Hurricane Ike has prompted the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents in the Galveston Bay, Texas area. The National Hurricane Center said the category two hurricane is located about 230 miles southeast of Galveston traveling at a speed of 13 miles per hour and is expected to take a turn to the Northwest later today.
Warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico could intensify the storm that now has maximium sustained winds of 105 MPH. It's predicted that Ike could be a strong Category 3 storm before he makes landfall in Galveston later today or early Saturday.
Officials in the state are warning about a massive storm surge that could put homes and businesses under water within the next 24 hours and are stressing the importance of "getting out of dodge" prior to Ike's dreaded arrival. Areas that aren't directly in Hurricane Ike's path could be in grave danger, as forecasters have predicted a storm surge that could be 20 feet high with 50 foot waves. High winds and a foot of rain add to the danger for residents and structures in Galveston and Houston, Texas - along with the rest of the Gulf Coast.
Conditions are expected to worsen today with hurricane force winds that extend outward for up to 120 miles.
Residents of the Gulf Coast are urged to keep abreast of Hurricane Ike news via their local media, as conditions can quickly change with a storm of this magnitude.
Copyright 2007-2009 by Times of the Internet. All Rights Reserved.
