Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

December 2, 2008 8:20:30 PM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Ike On Path for Houston: 1M Told to Flee

Posted Sep 11, 08 8:26 PM CDT in US 

(AP) – Cars and trucks streamed inland and chemical companies buttoned up their plants today as a gigantic Hurricane Ike took aim at the heart of the US refining industry and threatened to send a wall of water crashing toward Houston. Nearly 1 million people along the Texas coast were ordered to evacuate ahead of the storm, which was expected to strike late tomorrow or Saturday.

In a calculated risk aimed at avoiding total gridlock, authorities told most people in the nation's fourth-largest city to just hunker down. Ike was steering almost directly for Houston, where gleaming skyscrapers, the nation's biggest refinery, and NASA's Johnson Space Center lie in areas vulnerable to wind and floodwaters. Forecasters said the storm was likely to come ashore as a Category 3, with winds up to 130 mph.

Source Associated Press

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • 300 in Limbo as Houston's Last Ike Shelter Closes

    Oct 16, 08 11:16 AM CDT
    300 in Limbo as Houston's Last Ike Shelter Closes The Red Cross will boot nearly 300 Hurricane Ike survivors from its remaining Houston shelter Sunday, the Chronicle reports, leaving them to the care of federal and local agencies some accuse of “ridiculous lies.” The possibility of transitional housing does little for one FEMA reject, who was told her still-soggy apartment was livable, but faces Child Protective Services action if she moves back. More »

  • Ex-Presidents Call for More Ike Funds

    Oct 14, 08 4:50 PM CDT
    Ex-Presidents Call for More Ike Funds Former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton called today for more money to aid Texas communities devastated by Hurricane Ike, the Houston Chronicle reports. The pair, who toured the Galveston area, has raised $1.5 million for their Bush-Clinton Coastal Recovery Fund. The money will be used to augment state and local efforts once reconstruction begins. More »

  • Daughter Finds Long-Lost Dad Too Late

    Oct 8, 08 4:52 PM CDT
    Daughter Finds Long-Lost Dad Too Late An email from a stranger brought an entirely unexpected end to Alaina Emery’s 13-year hunt for her father. “Is your father’s name Robert Emery?” the emailer asked. “The whole city of Houston is looking for any relatives.” Emery, Alaina soon learned, was being hailed as a hero, having died while dashing across a freeway trying to save three dogs during Hurricane Ike, reports the Houston Chronicle.
    More »

  • Ike Spilled 500K Gallons of Gulf Oil

    Oct 5, 08 7:00 PM CDT
    Ike Spilled 500K Gallons of Gulf Oil Hurricane Ike knocked at least a half million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico and nearby waterways, according to an AP analysis of environmental reports. Worst hit were oil platforms near the coast of Louisiana, but about half of the spill occurred at a facility on Goat Island, Texas. More than 50 platforms were destroyed in all and 32 others took damage.
    More »

  • Ike Returnees Battle Chronic Mold Outbreak

    Sep 30, 08 3:37 PM CDT
    Ike Returnees Battle Chronic Mold Outbreak Initial relief that their Texas property survived Hurricane Ike quickly dissipated for many returning to Galveston Island who discovered colorful mold breeding wildly on virtually everything left standing. Damp, hot buildings were left sealed for two weeks when residents evacuated, giving the fungus plenty of time to nestle into the foundations and create a health nightmare, the Houston Chronicle reports. More »

Will Nelson, left, and Tim Gaudin help prepare a home for Hurricane Ike, in Surfside, Texas, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008.   (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
A truck leaves the Dow Chemical plant in Freeport, Texas Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008. Freeport is one of several Texas coastal communities that have been evacuated as Hurricane Ike heads toward shore.   (Pat Sullivan)
A sheet of plywood covering a store window in Freeport, Texas carries a message regarding Hurricane Ike Thursday, Sept. 11, 2008.   (Pat Sullivan)
Traffic lines Interstate 45 leaving Houston as Hurricane Ike approaches the Texas Gulf Coast Thursday.   (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
David Guinn of Portland, Texas, screws in a piece of plywood over garage door windows Thursday as he prepares his home for hurricane Ike.   (AP Photo)
A boy pushes his bike through waters left by Hurricane Ike in Cajio, Cuba, Thursday. State television said some 2.6 million people, nearly a fourth of the island's population, sought refuge from Ike.   (AP Photo)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 2)

Tags

Texas • Hurricane Ike • Houston • hurricane season


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other US Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »