I just got home from a gig a little while ago, and as I write, Hurricane Ike is making landfall, with Houston the dead bullseye. I”ve spoken several times today with my friend Adele, who lives there and has weathered many a hurricane. It”s reassuring to know that she”s in a good, sturdy new home. She tells me that at her location is beyond the reach of the storm surge, and her most serious concern is hurricane-spawned tornadoes.\r\n\r\nHere is a GR2 image of Ike, taken at 3:30 a.m. EST.\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\nGalveston faces a far more imminent danger than tornadoes as the eye passes overhead and the storm surge breaches the sea wall. My understanding is that around 35 percent of the island”s inhabitants have ignored the evacuation orders and remained on the island. After Katrina, this news leaves me feeling stunned and incredulous. Granted a certain percentage of extenuating circumstances, still, with all the strongly worded advance warning and well-organized evacuation efforts, how can that many people be so incredibly stupid? The loss of life is sure to be enormous.\r\n\r\nI just don”t know what to think. I feel angry, sick, and not ready yet to believe that a catastrophe is happening as I write. I hope that”s not the case. Many prayers are being said for the Texas coast. I add mine to them. God help the residents of Galveston, and preserve the lives of the emergency personnel and other authorities who do have business still being there.
