Storm's a-Brewin'

Hurricane Ike is expected to make landfall tonight in the Galveston area as either a category 3 or 4 storm. Galveston, which lost 8,000 people in a 1900 hurricane, can expect a storm surge of as much as 18 feet. Houston, located northeast of Galveston, is far enough inland that the surge won't be a factor. However, it will also be in Ike's northeast quadrant, which means the city may have to endure winds of 150mph.

Located in the general area: The United States' largest concentration of oil refineries. Translated, that means today might be a good time to fill up your tank.

But of even greater concern to the Bush administration is that the Houston/Galveston area has a much higher ratio of Caucasians than does New Orleans. Some political experts warn that images of bloated corpses of white people floating in the streets might hurt the Republican ticket.