With all flights grounded in Houston, travel in the US this weekend is expected to be a nightmare. Continental Airlines, however, seems to have been more prepared than most, having purchased rental space in an underground bunker where they can safely house their important computer systems and up to 200 staff members in the event of an emergency.

The bunker, which is located in Montgomery, Texas, was built by a wealthy Taiwanese businessman who feared that the Russians or Soviets would attack the US with nuclear missiles. Ling-Cheih Kung made his fortune during the 1970's with Westland Oil (now defunct), but lost the title to his property in the 80's when oil companies went bust.

The bunker is located 50 feet below ground, and Continental occupies an area of about 2000 square feet. Continental moved into their spot in 2006, just a few months after construction and renovations on the facility began, which also added internet connectivity for companies leasing space.

Renting this space was pretty smart thinking by Continental, who relocate their IT operations to the bunker in the event the Houston metro area is going to be hit by a Category 3 hurricane. Hurricane Katrina and its devastating effects inspired them to consider what they would do during next big storm. Because of the facility, Continental is hoping to get their operations back on track as early as Sunday morning.