Bob,

Our sailors on Galveston Island cleared out yesterday. Most of our sailors in the area just north of Galveston have left.

We are hopeful that Cat Alley survives. Cat Alley is a beach house that has served as the finish for the Great Texas for the past three years.

Everyone is trying to get out of Houston area and we have been coordinating housing in the Texas area using the PI Sailing mail list.

We are hoping for a weakening in the storm and that it runs into a more unpopulated area. A direct hit on Galveston and Houston would be very bad.

Current predictions from NHC are putting the expected path east of Galveston but the strike probabilities remain high for major portions of Texas. Right now, we can only hope for weaken and coming ashore in one of the more unpopulated areas.

Steve Piche