unexpected, unprepared…!!
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I spoke to my friend, David, on the phone. He has a simple solution: Another “tie down” on the inside over the roof frame. Why didn’t I think of that??
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I prepared for cold weather!! If we have freezing temperatures, I’ll cover plants in large planters. Rain water on the roof of the tarp shelter never occurred to me.
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Houston TV meteorologist said “Feels like freezing…” due to wind chill.
I’m planning to stay in my pajamas and warm robe all day. This is one day where I have no desire to be outdoors!!
Speculation: Three inches of rain in the gauge but fifty gallons in the pocket on the tarp?! ~~ A CARE volunteer came and helped me dump the water.
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At noon, Houston TV meteorologist said “ ‘Feels like’ temperature is five degrees below the observed number.”
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The bird feeders need a refill **BUT** I don’t want to go out in the cold!!
Three Quarters & Counting 
Now Mother, we talked about this so it’s not altogether unanticipated, though I admit from this vantage point I missed that particular potentiality. Bearing in mind my vantage point is via a satellite feed some two thousand miles away.
You should recall from your days in snow country you can use a push broom or even an iron rake to gently lift that pocket and drain the water.
Little difference from action here: better than three foot of snow down in Water Wonder Land had me on the roof of my children’s mother’s thirty year old manufactured home the past few days hoping to keep it from collapsing. Which led to a great new tagline for my odd jobs business:
The Odd Job (est 1980) Doing What Your Ex-Wife’s Boyfriend Won’t!
😉
Thanks for your observation–two thousand miles away. Actually, I tried to use the “business end” of a wide push-broom to elevate the tarp. However, too much water, too heavy for me. I replicated the effort–with a strong young man helper. He pushed up the tarp and I held in place. Then he sloshed the water off. ~~ In the future, I’ll watch the tarp carefully during a rain storm–and during the night–so this doesn’t happen again. At this time, it would be extremely difficult to attach a second “tie down” because the shelter is FULL of planters. That will have to wait until next Summer when fewer obstacles inside the shelter.
Try to prop the broom in such a way to act as a cross-member until such a time as your handyman can install something more permanent.