The hurricane's a comin...

I've been back in Houston for almost a month now (although it feels like only a few days) and during that time we have had the opportunity to prepare for 2 hurricanes. We've been completely spared for many a years here in Houston but this weekend we will not be so lucky. Ike is gonna be big and everyone knows it. There was a controlled nervousness around town today. Our office building which overlooks one of Houston's largest bayous had sandbags along the corridor by the time I left the office at noon (not normal). As my dad and I drove out to the house, traffic was "normal" for that time of day. But as we drove past the gas stations, I saw lines of cars waiting for their turn at the pump (not normal). So while in some ways it feels like business as usual around town, we're all calmly bracing ourselves for one of the largest hurricane's Houston has faced in a long time.

Fortunately, we're not dealing with mass pandemonium like we did when Rita threatened a direct hit to our city just weeks after the devastation of Katrina. For now, Ike is a category 2 and I think some people feel that we can handle that. After all, it's JUST 100mph winds. That's not a big deal, right!

The reality - In less than 24 hours the rain will start coming down. In 48 hours, the brunt of the storm will probably have passed over us. In 60 hours, the sun will come up and more than 3 million people will be surveying their properties to assess the damage.

But for now... we wait.