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September 21, 2005
Folks Are Edgy in H-Town
Well, Hurricane Rita has intensified to a Category 4 storm, with some models now predicting escalation to a Cat 5. The central to upper Texas coast remains its likely target.
This morning, Houston Mayor Bill White and Harris County Judge Robert Eckels ordered evacuations of vulnerable areas, particularly in the southeast part of the county.
Folks here are freaked out. Long lines persist at grocery stores and service stations, as shelves empty of water and canned goods, and gas is pumped dry. The freeways and thoroughfares headed north and west out of town have slowed to a crawl as area residents flee the storm.
All area schools are closed for the rest of the week, and the Mayor encouraged local businesses to spring employees early as well. Shelters are being set up at points north and west, and many Katrina evacuees have been relocated.
There is a mild but palpable sense of panic around here, which is a marked change from Houstonians' usually unflappable reaction to an approaching storm. People are scared and they're leaving, despite the uncertainty of where Rita will land some 60 hours from now.
Posted by houtopia at September 21, 2005 02:26 PM