From Shelter to Storm

I've been very proud of my city of Houston over the past few weeks, as we've taken in thousands of evacuees from Hurricane Katrina. Now I guess it's our turn to be the evacuees. Rita is a full-force category 5 hurricane with 165mps winds, and hopefully it will slow down a little before hitting the Texas coast (most hurricanes aren't able to sustain level 5 intensity for 48 hours or more).

I've spent the day boarding up windows and making other preparations, and will be taking my wife and kids out of the city, hopefully tonight. We'll be traveling out of state to stay with family. I'm sure the traffic, stress and screaming children will make for an interesting drive, but they are blessings compared to the alternative of staying here during this incredible storm.

Please say a special prayer for my mother-in-law, who is staying here to work a special crisis shift in the Medical Center throughout the weekend. She will be a great help to many, I'm sure, but it will be hard to leave without her. My father-in-law will be coming with us, and I can't imagine his emotions as he leaves his wife behind to take on the task she's been given.

I'll post an update when we get to a place with internet access. God be with everyone involved in this situation.