I took my truck and volunteered with the Rice University Police Department. Did one relatively tame, daytime, only hub deep water, mostly between the rains “rescue”, really more of a retrieval, of some undergrads who went to visit a friend and then couldn’t get back to campus. An Australian TV reporter flagged us down and rode along for a while, that was interesting. Then several transports, to the hospitals or shelters, of flood victims who were being dropped off by the army helicopters landing at the Rice Stadium Parking lot. Then a stressful nighttime, raining like crazy, water as deep as my truck could go and visibly rising, rescue of some Rice foreign grad students living in an 1st floor apartment, near Brays bayou, which was apparently flooded almost to the ceiling. The two officers I was with waded (chest deep !) in the rest of the way to get the students. Next day, I got to go get a truckload of produce for Rice housing and dining. Going over to the produce company there were still a few flooded spots, coming back the water was pretty much down.
Next day was several truckloads of stuff for friends flooded out of the Myerland area, both to an apartment and storage. The truck got really unhappy on the last trip, stalling from fuel starvation. Apparently all the bumping around had stirred up a bunch of muck from the tank and clogged the fuel filters. Got everything cleaned out and changed. Finally, once the water from the flood control dams started to go down, used the truck and one of the trailers to move what could be salvaged from my parents house in west Houston.
All in all, I think the truck enjoyed the chance to relive all it's designed missions !
Got some nice mentions and thanks from Rice, and the truck appeared in some of the reporter's stories and blog posts.
Didn't get a lot of pictures, but here is one I liked -
And unloading produce-
I couple of things I learned -
Put the tarp back on before it starts raining !
Truck needs more lights, low intensity in the bed and cab for people, high intensity outside for dark and stormy nights.
I should have some PFD's in the truck (life jackets) before I do this again.