Update

To our friends in the UK--Sherry (Mom) is well and staying in a hotel room in Little Rock, Arkansas, along with her mother. They both have homes in Beaumont and the status of those homes is unknown. The power lines in Beaumont are down and they will probably be unable to return to the area for a few days. Internet news sites in the area are also down. Gas is very hard to find in southeast Texas--those places that do have gas also have long lines and police forces to maintain order. In short, they will probably be in Little Rock for a few days.

People ask why we live in this area when there is the potential for hurricanes. I know it seems stupid, but you have to realize that our area only has one storm like this every 50 years. It always seemed dumb to me that people live in San Francisco when they know there will be a big earthquake someday. But it's really no different, I guess. People who have lived in this area for generations know of the risks and accept them. Our trade and industry is based on oil and gas, and for many reasons that industry requires being close to the coast. Other areas are at risk of earthquakes, tornadoes, forest fires, flash floods, sinkholes, mudslides, etc. You have to live somewhere.

We'll keep you updated!