Ike Takes Aim at Texas Coast As Residents Head for Safety
As Hurricane Ike took aim at the Texas coast, businesses and schools as far distant as Austin, some 200 miles inland, began canceling classes and postponing events. The enormous hurricane loomed over more than half of the Gulf of Mexico early Friday, producing sustained winds in excess of 100 mph.
The storm is expected to strengthen to a Category 3 before landfall at around 1 a.m. Saturday morning. On its current predicted path, Ike’s eye will cross slightly west of Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel, creating a storm surge of more than 16 ft in Galveston Bay, Sabine Lake and Port Arthur. In a statement released today, Gov. Rick Perry (R) said the surge could put those communities under water.