I was out of town for the past several days, catching glimpses of the news about fires burning all around the Austin/Central Texas area. I contacted clients and colleagues that were the most likely to be directly affected, and I am very happy to find most still okay.
One family that I helped buy their first home a few years ago still hasn't been able to get back to find out if it is still there, but they got themselves and their pets out safely. Another friend and client who lives on acreage south of the Austin airport is packed up and waiting to leave if necessary. There was a fire near her last night, apparently started by a neighbor who thought burning trash in his back yard would be just fine in these conditions!
Other friends and clients and colleagues were evacuated but have been able to return home ... for now. It has been a full year since we had any significant rain here, and although it's a few degrees cooler today, by the end of August we had 76 triple digit days this summer, with more in the forecast next week!
Two lives are known to have been lost so far, and hundreds of Central Texas families are without homes and there is no end of the drought in sight. I love this area, and I really haven't minded the hot summer, but please take a minute to send out some prayers for those that have been so devastingly affected over the past several days.
For more, here's the latest on the fires at this moment:
With Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee along with Texas fires, there are plenty of prayers to spread around, but it is SO VERY important!
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