Thanks again for this thread, my neighbor (on my north fenceline) is anxious for news and FR has the best news.
Her husband is a tugboat captain, usually pushes barges between Brownsville and Tampa on the Intercoastal. He's gone ten days and then back here (hill country TX) to their little ranch for 20 days.
He was on his tug in the Houston Ship Channel but his company got all employees out --- he's run his tug up the Neches River, thirty miles (The Neches flows into Port Arthur)to get out of the way, now it appears Rita is headed for Port Arthur.
He won't leave, says he will stay in the pilot house.
My neighbor is of course very frightened for her husband. She's glued to the t.v. and I'm on FR. Will probably go down and stay with her tonight for a few hours after I get animals fed.
Thanks for all the first-hand reports here on FR, much appreciated. Will relay news to y'all how Captain Corageous is doing in his tug on the Neches. He's been calling on cell phone about four times a day.
Good luck to "Captain Courageous" and let us know what he's seeing when he calls back in!