First raindrop! Ranking the coverage...Idiots!

2 p.m.: The first official raindrop came at 1:23! The weather has gotten noticeably hotter, and the sky is menacing. No real rain yet, but you can now tell a storm is coming.

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I have spent most of the day studying how each TV station and Web site has covered the storm. (KTRH has everyone beat on radio. If you are out of town, the stream is at KTRH.com).

TV wise, Ch. 11 is the clubhouse leader so far (disclaimer: we will be streaming their coverage on www.975theticket at 6 p.m. Central). But that's not why I like theirs the best; they have focused on key areas better than the other stations, and have been on top of some rescues. Ch. 2 has had better storm track projections and updates, but 11 has been the best so far. They have also had a sense of humor; they showed a clip of one of their knuckleheads getting too close to the waves hitting the seawall. He got soaked and almost sucked into the inferno. THAT would have been funny.

Web site-wise, Eric Berger destroyed everybody with his coverage up until about three days ago. Since then, my former colleagues at the Chron have been constantly behind, have not done a good job with projections, and have spent too much time pimping live chats that were difficult to follow and basically cheap attempts to be radio. There is a lot of information, but it is impossible to sort it out. There are very good people involved in that Site; the coverage so far is disappointing.

When I lose electricity, I will follow ktrh's Web site. It has immediate news flashes prominently displayed, and more pertinent information that is easier to find.

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Of course, Ike has brought a lot of idiots with him. A freak in a bear suit dancing on the seawall as monster waves crash behind him. (The police closed the seawall hours ago. The only idiots who are supposed to be on it are news people). There is debris everywhere, and some of America's brightest are wondering around with their kids. In flip flops. Taking pictures.

My favorite people are the ones who refuse to leave, then as soon as the water comes up, they get rescued.

The best was a toothless lady and her children they showed on Ch. 11. She was pretty much a bad Texas stereotype. She said she would "like to leave. But I can't. Somethin' might happen to muh house. It's already floodin."

Props to the news hottie in the studio, who said, "If something happens to her house, isn't it better that she isn't in it?"

Toothless wrapped up her interview with some metaphysical musings. "Ah guess that's just the mental-ty of a Galvestonian," she said, with feeling.

Only the really, really stupid Galvestonians.