We hope to be on the road within the next hour. Traffic on I-45 North in the area is moving at between 5 and 10 MPH right now, which is to say slower than Rita is. At least we've got a head start. TxDOT has announced they will open the southbound lanes for northbound traffic all the way to Buffalo (almost halfway to Dallas) at 10 AM. That's something they've never done before.

Some of our neighbors are staying. Our next-door neighbor has a key and permission to take any of the convenience food we've left. She and her husband will try to keep an eye on things for us. Just this morning I started seeing people boarding windows. Where they got the plywood, I couldn't say.

The storm's track is projecting eastward, which may eventually be good news if it hits east of Galveston. It's still a crapshoot, and wherever it does hit is going to get devastated. If you're the praying type, this is your cue.

I'll post something when we reach Dallas, which I'm hoping will be before midnight. After that, who knows? Rita may well still be a Cat 1 hurricane by the time it makes it 300 miles inland. Maybe we should keep driving till we reach Chicago.

Stay safe, everyone. See you later.