Update

I'm still here. The situation is precarious in terms of getting out of the city and after consultations with my uncle (who has been through Alicia -- the last huge hurricane here) and my parents, I'm staying put unless the evacuee routes clear out. A friend called at 6:30 this morning and she had been on the interstate for 12 hours and had traveled about 10 miles. Another friend called a few minutes ago, and in just over 2 hours, she's gone 6 miles.

Added to this, the heat is record levels today -- 100+ -- and there is very little gasoline to be found anywhere. I don't want to risk driving around and getting stuck and then running out of gas. Unless the routes clear up considerably, I'm not going anywhere.

I have stocked my kitchen with non-perishables, water, and I have batteries for a radio and flashlight. I wasn't intending to ride out the storm, and I'm still optimistic that I can get out of the city, but as the day progresses, the chances of that grow less and less.

So just maybe I *will* blog the storm for you guys.