By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
Most of Haskell L. Moore’s childhood had been in Kentucky. Moore, author of “Hurricane Preparedness,” had never experienced a hurricane, not even a tornado. One might say he had lived a life sheltered from some of mother nature’s worst storms.
When he was thirteen years old in the late 1960’s his family was living in a hurricane zone, Lakeland, Florida They lived in a mobile home with no hurricane straps. Then a hurricane was reported as coming at their town.
The people of Lakeland were in a flurry as they all prepared for the impending hurricane. His father made the decision the family would spend the night of landfall in his workshop across the street where they would be much safer from hurricane winds.
Haskell recalls his mother oversaw food and flashlights.
But the hurricane turned out to not be much of a problem for the residents of Lakeland. Haskell reports.
“It was a bust, but for my brother and I, it was an adventure,” Since becoming an adult, Moore sees hurricanes as less of an adventure and recognizes the intense danger they pose for everyone and everything in their path.
His life brought him to Houston for college in the 1970s where he attended Southern Bible College, and he completed his studies in IT at Houston Christian University.
His career kept him in Houston, and his first real hurricane as a father and husband was Hurricane Alicia in 1983.
“We were without power for 10 days. I was really struck with what a hurricane is all about,” Moore said. “We were better prepared than most people, but not as good as we should have been.”
Out of that experience, he recognized the need for a generator, and he began digging into what was needed to better prepare for a hurricane.
By 1999, Moore was teaching disaster preparedness. At that time, the field was focused on what might be needed should Y2K have created havoc.
With the Y2K scare over, Moore again focused on hurricane preparedness.
Hurricane Katrina in 2008 sparked an awareness with many people in the region of the need to be storm-ready, so he asked his boss at BP if he could work on a hurricane-readiness class for employees. Her response, according to Moore, was that he should go ahead and create the course but do so on his own time.
“I worked on the presentation at night when I got home from work,” shared Moore. “It wasn’t a sacrifice. It was truly a labor of love as I prepared my lessons.”
While he was busy working on his preparedness classes, his coworkers realized he held a wealth of wisdom. As Hurricane Rita began forming off the Coast of Africa and then threatening the Houston region, he had long lines going outside of his office waiting for his advice.
He reported that he assisted his coworkers in making two lists: one for what they would need to survive and another for what they needed to do.
One thing they needed to realize he said he learned through research and experience: how important access to gasoline becomes before and after a storm.
“Gasoline will allow you to escape, get food get medical care, gasoline means safety,” explained Moore.
Post Hurricane Rita, he was invited to give public presentations at work and other places on being prepared for a hurricane. He was able to help advise and educate people before Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Harvey.
With so many presentations under his belt and with his advice proving to be very helpful, his friends suggested he write a book.
“Hurricane Preparedness,” published in 2019, is a guide for anyone living in a region vulnerable to hurricanes.
Moore reports he prepared for his book doing thorough research and by testing the tools needed for hurricane survival.
He said he tested over 200 flashlights to find the one he concluded to be the best. He consulted with paramedics, meteorologists, child psychologists and even his wife to be sure his book is not just his thoughts but composed of expert guidance.
The book is a guide with straightforward directions, covering everything from how to talk to your children about an approaching storm to what type of tarp is best for covering an automobile that will be outside.
While comprising his book, he considered the budget constraints that many people live with, but he insists that sometimes you must spend more money to be sure you are as prepared as you can be, for example, opting for more expensive flashlights. He advises people to be sure they have a good flashlight. He also recommends people test all their equipment such as flashlights before a storm is brewing.
Since living through several major hurricanes in Houston, Moore has grown to respect and admire the efforts of the Cajun Navy. This is why he has selected the Cajun Navy as the nonprofit to which he donates all proceeds from his book.
As a companion to his book, he created a website, hidefromthewind.com. His website is filled with a wealth of information that is accessible at no cost. Along with his website and book, he has started making You Tube videos in which he offers hurricane-prep advice. These are free to watch.
His strongest words of advice are, “Get started now!” It doesn’t matter if it’s hurricane season, Christmas time, or if a storm is brewing out in the Gulf.
“Just get started,” Moore reiterated. “Make two lists — one for what you need to get and one for what you need to do.”
