Here's some interesting stories that are developing in and around Houston....

-- Mandatory evacuation in effect not only for coastal residents, but also for those in flood-prone areas of Houston -- around the bayous, etc.

-- Evacuees leaving Galveston and traveling north toward Dallas are being told to expect at least a 12 hour commute just to get out of the northern Houston suburbs!

-- The "One Country Hurricane Katrina Benefit Concert" has been cancelled.

-- Officials in Matagorda County have told residents with children who refuse to obey the mandatory evacuation order that Children's Protective Services will take their children and the parents will be prosecuted....

-- Johnson Space Center closed today at 1PM... local refineries also shutting down.

-- Katrina evacuees from the Astrodome and Reliant Stadium are being flown to Fort Chaffee, Arkansa, and other locations.

Local news outlets:

CBS -- www.khou.com (Dr. Neil Frank's station)
NBC -- www.kprc.com
ABC -- www.ktrk.com

Also:

houstontranstar.org -- click on "Real Time Traffic Map" then "Camera List" and you can see live shots from all over the city, including the Galveston Island Causeway, etc.

I'm hearing a wide variety of responses to the storm... relatives near the coast have already evacuated (thank goodness)...

relatives near the bayous are also leaving...

my parents in far west Houston are staying, even though they are about 30 miles from where the center is expected to pass...

as far as other friends in areas well-inland -- all but a few are staying (the most amusing explanation I heard from an evacuating friend is that, the power might go out, and she "doesn't like to sweat...")

Allison