The sculpture, Broken Obelisk by Barnett Newman, is dedicated to the life of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. The Broken Obelisk faces the Rothko Chapel, a spiritual interfaith sacred space in Houston. There are two other Broken Obelisks sculptures. One is located at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the other resides on the University of Washington campus in Seattle.

To see the location of the Broken Obelisk located in Houston, please click this link for a map. The sculptures serve as sentinels for civil rights and as a reminder of what American lost on April 4, 1968.

From Paul’s Letter to American Christians

I still believe that LOVE is the most durable power in the world.
Over the centuries men have sought to discover the highest good.

Flash Floods

On Monday, January 9, black clouds loaded with rain and wind moved across Houston from southeast to southwest. These same clouds had flooded Katy and Richmond, Texas.  In Westbury, 5-1/2 inches of rain fell in less than 4 hours.  At the medical centers, staff rushed to shut the flood doors in the basements.  Streets, garages and parking lots in the area were flooded.  In Montrose, stranded motorists stood on the median in the rain, waiting for the water to recede. Flash flood warnings were issued for several counties.

The City of Houston conducted 20 to 30 high-water rescues, including sending dump trucks to evacuate two elementary schools that were cut off due to flood waters.  In the afternoon, South Loop 610 between Beechnut and Bellaire flooded as storm drains, blocked by fallen leaves, were unable to drain into Braes Bayou.  Braes Bayou came close to leaving its banks.  Meyerland flooded and several residents had to be evacuated.  Most vehicles were in the water until it receded and tow trucks could haul them off. Over 20,o00 homes were without power until the waters went down and repairs could be made.

Turn Around . . . Don’t Drown

At Highway 288 and the South Loop, traffic was stalled by rising flood waters. Drivers who braved the water found their cars, trucks and 18-wheelers almost completely submerged.  The video below shows why Texans always say, “Turn Around. Don’t Drown.”

Bobbing for Cars

If you cannot see the roadway for the water, turn around!  Two feet of water will float most cars. However, a car can be washed away in less, depending on the speed of the current, the design of the car, whether the car is sideways or end-on to the current, and the type of bottom. ]]

Where the current is swift and the bottom hard and smooth (like concrete roadway) and the car sits low to the ground, as little as one foot of water with a speed of 6 mph will move most cars. If the car is heavy and has plenty of clearance, the bottom is sand or gravel (like riverbed) and the current slow, it may take deeper water to move the car. (cfspress.com/carwater.htm).

Cars and trucks are not waterproof. A car or truck will quickly fill with floodwater.  How quick?  After Hurricane Alicia, they found cars in underpasses. The occupants were still in seatbelts, the keys were in the ignitions and the cars were in gear. There was no time to even attempt to flee.

Tornadoes

A tornado touched down along Highway 6 in Sugarland, southwest of Houston, damaging several businesses and flipping four mobile homes. Meanwhile, in Texas City, roughly 40 miles southeast of Houston, a tornado damaged the roof and wall of the Mall of the Mainland.  Several reports of tornadoes were made, but these two incidents were verified.

Could be Worse

No lives were lost on Monday, which is a miracle. The scenario could have been much worse. The front causing this weather dumped nearly 11 inches of snow on Midland in West Texas!  Is this Texas?  Sure!  Never be surprised by the weather.  Be prepared.