I just watched a half hour of television news coverage of the hurricane. It was all very frightening with the graphic depictions of potential damage and the repeated imprecations toward people in harm’s way to evacuate. Indeed, Ike’s storm surge is predicted to be heavy, and this is very bad news for anyone close to the gulf or in flood-prone areas inland. My thoughts will be with them, and it is partly for their sake—to keep the roads free for those who really do need to evacuate—that we determined to shelter in place.
The above image displays the evacuation zones, those areas that are low-lying or close enough to the gulf to be affected by the storm surge. I have whited out a small square in the southwestern corner of the 610 (inner) Loop and drawn a crude purple X at roughly the spot where my house is. As you can see, it is well away from the endangered zones. The harsh warnings and dire forecasts are not directed at us. We seem likely to encounter hurricane-force winds but not the destructive winds of a major hurricane. Therefore there is little cause for concern for the personal safety of me or my immediate family.
