JOHN LITTLE REPORTS that Houston dodged a bullet:

We got some pretty good winds in Midtown but it doesn’t look like damage is a problem. Flooding hasn’t been a problem either. I’ve lost satellite but I didn’t lose power.

He praises anti-looting efforts, which seem to have been quite successful, and notes that he has some spare beanie-weenies and bottled water. He also observes: “There’s no gas in the city, no shops open, and millions of people that might be rushing back. If you’re out of town and you can wait a day or two to return please do.”

Good advice.

UPDATE: Joe Gandelman has a hurricane news roundup: “The bottom line so far seems to be this: all three levels of government were better prepared for this storm, as they anticipated the worst and made preparations.”