A look back at the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, the deadliest natural diaster in U.S. history, by way of Wikipedia. (If you click nothing else, don't miss this post at the Edge of the American West.) Stay safe, Houston.

UPDATE: This is looking very bad.

* As many as 24,000 people on Galveston Island, and 250,000 in the greater Houston area, chose not to evacuate. Emergency crews will not be able to offer help until after the storm has passed at the earliest—and with a predicted storm surge of 19-20 feet (or more) over a 15-to-17-foot wall (reports vary), Galveston Island may be underwater for days.

* Galveston County Jail was not evacuated; one thousand prisoners remained locked in their cells.

* KPRC is Houston is broadcasting their storm coverage over the Internet.

* It's not just you: hurricane activity in the Atlantic has increased since 1970.

Just out over the wires: People sheltering at ground level at Galveston Bay when Hurricane Ike hits face "certain death," the weather service warns.