Three safe, none near Houston

As many of you know, Uncle Joao, Aunt Bea and Aunt Bruna moved to a Houston suburb some years ago ... in the path of a big storm yesterday. So dad, worried a bit, and thinking he might be able to try to relay some information to the family in Brazil, tried calling Bea and couldn't get through. He poked around his e-mail, found a cell phone number for work for Uncle Joao -- and got a horrible connection, sounded like rain and wind whipping everywhere. Called again. Got mom. Got confused, maybe his cell phone wasn't working right and mom had tried calling him ...

No, the Brazilians knew exactly what kind of condition Joao was in, because he was hanging out in a chair having a beer at Great-Grandma Helena's back yard, where his cell phone rang. He'd had to go back to Brazil on business, and happened to just be hanging out.

His lady folk are confirmed safe with friends -- they're doing fine. No word yet on the house. Here's to hoping everyone makes it back home safely.

The Houston Chonicle is livemapping the damage; looks like cell phones are out around his house. The next-closest report is of trees down, but residents already clearing up.