She says she’s fine. She said that in 2017 too. The water is at the porch and her hearing aids are in a dish.
You’re not the police. You also aren’t required to shrug and walk away. Bring water, a charged phone, and a simple offer: ride, meds, or a call to someone she’ll listen to.
If it’s a medical emergency, that’s 911. If it’s stubbornness and a dry second floor, stay in contact and don’t shame her on the block chat.
Do this now
- Knock, then call. Look for a porch light, a TV glow, or a dog that won’t stop barking.
- Ask three things: meds for the next 48 hours, a working phone, and whether anyone else is inside.
- Offer a specific ride to a named place, not “you should evacuate.”
- If they refuse and the water is still rising into the house, call 911 and stay on the line with facts: address, mobility, oxygen, pets.
- Leave a note with your number on the door in case a later crew comes through.
Why they stay
Houstonians often report older neighbors who won’t leave because the last flood stopped at the slab, because they don’t want looters, or because the cat won’t crate. That’s real. It’s also how people get stuck when a bayou comes up at night. You can respect the fear and still move the walker, the pillbox, and the phone to the highest dry room.
Help that isn’t a fight
Fill the bathtub with clean water if the tap is still good. Move the recliner away from the wet wall. Write the grandkid’s number in huge print. Check the insulin, the blood pressure meds, and the oxygen tanks. If CenterPoint is out, a dark house plus heat is its own emergency. 211 can help locate elder services once the phones work.
When you have to leave them
Tell one other person on the block. Put the address and “refused to leave” in a text, not just your head. If streets are still live-water, don’t drag someone through current to win an argument. Come back when it’s walkable, or flag official rescue if the first floor is going under.
Verify live. Status changes hourly. Life-threatening situations are 911. 211 for elder resources. Confirm street flooding with 311 before you drive them anywhere.