Take care, Galveston (and Houston, and...)

We fell a little bit in love with Galveston on our recent vacation there. It's a fun, wonderful, engaging city, and I hope that it makes it through Hurricane Rita unscathed.

While we were there, I spent a lot of time reading Isaac's Storm, the story of the hurricane that Galveston faced--with much less warning or preparation--on September 8, 1900. It was harrowing and disturbing, and I shudder at the thought of Galveston facing similar travails over the next few days. I'm grateful that the lessons of Katrina have worked toward early evacuation, and that the lessons of the hurricane of 1900 have led to much greater safety measures in the city. We wondered why, for example, the attractions at Moody Gardens were enclosed in pyramids, then learned that those structures were built to be highly resistant to winds.

My thoughts are with the residents of the Gulf area, wishing them safety and shelter, as well as homes to return to.