Storm Update

Thank you to all who have expressed concern about how we’ll fare in Hurricane Ike.

Ike looks like it will come ashore somewhere on Galveston Island (50 miles to our southeast) with a huge (up to 22-foot) storm surge. Galveston has a seawall that is 17 feet high on the Gulf of Mexico side only. So Galveston is in a world of hurt. (Since I wrote that, I heard that there’s already seawater in the streets there.)

I think we’re going to be okay. We’re in the Houston Heights, about 3 miles from downtown and about 60 feet above sea level. The storm surge will not directly affect us. We’ll get a bunch of rain — maybe more than a foot. We’re high enough above sea level, and built high enough above the ground, that that won’t be enough to wash us away.

We’re also going to get some winds. See here for forecast maximum sustained winds — we’re in ZIP 77007. We boarded up for Hurricane Rita, and still have the lumber in the attic, but I’m not planning to do so again this time around. We’re stashing all of the yard litter in the garage with the cars, which are full of gas in case we want to head for somewhere that has electric power after the storm.

Meanwhile, I’m getting my news and prognostication from the National Hurricane Center and Eric Berger’s SciGuy blog, so I’m avoiding the mass media’s hysteria-inducing chatter.

I’ll try to keep you updated as things develop.