(cross posted at Street Prophets)
I know that we here on the Street don't enjoy the traffic of Kos, but I wanted to to post some general information about hurricane resources along the Gulf Coast. As Ike continues to strengthen and turn towards my neck of the woods it is keeping me a little more relaxed if I stay busy. This is also a lot less likely to slide down the list here than it would be at DailyKos.
Parts of Harris County are now under a mandatory evacuation order. This includes zip codes: 77058, 77059, 77062, 77520, 77546, 77571, 77586 and 77598. Included in the evacuation order are parts of both Brazoria and Galveston counties. If you are in the area, be aware that tolls have been waived on the toll roads.
First some general sources concerning weather updates:
Millwx over at the Kos continues to post some great information that I am starting to turn to as often as I do our local news.
The National Hurriance Center is linked in Millwx's diaries, but here it is again if you just want to jump to that.
Information resources for Houston and the surrounding areas:
Rick Noriega's list of link for state resources.
The State of Texas Emergency Preparedness Site
KUHF, our local NPR station
KHOU's map for evacuation routes. (This map is a little general. I will see if I can find a better one.)Here is an additional link for more specific maps from the State of Texas site.
The Houston Chronicle has a list of school and business closings they are updating. This list is in chronological order, so keep on scrolling.
Information for pet owners. I promise I am not in the tank for KHOU.
TxDOT Road Conditions Map (I don't know how often this will be updated).
Local relief organizations:
Coastal Bend Area Red Cross. This is for Corpus Christi, which looks to be hit pretty hard.
Houston Area Red Cross
I've made my food and water runs and have enough flashlights, lanterns and glowsticks to make me feel like a survivalist. This is what I have for now, but will update as the situation continues to develop.