A couple of reports from Houston:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/16/texas.life/index.html http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/16 ... 336/563076Highlights include no water, no electricity expected for at least two weeks, schools out for at least two weeks, no possible way for most people to work, 5+ hour long lines to get no more than 5 gallons of gasoline, several block long lines to the few grocery stores that have been able to reopen (where people are let in two at a time as two people leave the store), etc.
They're talking about imposing martial law on the Bolivar Peninsula area of Galveston Island next week, so that they can forcibly remove the few people left there:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/met ... 05187.htmlIn fact, they're saying it's no longer a peninsula at all but three separate islands now:
http://galvestondailynews.com/story.las ... 213dccfb5aIn other parts of Galveston Island, people are being issued temporary "look and leave" passes to visit during a single day. Their cars are marked to insure that they leave by curfew:
http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewc ... c801366fbbPasses are only issued to those with a photo ID showing residence in Galveston. If they don't leave by the 6pm curfew, they're subject to arrest and a $2000 fine. Unless a friend tells them the password that allows certain people to come and go as they please, of course.
But at least it's not martial law (yet), according to the mayor of Galveston. Of course you can't really ask anyone about this other than the mayor of Galveston now (or the City Manager), because all other city officials (like the police and fire departments) have been ordered to not speak to media:
http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewc ... e6d82f0709