Hurricane Ike is expected to make landfall in the early morning hours tomorrow according to the weather channel. Ike appears to be a massive, potentially deadly storm headed towards Texas. This storm is capable of producing a life-threatening surge (as was the case in Slidell, LA with Katrina)on the upper Texas coast. Mandatory evacuations have been underway for the coastal areas. But, Houston residents have been told to stay where they are. Houston is the fourth largest city in the US with 2 million people. When Hurricane Alicia hit in 1983, Houston residents were told to leave while at the same time residents of the coastal regions were leaving. According to reports, this was a very deadly mistake with 110 people losing their lives. Officials said they don’t want a repeat of that.They say it’s too difficult and impossible to evacuate two million residents.
The Houston SPCA is on top of things with animals which I knew they would be. I hope and pray everyone is safe from harm’s way. They have taken in people’s pets and have evacuated dogs, cats and rabbits to their coalition partners in Dallas and San Antonio.
I hope those who did evacuate didn’t abandon their pets. There are shelters where they can place their pets. There is no excuse for any pet to be left behind.
Let’s hope and pray everyone is safe! If you have a loved one in the area, have you been in contact with them and if so, how are they preparing for this “massive storm”?