The Discerning Texan

MORE ON IKE, FROM BRENDAN LOY. It's getting worse. Also, a look at its energy impact as refineries are shut down or damaged.

Plus, testing a new web-based disaster reporting system aimed at Ike. Follow the link, especially if you're somewhere near the Texas coast. Er, unless you're on the Texas coast, in which case you should really be leaving, like, now.

UPDATE: Watching TV a bit earlier, the Insta-Wife commented that politicians aren't making a big deal about Ike the way they did about Gustav. That's true.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Riding out the storm on a disabled ship. That wouldn't be my choice, but then I'm sure it wasn't theirs, either.

Meanwhile, lots of people refused to evacuate. Lou Minatti is worried about them. Personally, if Brendan Loy says to get out, I'd get out.

Loy himself can't believe how many people stayed on Galveston Island: "Why the hell didn’t these people leave? I’m speaking of Galveston specifically — the other places, I understand a bit more, but 40% of people on Galveston Island refusing to evacuate?? It makes me angry. Scared for them, yes, but also, angry. Honestly."

It is ironic that a morning sports talk show I listen to in Dallas was talking about the 1900 Galveston hurricane a few weeks back. Once upon a time Galveston, not New Orleans was the pearl of the Gulf Coast. That all changed in 1900. The whole island was wiped out and between 6,000-12,000 lives were lost. Excellent book on the horror of that storm here.

My mother has chosen to stay at her home in Houston; all of the cajoling in the world could not get her to leave. We lived through Carla in 1961 (a childhood memory that still persists) and she rode out Alicia in her current home. Mom figures that she will make it through this one. Fortunately, she is not very close to the Houston Ship Channel, but she is less than a quarter of a mile from Buffalo Bayou. I talked to her about 30 minutes ago and the news in Houston is saying that the bayous are all rising--and it hadn't even started raining there yet. Normally the bayous don't rise until AFTER the rain has started. You have to be from Houston to know what I mean, but this rising beforehand is pretty much unheard of. It is a pretty helpless feeling, let me tell you. Especially knowing that it is likely that she will lose power sometime tonight and thus will not be reachable...

Say a few prayers tonight for the residents of the Texas Gulf coast.