Apparently Galveston has a stupid mayor that doesn't understand storm surge....I hope she has smartened up since this (CNN)...hmm, don't worry, it won't be that windy, but you can swim onto your roof if you get in trouble.
In Galveston, city officials ordered mandatory evacuations for part of the island town beginning at 7 a.m. CT (8 a.m. ET) Thursday. The rest of the town will be under a voluntary evacuation order. Only residents will be required to evacuate on the western end of the island.
Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas defended this decision, saying current models call for Galveston to be hit with winds and rain only equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane.
"We do not intend to evacuate Galveston Island," she said. "It's the last thing we want to do. Our job is to protect lives and property, [and] right now we feel that sheltering in place is the best action for our citizens to take."
