News about Ike on cnn.com gives some up to date information on what is happening there. I wanted to open a thread for those on the ground to discuss what’s going on (if you have power!) and for those with loves ones in the area to comment and discuss.
A friend says:
“We lost power some time in the middle of the night. It’s clear enough that we ventured out in the car (although it seemed unwise to me, I went along with it because I was going stir crazy). There’s no power anywhere in town . . . except for my office. 
And we’re 130 miles NORTH of Houston. I don’t know how people are doing down there.
“We have a big tree down in the backyard and branches all over the place. We’ve been watching a 6 foot snake slither around on our back porch all morning (gross). The winds blew our trampoline onto the car, but it’s okay. As we were driving out of the neighborhood, we saw someone’s house completely crushed by a huge tree from their neighbor’s house across the street, so we are feeling lucky.
“The real question is . . . are we blessed?? Or are we just lucky? 
After seeing our neighbor’s house, I’m feeling like we were lucky. How could I possibly think we were blessed while they were . . . cursed?”
Here are a few photos of the damage:
