Here comes Ike

"We are not talking about slowly rising water, we are talking about a surge that could come into your home." -- Harris County Judge Ed Emmett.
It is raining here in DUBUQUE this morning, but our attention is turned south.
We have been listening to 740 KTRH HOUSTON online this morning and live coverage of the approach of HURRICANE IKE.
Harris County Judge Emmett just called for mandatory evacuation of areas near Galveston Bay that are subject to a major storm surge. The evacuations will begin at noon, so transportation officials can ensure that the morning rush hour has subsided on Houston-area roads.
Even from afar, the approach of Ike sounds like a serious situation. We are only three years removed from a major hurricane targeting a major U.S. city. Will Ike create similar distress?