Ike Evac

Has a ring to it, doesn't it? Ike Evac (say it without a pause between the words, ikyvac).

This thing almost fills the whole Gulf. Makes for a broad impact, even if the eye doesn't pass within a few miles.

The National Weather Service is now predicting for Friendswood sustained winds at c. 80 mph, gusts to 100, peaking at c. 3:00 am CT Saturday. That's a pretty stiff wind.

We're safely away at a La Quinta, with wireless access, in the southwest section of Houston. Most of our friends chose to stay put in Friendswood. Harris County ordered a mandatory evacuation of our zip code, but the City of Friendswood declared no such evac. So we're on the safe side of things. Even though the City of Houston is predicting winds where we are to be not much lower than Friendswood, being in a much larger building feels more sturdy.

Harris County this morning (7:0 am CT) issued a mandatory evacuation for our zip code beginning at 12:00 pm noon CT today, 9/11. But, oddly enough, Galveston County didn't do the same for the same zip code. Nor did the City of Friendswood. The main reason is that we're in the Zone B evacuation area and they figure the storm surge will be enough to want to get people out.

I've seen the flood maps for Friendswood. The school where Anne works is just inside the surge area for a Cat 5 storm at high tide. The adoption agency where I work is just outside that surge area, as is our house. So I doubt we'll flood. By evacuating only an additional 30 miles inland, we certainly get beyond any potential for storm surge. If the storm turns and slips by us, we can get back home quickly. If it hits hard, we can head further north (to stay with friends in Fort Worth).

The cat was traumatized by the crating and the 45 min., jam-free trip. Tillie, Julia's dog, got rained on a little in her crate which was strapped into the bed of the truck.

The hotel is pet friendly, maybe a bit cramped -- 2 double beds for 4 adults, a dog and a cat. And we're likely to be bored tomorrow as the storm conditions gradually increase. Maybe we can take in a matinee at a nearby theater tomorrow.

Looks like some petro-chemical companies are putting their employees up at the hotel here. According to one employee I spoke with, the plants want to have their people all ready to move back in quickly after the storm passes. Interestingly, he said British Petroleum closed down their 1,500 acre plant. This must be some serious storm.

Eric Berger, the SciGuy at the Houston Chronicle, has the best discussion on the storm and the local impact.

Also, Weather Underground has some great tracking tools and graphics.

I'll post more as things develop and as long as we have power.