Houston cell phone service is real patchy right now so I can't get thru to my folks. Also, they can't find their car cell phone charger. :/
( Photos )
I-10 is flooded at Shepherd and eastward (the Houston Heights). Houston is getting more fucking RAIN so the areas between Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou are threatened. Parts of I-10 look like a lake.

I think casualties are going to rise once rescue crews can get into some of the devastated areas like east Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula.

Oh, and for those people safe in their snug air-conditioned houses who are scornful of the people who didn't leave: a lot of the people in affected areas got stuck in the Rita evac clusterfuck. A few weeks ago, they evac'ed when Gustav was on its way. With Gustav, lots of people spent money they couldn't afford to spend on gas and hotels... and then Gustav petered out. Is it any wonder that many decided to stay? Or didn't have enough money to leave even if they wanted to?

EDIT: WILL PEOPLE PLEASE NOT PUT THEIR FUCKING GENERATORS IN THEIR GARAGE????

Full restoration may take a month. Refineries are evaluating the damage; Houston/Baytown represents 22 percent of the refining capacity of the U.S.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6000349.html

This is close to where one of my sister lives. From a Houston Chronicle slideshow of photos submitted by readers.

I feel ill.

http://blogs.chron.com/hurricanes/2008/09/generators_carbon_monoxide_kil.html