My family and I are taking down all unsecured items, taping windows, bringing in patio furniture & plants, and packing away all our valuables. We're heading out to my aunt's lakehouse at Livingston tomorrow. If conditions get too bad out there, we're going to head northward to Huntsville. My mom's old coworker offered us a place to wait the storm out.

My parents sat through Hurricane Alicia here in Kingwood back in 1983. Tornadoes touched down, trees smashed into homes, the streets were littered with debris. They said all surrounding areas went w/o power for 2 weeks. Frozen/refridgerated foods began to spoil, so neighborhoods held block grilling parties. Alicia was only a Class 3 hurricane; Rita's going to be a Class 5.

I worry about many of my friends and their families who've decided to ride out the storm. Some families are splitting up. My friend Jorge going to school down in Florida told me that he's been trying to convince his parents to leave town.

I pray everyone will come out of this alright.

Stay safe, everyone.

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