We thank Dr. Flowers and those great volunteers for putting a smile on our children’s faces during a rough time….and they did it through educational fun!

For more information on the great works that CSTEM is doing in schools throughout Houston please visit www.cstem.org




June 22, 2015
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‘Hood Heroes of Hurricane Ike: Interview with Khallid Greene of IN-CERT

written by AQM Blog Staff

Written by Jesse Muhammad

Originally published 9.21.08


Photos courtesy of IN-CERT

(Blogger’s Note: Too many times I have watched major disasters occur across the country and the world wherein grassroots organizations are overlooked in the heroic efforts they make to save the lives of people. Such was the case during Hurricane Katrina when saggin’ pants wearing, undershirt sportin’, and braids having youth mobilized their neighborhoods to save thousands of people from the flooding waters. But they were not given the due recognition, only images of looting were associated with them.

Well, here is your chance to immediately get acquainted with a community group of brave well-trained residents of Houston who stepped up to the plate during Hurricane Ike and is still working as I write this blog.

IN-CERT, Inner City Emergency Response Team, is headed by Mr. Khallid Greene. IN-CERT is about readiness, people helping people, rescuer safety, and doing the greatest good for the greatest number. For years, members of churches, groups, schools, and centers have been getting training led by IN-CERT to prepare them to be first responders in situation such as Hurricane Ike….and they did!

I went one-on-one exclusively with Mr. Greene via telephone a day after his team went into action in the streets of Houston.)

Brother Jesse (BJ): When did IN-CERT hit the streets?

Khallid Greene (KG): We started assessing damage around 4:00am Saturday morning (Sept. 13) right after Hurricane Ike struck. There was a complex on North MacGregor that had four feet of flood water, so we got busy rescuing people.



BJ: How were you all able to help people?

KG: We were able to rescue 53 people who were stranded by the flood water in Third Ward. That included new born babies in the projects. We aided many elders. Then we went to the North side of Houston to assist with directing traffic for eight hours because there were no police officers or sheriffs in sight to keep the chaos down. So we were all over the city in hard-hit areas.

BJ: Sounds like you all were deep in the trenches. What else has IN-CERT accomplished in the wake of Hurricane Ike?

KG: Yes sir we have been and are still working hard. There were two seriously damaged apartment complexes on Martin Luther King Dr with torn roofs and the people were still living in them with water falling through into their units. So we were able to contact city council and get two Metro buses which transported 146 people to the George R. Brown Convention Center. We were also able to remove debris from the power lines of a complex which caused them to be one of the first complexes to have electricity restored in the city. We have also assisted a lot of people with getting temporary housing.

BJ: Looking ahead, what do you think our communities need to do to better prepare for disasters such as Ike?

KG: We need to get a plan, back that plan and most importantly we need to implement that plan. If we do not train, organize and work our plans of action then we will continue to be at the whim of Mother Nature and these calamities. We need to build our own community infrastructure to respond to these emergency situations in all of our neighborhoods. Everyone has to step up.

 


(I salute all of the members of the IN-CERT squad for putting their lives on the line and all of those grassroots organizations who tend to get overlooked. Below is a video I produced with photo highlights of IN-CERT in action!)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7wyqi0E74Q

June 22, 2015
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The Final Call Chronicles: Hurricane Ike Aftermath Part II

written by AQM Blog Staff

Reported by Jesse Muhammad

Originally published 9.19.08

With the major collapse on Wall Street, it seems as if the attention of the world media has shifted almost immediately in a flash and now the reports on the Aftermath of Hurricane Ike have been placed on the back burner on some news stations. But instead of us getting angry or complaining about it we should take the advice of hip-hop journalist and activist Davey D when he spoke against those who point fingers at mainstream media for not reporting what we want to see. He stated:

“If we don’t like what they did, in the age of You Tube, camcorders, reality shows and independent film festivals in every city-DO YOUR OWN.. It doesn’t have to be a big production”

With that being said, this blog is a testament that we can tell our story and touch thousands of people. Many people have been emailing me their pictures and experiences with Ike, which I will post soon on this blog.

Now Part II of The Final Call Chronicles: Hurricane Ike Aftermath.

On that Sunday, September 14, after leaving Third Ward, I headed over to the Northside of Houston and there was still flood water on Tidwell Road that I had to ease through. The landscape of the ‘hood was devastating. This is the area where I grew up in and went to school. Apartment complexes were tore up, churches had trees through their roofs and local businesses were ripped apart. That side of town was eclipsed without power. (this picture below of a Northside resident is by Darnell Muhammad)


By this time I had driven around taking pictures so much that I was almost at a 1/4th of a tank of gas and there were NO gas stations opened within the city limits. But I headed over to see my sister and mother who stayed back during the storm. My sister’s back yard was torn up and the steel house in the back was folded like aluminum foil. (see picture below)


It was a blessing that my mother, sister and other family members are still living. My mother described the sounds of the wind as “strong and frightening” when Hurricane Ike entered city limits. We then rolled over to my grandmother’s home and she was in great shock still because the huge tree that had been sitting in her front yard for decades was uprooted and knock over into the street. “Thank the Lord Jesse it fell the other direction!” she said to me as we hugged for the first time post-Ike. MAAN my family and I have taken countless pictures in front of this tree so she took her last shot in front of it that day. On a lighter note her Obama yard sign never wavered and she said to me “Maybe YES WE CAN, means we can overcome this storm”….(see pictures below of my grandmother and her house)



It was getting close to sundown which meant the neighborhood was about to be pitch black plus the city enforced a strict curfew starting at 9 p.m. which meant I needed to hit the road back to Austin by 8 p.m. I went by my mother’s home and she had major power lines hit by trees along with her car port being knocked down. ( see trees in her back yard below)


Now the challenge arrived. Where would I get gas? I hit the 59 South Freeway and every gas station I passed by was closed. I then took 610 West which eventually turns in 290 West. No open gas stations in sight. No exaggeration, I literally passed about 20 of them. (the picture below is me driving down the highway)


Then I got to Jones Rd/290. There were alot of people in line at two stations but they were waiting on tankers to come back and fill the station up. That line stretched for miles! (see below)


I finally made it to Prairie View, Texas which is 45 miles away from Houston on less than a 1/4th of a tank of gas! I sat in line at Love’s gas station for over an hour to fill up my tank. Why did it take so long? Because not only were people filling up their vehicles but they were filling up at least 5 gas cans each as a back up supply. There were also people arguing over pumps and nearly starting several altercations. I filled up….bought some juice and headed back to Austin.

Once I got back to Austin, I ran into some Houstonians who had driven all the way from Houston just to fill up in Austin so they could maneuver back in town. People were even on the edge in Austin buying up survival supplies because they thought outsiders would buy up everything…so needless to say Walmart & Home Depot here in Austin has been packed unusually everyday.

More reports coming…until then here are some more photos of what you may not have seen on television.








June 22, 2015
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The Final Call Chronicles: Hurricane Ike Aftermath Part 1

written by AQM Blog Staff

Report and Photos by Jesse Muhammad

Originally published 9.15.08

On Sunday, September 14, I drove back to Houston from Austin which was 24 hours after Hurricane Ike ripped through my hometown. I wanted to check on my family members who remained back, investigate any damages to my home, visit with members of Muhammad Mosque No. 45, check out our Mosque property and of course I wanted to take pictures along with interviewing storm victims for the Final Call Newspaper. (pictured below with a fallen tree)


I filled up my tank before leaving and I was planning to fill up several gas cans and place them in my trunk. But I was rushing and FORGOT! Can you believe that? And I didn’t think about it until I got half way down 290 East. Boy I knew that was going to present a problem later on. In route to Houston, the traffic was moving swiftly but the gas stations were packed and lines stretched for miles. I even personally witnessed a fight at one station at a gas pump! Once I got into the city, the destructive sting of Hurricane Ike was no mystery. I immediately lost my cell phone signal, all tollways were FREE of charge, and people were packing highways trying to go in the opposite direction. (mosaic collage below)


Within my subdivision in Missouri City, Texas, thousands of tress were prostrating, split in half, or sitting in the middle of the road. Just about every home lost their fence. My personal home is still standing and the backyard (pictured below) looks like a war zone…but no major damages at all. And no electricity, so it was super hot in the house.


I then headed over to one of the hardest hit areas in the city. That’s 3rd Ward. So many damaged properties and huge trees were UPROOTED and landed on homes. Schools and popular local businesses were hit hard by the 100+mph winds. The famous Mac Gregor Park (pictured below) has shattered trees everywhere…who knows when we will get to gather there again anytime soon.


In a rare move, I had my radio on 97.9 The Boxx (I’m not a radio listener) and they were calling out the locations for gas stations that were refilled because gas was completely out within the city limits. People were panicking and sitting in line for over a hour just to fill up their gas tank. Gas stations were wrapped in yellow tape like a murder had taken place. (see pictures below)


I drove up and down the streets shooting hundreds of photos and interviewing people. I shot some video coverage as well, that I will be posting to my blog real soon. I made it to the grounds of Muhammad’s Mosque No. 45 (Pictured Below) and there were two huge trees that fell in the back yard by our Regional House and in our neighbor’s yard, minor single displacements, but no major damage. Tons of debris to clean up too. Our sign was knocked down and bent up. But we may be able to host our first meeting post-Ike this coming Sunday. (See Pictures below)



I then headed to the Northeast side of Houston, which looks just as bad as 3rd Ward. In Part II, I will describe that experience plus how I almost ran out of gas heading back to Austin! (yes, it is true.)

Here are a few more of my photos. ***IF YOU HAVE A STORY TO SHARE LEAVE ME A COMMENT***EMAIL YOUR PICTURES TO:

jesse.muhammad@gmail.com.


June 22, 2015
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Hurricane Ike Update~ALMOST EVERYONE WITHOUT POWER!

written by AQM Blog Staff

Originally published 9.13.08

Hurricane Ike swept through Houston and has left its mark. Houston Mayor White held a press conference this morning to warn residents to stay off of the streets as streets teams work to clear debris…and to even stay away from water pumps due to potential contamination! Be careful. Drink Bottled Water if you have it stored or boil your water from the faucet if necessary.

Newswires reported that CenterPoint Energy said about 90 percent of its roughly 2 million customers were in the dark before daybreak even as the storm continued to 80 mph winds with the eye 35 miles southwest of Lufkin at 10 a.m. That means nearly 4.5 million residents were without power and doesn’t include the service area of Entergy Texas. Entergy spokesman David Caplan said 96 percent of its customers throughout its service area — or 380,000 – are in the dark.

Many residents who decided not to leave the Galveston area were in dire need of assistance because of the storm surge of Ike. Disasterous pictures are all over the Internet and many people are emailing me their personal images of damages to their home.

Below are images sent to me from a resident in Missouri City, Texas after Ike’s touch hit their subdivision.**LEAVE ME A COMMENT ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE***Send me your pics to jesse.muhammad@gmail.com.

June 22, 2015
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Hurricane Ike Update~Was it wise to ride it out??

written by AQM Blog Staff

Originally published 9.12.08

Thousands of news reports and footage are eclipsing television screens of people who were determined to face hurricane Ike “head on” but have now changed their mind. Why? Because the predicted storm surge could wreck serious havoc and water is already impacting the Galveston area. Below is the latest update from the Texas Governor’s Office as well as some other news reports.

FROM THE TEXAS GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

AUSTIN – During the night, Hurricane Ike shifted 12 miles west and increased to 105 MPH. The storm is predicted to be a Category 3 before landfall at around 1 a.m. Saturday morning.

The onset of tropical storm winds began in some areas at approximately 10 a.m. today and the onset of Hurricane winds are expected to begin late this afternoon.

On its current predicted path of travel, Ike’s eye will cross slightly west of Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel, creating a storm surge over 16 feet in Galveston Bay, Sabine Lake and Port Arthur, which is expected to put these communities underwater.

Throughout the night, the state’s emergency management team directed numerous rescue missions to evacuate citizens with medical special needs from these areas prior to sunrise this morning. Texas Task Force 1 is currently conducting high water rescues along the coast.

Texas Task Force 1 launched rescue mission yesterday evening, evacuating 476 medical special needs patients and some family members by air and ambulances.

Additionally, in the early morning hours, Texas Task Force 1, supported by Texas Military Forces and Department of Defense aircraft, evacuated a total of 70 patients, including ten critical care and ten neonatal patients, from the South East Texas Medical Center in Port Arthur which is projected to end up under 14 feet of water.

MSN.com

People still in low-lying areas warned they could ‘face certain death’

CNN.com

Military cannot rescue ship’s crew from Hurricane Ike

National Weather Service

Hurricane Ike Public Advisories

June 22, 2015
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Is Hurricane Ike the next Rita or Allison? Preparation is Critical!

written by AQM Blog Staff

Originally published 9.11.08

Seems like the Gulf Coast can’t get a break.

Gustav didn’t aim for Houston but now Hurricane Ike is on course to wreck havoc on Texas. Gustav hit during the 3rd year anniversary of Katrina (pictured left) and now Ike comes close to the anniversary of Rita.

Mandatory evacuations have been made in several counties and over 250,000 people have already hit the road. But it’s not only the wind and rain that concerns meteorologists, it is Ike’s “wide body” and its potential for a 20-foot storm surge.

The surge brought a serious warning from the National Weather Service for people living in low-lying neighborhoods. “A storm of this size is able to bring more wind over a surface of water,” said Patrick Blood, a meteorologist. “You can imagine what a 20-foot wall of water can do to a community.”

According to weather reports Hurricane Ike is continuing on a path toward landfall somewhere near Galveston early Saturday morning. Moving at 100 mph winds, which could intensify, the storm has become a serious enough threat for mandatory evacuation orders to go out in Galveston, Brazoria, Jefferson, Orange, Chambers and Matagorda counties, and other areas of Harris County that are vulnerable.

Gas stations have been draining at fast pace, so I hope you filled up. There are suppose to be tankers coming into the areas to refilled but lines are long. With toll fees being waved on the Sam Houston Tollway I witnessed bumper to bumper traffic heading towards Austin, Texas. Gas stations are packed with people up and down 290 highway.

Did you decide evacuate? Already at a hotel somewhere else? Or staying at home? Whatever you decide to do I pray that you and your family will be safe. ***LEAVE ME A COMMENT***

Continue to stay abreast on the news reports and make the best mathematical decision.

Lastly I want to take this moment to say that if you and your family do not have survival kits stored in your home and cars, you need to seriousLY start building it up if you make it through this one. Need a list to start with? Click this link and download the NOI Ministry of Defense Survival Kit.

Need training? I recommend the Inner City Emergency Response Team, Inc., (IN-CERT), which is a emergency response team that uses emergency preparedness programs developed by the United States Military, The Department of Transportation, The National Fire Protection Association, The National Association of Search and Rescue, The American Red Cross, the American Heart Foundation and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to assist in times of natural and man made disaster. Call Khallid Greene at 832.245.7642 to see how you can get involved in your neighborhood and get trained in CPR, disaster response and more!

It’s time for us to organize our communities and get trained on how to respond in the time of disaster because there may be moments when we can’t leave in time.

More coming as this storm draws closer……

June 22, 2015
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