A reporter's tale in Houston: When a story becomes your own disaster

The messages show that all of our lives are going to be different for a while

I have covered as many as five wars on two continents, but nothing prepared me for when the big story collided with me and my family.

As I write this, the home that I saved my entire career to buy is flooding fast and my wife, Paola, our 12-year-old daughter, Emilie, and I have moved to the second floor with some of our valuables, food, water, and of course our three-year-old cockapoo, Sweetie, who is now barking frantically out of fear. It’s only a matter of time before our piano is ruined. One of our cars looks completely flooded, and