h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi there. We have never actually talked, but this storm shit seems really serious and I don't know where in Texas you are. I have cousins in Houston who seem OK but I've been concerned that you are too. So, I hope all is well where you are? We had some really scary tornadoes here a month or so ago, and I was a few days without electricity, but I have never experienced a hurricane. My immediate family are in Florida, though, so I kind of hear about how bad they can be. I really do hope you are all right.

I'm in Austin and so far we're doing okay. We're just about on the periphery of the storm up to now - it's been a bit windy but no rain yet. That'll probably come on Saturday if it comes at all, and Austin often seems to dodge the rain somehow. We even had an outdoor event at work with a huge inflatable movie screen. I heard that it was a bit dicey but we pulled it off (we were showing Mad Max ). This is my closest hurricane experience since moving here nine years ago and it's a little scary, but I'm concerned about Count Zero - he's in Houston which is going to get hit pretty much head on. I know that he's gone to stay with a relative in another part of the city that's a bit higher than where he lives but I hope his home is still there when he returns after the storm. I'm looking at the weather maps right now and it looks like it's about to make landfall right over Galveston.

Before I moved here I asked the wife-to-be if Austin gets tornadoes and she tole me 'No, those happen much further north'... omitting to tell me about the Jarrell F5 tornado of 1997 that killed 27 people.

Jarrell is only 40 miles north of Austin

Holy crap!

Tornadoes I have seen first hand- but can't recall any that took that many lives within that close distance. And nearly within a decade.

Glad you were able to pull off your outdoor Mad Max event. That sounds like a great time. I'm relieved to hear that you're safe and sound. I was pretty worried.

Meanwhile I will keep fingers crossed that Count Zero's home will be intact after it's over. I'm glad he's staying elsewhere, but I can't imagine how awful it would be to come home to... no home.

I've just heard a news story about Ike. They said that most of Houston could be without power for anything up to three or four weeks.

Oh my gosh. That's terrible. I was just reading some news reports myself. The mind reels at the thought of so much damage and loss, and some people didn't evacuate when asked.

(Kind of puts my whining last month about being without power for three days in perspective. )