Texas Pounded By Hurricane Ike

Millions Are Without Power After Storm Slams Galveston, Houston With Torrential Rains And Winds

(CBS/AP)  Howling ashore with 110 mph winds, Hurricane Ike ravaged the Texas coast Saturday, flooding thousands of homes and businesses, shattering windows in Houston's skyscrapers and knocking out power to millions of people.

At first light, it was unclear how many may have perished, and authorities mobilized for a huge search-and-rescue operation to reach the more than 100,000 people who ignored warnings that any attempt to ride the storm out could bring "certain death."

"The unfortunate truth is we're going to have to go in ... and put our people in the tough situation to save people who did not choose wisely. We'll probably do the largest search-and-rescue operation that's ever been conducted in the state of Texas," said Andrew Barlow, spokesman for Gov. Rick Perry.

With the winds still blowing, authorities in some places could not venture outside to get a full look at the damage, but they were encouraged that the storm surge topped out at only 13.5 feet - far lower than the catastrophic 20-to-25-foot wall of water forecasters had feared.

By mid-afternoon the storm was downgraded to a tropical storm, as winds died down to 60 mph.

The storm, nearly as big as Texas itself, had blasted a 500-mile stretch of coastline in Louisiana and Texas. It breached levees, flooded roads and led more than 1 million people to evacuate and seek shelter inland.

"Every storm's unique, but this one certainly will be remembered for its size," said Benton McGee, supervisory hydrologist at the U.S. Geological Survey's storm surge center in Ruston, Louisiana.

Of greatest concern were the more than 100,000 people in coastal counties who ignored mandatory evacuation orders, including thousands of residents of Galveston, the low-lying barrier island where Ike crashed ashore at 3:10 a.m. EDT.

"We don't know what we are going to find," Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas said. "We hope we will find the people who are left here alive and well."

In Pinehurst, Tex., north of Houston, a woman died after a tree fell on her home.

Montgomery County Sheriff's Lt. Dan Norris said the woman was in her bed early Saturday when the tree toppled onto her house. Her name was not released.

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Photos: Ike Smashes Texas

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Photos: Irascible Ike

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At a press conference this morning Houston Mayor Bill White said that first responders were wading through a backlog of 4,700 911 calls from the Houston area - many about downed power lines and .

He also said that residents in Houston and surrounding communities should only use bottled water or boil their water before drinking. Although there is no evidence that the water supply was contaminated, pumping stations lost their power and have not been brought back on line so water is too low in pressure, putting it in danger of contamination.

He also asked those who have neighbors without power, or who are high risk (such as senior citizens) to share their bottled water.

The mayor also reminded people to stay indoors, given the hazards from debris and downed power lines.

Even those who venture forth might not get far: Many roads are underwater and impassable.

Galveston was covered with two to four feet of water, and authorities are planning to close access to the island Saturday, state officials said.

(Left: Debris is seen scattered across Highway 146 in Kemah, Texas, after Hurricane Ike moved through the area, Sept. 13, 2008.)

“You can go out, but you can’t come in,” Allison Castle, spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry, told reporters at the emergency operations center Saturday in Austin.

Castle also said the U.S. Coast Guard is preparing to evacuate four critical care patients from the flooded University of Texas Medical Branch hospital. She said the Coast Guard is waiting for winds to drop below 50 mph before conducting the rescue operation.

Firefighters left three buildings to burn in Galveston overnight because water was too high for fire trucks to reach them. Six feet of water had collected in the Galveston County Courthouse on the island's downtown, according to local storm reports on the National Weather Service's Web site.

But there was some good news: a stranded freighter with 22 men aboard made it through the brunt of the storm safely, and a tugboat was on the way to save them. And an evacuee from Calhoun County gave birth to a baby girl in the restroom of a shelter with the aid of an expert in geriatric psychiatry who delivered his first baby in two decades.

"It's kind of like riding a bike," Dr. Mark Burns told the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung after he helped Ku Paw welcome her fourth child.


Thousands of Distress Calls

President George W. Bush participated in a video conference Saturday with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and David Paulison, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency

"As this massive storm moves through the Gulf Coast, people in that area can rest assured that the American people will be praying for them and will be ready to help once this storm moves on," Bush said from the South Lawn of the White House.

Officials in Houston and along the coast reported receiving thousands of distress calls overnight but they were unable to respond because of the dangerous hurricane conditions. Emergency responders were fanning out Saturday morning from the Reliant Center in Houston to take stock of the damage and rescue any holdouts who needed help

"This is a democracy," said Mark Miner, a spokesman for Perry. "Local officials who can order evacuations put out very strong messages. Gov. Perry put out a very strong warning. But you can't force people to leave their homes. They made a decision to ride out the storm. Our prayers are with them."

Ike passed directly over downtown Houston before dawn, blowing out windows in Texas' tallest building, the Chase Tower. Behind splintered shards, desks were exposed to the pounding morning rains, metal blinds hung in a twisted heap from some windows, and smoky black glass covered the streets below.

Documents, marked "highly confidential," were strewn across nearly empty streets.

"It sounded like ice or something hitting the window but really it was glass," said Santa Montelongo, 53, who took refuge inside her office at a nearby building. "We could see it fly by. It got really spooky."

Fires burned untended across Galveston and Houston. Brennan's, a landmark downtown Houston restaurant, was destroyed by flames when firefighters were thwarted by high winds. Fire officials said a restaurant worker and his young daughter were taken to a hospital in critical condition with burns over 70 percent of their bodies.

Police also evacuated industrial workers and media in Surfside because of a chlorine leak at a plant there.

Mindful of the deadly chaos that ensured in 2005 when the fourth-largest U.S. city emptied out ahead of Hurricane Rita, Houston officials evacuated only the lowest-lying areas of the city and told some 2 million others to "hunker down" and ride out the storm at home. Ike was the first hurricane since Alicia in 1983 to land a direct hit on Houston.

"From the beginning, we knew this was going to be a big storm, a frightening situation," said County Judge Ed Emmett, who urged residents to stay inside, even if they think the storm has passed. "Those of us who were around 25 years ago when Alicia came through, we know what it's like to listen to those winds and that rain. But from where we now stand, as the storm goes through and clears our area, we are going to see our community at its very best."

As Ike moved north later Saturday morning, the storm dropped to a Category 1 hurricane, and later a tropical storm.

[khoobenedict]

After the disasters of Hurricane Ike, the Hobbit Cafe on Richmond Ave is opened for regular food service! We are opened from 11am to 7.30pm.

The Hobbit Cafe
2243 Richmond Ave
Houston Tx 77098

The Hobbit is located on Richmond between Greenbriar and Kirby. We welcome ANY customers! Bring your friends and family for a good meal during this difficult time!

Ben
Manager, Hobbit Cafe

[erasmus81]

"I was acutely aware that the 5 gallon gas can was half empty, and I could fill the tank on the generator only two or three times. One tankful lasted only an hour or so." Posted by txgrouch2006 at 11:18 AM : Sep 14, 2008

I think I would have had at least four, 5 gal. gas cans full, if I knew there was a hurricane coming.

[txgrouch2006]

The refineries will be up & running by tomorrow evening at the absolute latest.
Posted by tuckerndfw at 10:09 PM : Sep 13, 2008

Possibly they have their own on-site backup generators. But regardless of that, we NEED them up and running. THE ENTIRE NATION depends on them for gasoline and Diesel fuel.

Yesterday I was running the refrigerator and computer chargers off my electric generator. I was acutely aware that the 5 gallon gas can was half empty, and I could fill the tank on the generator only two or three times. One tankful lasted only an hour or so. And ALL the gas stations EVERYWHERE are out of gas due to the refineries being shut down.

I''m 20 miles west of Houston, and my electricity came back on aroud 5 pm Saturday. But I just got a call from a friend and found that folks east of me are still without electricity OR water. There is no power in Houston except around the Medical Center.

A lot of folks are depending on gasoline-fueled generators for electricity. Without the refineries, emergency operations will be seriously hindered.

[erasmus81]

"Just checking in to let y''''all know that the "storm" was a real dud." Posted by tuckerndfw at 10:07 PM : Sep 13, 2008

Glad to hear you survived, tucker.

So are you still having wind and rain?

[txgrouch2006]

Ok, this is a cheap shot, but here goes:
Posted by ubrew12 at 08:04 PM : Sep 13, 2008

Yes, it was a cheap, lame attempt at trolling.

As I''ve already posted, THE ELECTRICITY IS ON ALREADY. The "several weeks" story was just standard journalistic scare tactics to sell news.

The A/C and the fridge are now humming as usual, and we just finished supper with some chocolates melted in the microwave. Yummmmmm....

I wish EVERY hurricane could end like this. For EVERYONE.

[ubrew12]

txgrouch2006 said: "Is our infrastructure REALLY this bad off that a mild storm knocks out power for WEEKS???"

Ok, this is a cheap shot, but here goes:

The Am Soc of Civil Engr''s estimates that our civil infrastructure gets a grade of D-, and needs $1.6 TRILLION DOLLARS in immediate spending just to get up to code. THAT''s was 30 years of supply-side economics (aka low taxes) gets you. Enjoy...

[ontheleft]

''President Bush declared a major disaster''

President Bush IS a major disaster. It''s about time they officially declared it.

[generey]

The electricity just came back on. Just in time for dinner! The stuff in the freezer was starting to melt.

Tomorrow things will be mostly back to normal here.



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Posted by txgrouch2006 at 05:53 PM : Sep 13, 2008

Thats great to hear! Ya know, we are getting more reliable info from you than anywhere else; I am in N.C. now and the word here is that y''all are in the dark & will be for weeks. Unreal! Thanks for the updates!

[txgrouch2006]

really great you still have a signal to access the web!
Posted by generey at 05:07 PM : Sep 13, 2008

I have a Verizon air card attached to my laptop. The whole outfit runs on the laptop battery. As long as the battery is charged, you can be online most anywhere!

Today, I can''t get service thru my T-Mobile cell phone because there are so many calls. But the Verizon air card is getting through great.

The electricity just came back on. Just in time for dinner! The stuff in the freezer was starting to melt.

Tomorrow things will be mostly back to normal here.

[txgrouch2006]

"Someone probably knows who said it, but there is the old quote: If I owned H*ell and Texas, I''''''''d live in H*ell and rent out Texas." Posted by barbaraf4 at 04:09 PM : Sep 13, 2008

Well, of COURSE you would! Texas is MUCH more valuable, you''d get a better rent for it.

Who would pay money to rent H*ell???

[gce65]

At least Ike had the good aim to blow the windows out of JP Morgan-Chase Tower in downtown Houston. Too bad it couldn''t topple the whole thing!

[erasmus81]

"WHAT''''S UP WITH THIS??? Alicia was a stronger storm in 1983, but we did not have such widespread power outages that took weeks to repair. We went back to wrok THE NEXT DAY."

Posted by txgrouch2006 at 03:59PM : Sep 13, 2008

I don''t know, but maybe it could be because it came from a different direction than the other hurricane?

[erasmus81]

"Was that storm the big December gale that smacked down the Pacific Coast of Oregon, Washington and B.C.?" Posted by LloydBest1 at 05:04 PM : Sep 13, 2008

Yes, I think it was. But it wasn''t last year, it was the year before. I was mistaken. And the wind came from a different direction than usual. We have a huge park here, Stanley Park, and it destroyed a thousand trees. That has never happened before. It was scary. I am very thankful that I don''t live where there are major hurricanes or tornadoes!

[sinibaldi1]

Devoted to you.

It''s night, the
fall of an absent
caprice leaves
in the country
a sullen behaviour,
the sound of
a fancy and
always that care,
like a beautiful
fortune.

Francesco Sinibaldi

[generey]

I live 20 miles soutwest of Houston. I have no damage at my house. The neighborhood has lots of fences blown down and tree branches broken off. But most homes are undamaged.

But almost THE ENTIRE REGION - Harris and Fort Bend counties - are without electricity. Now the news says it could take WEEKS to restore power. One official estimated that it will take 24 to 48 hours to FORM A PLAN to restore service.

WHAT''''S UP WITH THIS??? Alicia was a stronger storm in 1983, but we did not have such widespread power outages that took weeks to repair. We went back to wrok THE NEXT DAY.

Is our infrastructure REALLY this bad off that a mild storm knocks out power for WEEKS???


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Posted by txgrouch2006 at 03:59 PM : Sep 13, 2008

Grouch that is great you had no damage, and really great you still have a signal to access the web! Yea, when Alicia came thru I was living on Chippendale in the Oak Forest area & if I remember right we went about a week without power. Go figure!

[lloydbest1]

"Someone probably knows who said it, but there is the old quote: If I owned H*ell and Texas, I''''d live in H*ell and rent out Texas." Posted by barbaraf4 at 04:09 PM : Sep 13, 2008

The quote has been attributed to Gen. Phillip Sheridan. Not too sure he actually said it, though.

"When I was a little girl, we had a very mild hurricane here. And last year we had some major wind storms. One was ALMOST a hurricane." Posted by erasmus81 at 02:16 PM : Sep 13, 2008

Was that storm the big December gale that smacked down the Pacific Coast of Oregon, Washington and B.C.?
Man, that was one for the books! Where I lived we only got wussy 45 mph winds but some people on the Oregon and Washington coasts saw momentary wind velocities exceeding 150! That''s Cat 5, folks. Fortunately those weren''t sustained and we didn''t get anywhere near the storm surge the Gulf got. OTOH this storm was huge as only a mid-latitude cyclone can be. You could have fit 6 Ikes within its embrace and still have room left over for a Floyd.
Still....If I had a choice between suffering either Ike or "The Great Coastal Gale" I would take the gale and claim the better end of the deal. Ours may have lasted longer and generated more rainfall (up to 22 inches) but wasn''t nearly as violent nor as costly as Ike is sure to be.

[wavin2ya]

What does Bush have to do with this!!!! LOL

[maedean]

"The unfortunate truth is we''re going to have to go in ... and put our people in the tough situation to save people who did not choose wisely. EXCUSE ME BUT IF THESE PEOPLE STAYED OF THERE OWN FREE WILL THEN LEAVE THEM TO ROT. THEN MAYBE NEXT TIME THESE STUPID SOUTHERN PEOPLE WILL MOVE THERE SORRY ASSSSSES AND GET OUT. THEY TELL THEM TIME AND TIME AGAIN AND THEY ALL STAY LIKE A FLOCK OF STUPID SHEEP. SO OH WELL LET THEM TOUGH IT OUT !!!!!!!

[barbaraf4]

Someone probably knows who said it, but there is the old quote: If I owned H*ell and Texas, I''d live in H*ell and rent out Texas.

[legacyabq]

There can be no excuse to expend public monies and have the lives of expensively trained emergency personnel risked on behalf of adults who choose to ignore repeated evacuation orders. -tucanofulano

Now, THIS, I agree with.. People are fools to laugh off a hurricane. During Alica, 20+ yrs back, the eye went right over my house in SW houston.. Amazing power. But people were saying that folks shouldn''t even inhabit this area, and my post was to point out the absurdity of such an idea.. But idiots who knowingly stay, when doppler radar shows a hurricane the size of new england 100 miles away, are definitely not very bright. If an evac. order is called too soon, and a storm veers away, I can see getting complacent about future storms, but IKE was clearly heading in for a direct hit, no doubt about it. I cant beleive people actually stayed on Galveston island!! What were they thinking??