Hurricane Ike Watch

Ike is near landfall. You can watch the track of the storm here.

UPDATE: Below, you can listen to the latest podcast from the National Hurricane center:



It's sort of odd that the coverage for this even more powerful - and perhaps historical - storm is so much less than for the last two less hurricanes. Maybe the networks have used up the annual Hurricane budget - or we're suffering from a form of Hurricane Fatigue. There's a good liveblog on the hurricane here.

Of course, we're also remembering that one of the most devastating natural disasters of all time was the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 which you can read about here. I grew up hearing it called the Galveston Flood, perhaps back when hurricanes were seen more for their floods than their winds.

Tonight we received this from a dear long-time friend who lives just outside of Houston:

Lots of wind so far but no rain in our area. We are northwest of the city and under a severe tornado watch.

So we're lifting up prayers for those who are in harm's way, for wisdom and strength to the first responders who are working so hard tonight, and for those who have fled the storm - that God will give them peace.

Thinking in particular of our dear friends down there in Houston, we offer this:



LATE NIGHT UPDATE: You can watch several Houston-area television stations all together on a single page here. Pick which screen and turn down the volume of the others. Some are now off the air.

Yeah, only in America:



All we can say is we hope the bear caught a ride north or he is certainly high-fiving it with Jesus by now.

SATURDAY:



UPDATE: Here's a montage from the Weather Channel. The Bear even makes a cameo: