Authorities said two people in Texas and Louisiana have died from Hurricane Ike, while the U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a teenager who was swept out to sea by a large wave.
Authorities said a Pinehurst, Texas woman died in her bed early Saturday after a tree fell on her home, crushing her. Officials said she was the first reported death attributed to Ike.
Louisiana officials said a 16-year-old boy drowned Saturday after falling out of a fishing boat in Ike-flooded Bayou Dularge.
The Coast Guard has been searching for Michael Moxly, 19, off the shores of Corpus Christi, Texas. Petty Officer Josh Morales said Moxly was on a jetty when he was swept away Friday off North Padre Island as Ike approached a Texas landfall.
On Friday, a 10-year-old boy
died while his father was preparing their yard for the hurricane. In that case, the father was trying to remove a dead tree; the boy died when the tree hit him.
Bush Declares Disaster
President George W. Bush has declared a major disaster in Texas in the wake of Hurricane Ike. The president's disaster declaration means federal aid will supplement state and local recovery efforts in 29 counties.
He's also trying to reassure storm victims, saying "the American people will be praying for them and will be ready to help once the storm moves on."
Speaking at the White House Saturday morning, Bush said rescue teams are at the ready. He also noted that "some people didn't evacuate when asked." Officials are concerned that tens of thousands of people in low-lying areas of Texas and Louisiana may have to be rescued. But, Bush said the emergency teams "are sensitive to helping people and are fully prepared to do so."
Bush also said the Department of Energy and state authorities are keeping tabs on a gasoline crisis so consumers are not gouged at the pump. AAA said
gas prices nationwide rose nearly 6 cents a gallon overnight.
Meanwhile, Ike has weakened to a tropical storm with winds of about 60 mph. Further weakening is expected as the center moves farther inland and Ike could become a tropical depression by Saturday night.
There's extensive damage in southeast Texas where Ike roared ashore as a Category 2 hurricane just after 3 a.m. Eastern time Saturday.
Thousands of homes and government buildings are flooded and roads are washed out. Nearly 3 million people are without power, and utilities are warning that it could be weeks before all the service is restored. The only parts of Houston with power are downtown and the massive medical center section.
A spokesman for Houston's mayor said several fires are burning untended across the city, and 911 operators have received about 1,250 calls in 24 hours.
Officials are recommending residents stay indoors until the storm passes and be extremely careful when going outside because of downed power lines, weakened trees, contaminated flood water and other dangers that could be lurking, reported KPRC in Houston.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said more than 5.5 million prepackaged meals are being sent to the region, along with more than 230 generators and 5.6 million liters of water. At least 3,500 FEMA officials are stationed in Texas and Louisiana.
Ike so far is not bringing storm surges as severe as originally predicted.
Wilson Shaffer, chief of the National Weather Service's evaluation division, told The Associated Press that the highest surge so far was seen at Sabine Pass in Texas, at about 13.5 feet. Still, Ike continues to roar inland and could bring higher surges as it passes through.
The surge at Galveston, where Ike made landfall, was about 11 feet, he said.
Forecasters had predicted a surge of up to 25 feet. That would've been the highest in recorded history in Texas -- above 1961's Hurricane Carla, which brought a 22-foot wall of water.
Shaffer said it will take a few days before tidal gauges provide more definitive measurements.
Residents Who Stayed May Be Regretting It
As the massive storm ravages southeast Texas, officials are reporting a slew of calls for help that conditions make it impossible to respond to.
A spokesman for Gov. Rick Perry said the net result could be "the largest search and rescue operation that's ever been conducted in the state of Texas."
Andrew Barlow said people's failure to make wise choices on their own will put rescuers in "tough situations" once they go in.
Two million people are hunkered down in their homes around Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city.
Authorities in four counties said approximately 140,000 ignored mandatory evacuation orders.
About 1 million people did flee coastal communities near where the storm made landfall.
Millions Powerless; Flooding In La.
Ike is expected to take about 12 hours to move out of southeast Texas. The National Hurricane Center said it is expected to remain a hurricane through Saturday afternoon.
It will likely be awhile before electricity returns. CenterPoint Energy said it could take weeks before all the power in Houston. The power outages began Friday night, hours before Hurricane Ike officially made landfall on the Texas coast, KPRC reported.
"The outages started in Galveston and it is spreading from south to north -- across our entire system," said Floyd LeBlanc with CenterPoint Energy. "Galveston, Rosharon, Pearland and Baytown, Clear Lake, Missouri City and Sugar Land on the west side."
Before the eye even crossed land in Galveston, the first bands were punishing. Wind-whipped waves surged over a 17-foot seawall in Galveston and filled streets with waist-high water. The eye began coming ashore at 12:30 a.m. on Galveston Island.
As the storm began its assault on Houston, a landmark restaurant -- Brennan's of Houston -- was destroyed by fire because winds thwarted firefighters' efforts.
In Galveston, a legendary nightclub and former dance hall -- the Balinese Room -- that jetted out above the Gulf of Mexico was
destroyed by the massive storm surge of Ike.
Meanwhile, officials along the Louisiana coast are reporting serious flooding from Ike.
Now that the winds are calming, rescue teams are starting to venture out and answer calls for help. Hundreds of homes have been flooded. Gov. Bobby Jindal said 160 people were rescued Friday and more would likely need help Saturday.
Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach said flooding there is worse than in Hurricane Rita three years ago. Ike's storm surge has breached levees and flooded areas still recovering from Hurricane Gustav earlier this month.
In Plaquemines Parish near New Orleans, sheriff's spokesman Maj. John Marie said floodwaters are higher than in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Only one injury has been reported there, a deputy whose vehicle hit a submerged levee.
Previous Stories: - September 13, 2008: Gas Prices Spice Around US As Ike Hits
- September 13, 2008: Eye Of Hurricane Ike Slams Texas Shore
- September 12, 2008: Hundreds Of La. Homes Flood As Ike Passes
- September 12, 2008: Storm Surges Flood Venetian Isles, La.
- September 12, 2008: Hurricane Ike Begins To Batter Texas Coast
- September 12, 2008: 22 On Lame Ship OK After Worst Of Ike Roars By
- September 12, 2008: Boy, 10, Dies When Dad Preps Yard For Ike
- September 12, 2008: Weather Officials Warn Of 'Certain Death'
- September 10, 2008: Evacuations Begin In Texas Ahead Of Ike
- September 9, 2008: Texas Ponders Evacuation As Ike Hits Gulf
- September 9, 2008: Ike Veers From Keys; Texas Prepares
- September 7, 2008: Ike Moves To Cuba, May Miss Keys
- September 3, 2008: Ike Upgraded to Category 3 Hurricane
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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