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| 'Certain death' warning over Ike | 'Certain death' warning over Ike |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Residents in one area of the Texas coastline have been warned they must evacuate before the arrival of Hurricane Ike or "face certain death". | Residents in one area of the Texas coastline have been warned they must evacuate before the arrival of Hurricane Ike or "face certain death". |
| The National Weather Service issued the grave warning to those living in low-lying areas around Galveston Bay. | The National Weather Service issued the grave warning to those living in low-lying areas around Galveston Bay. |
| More than a million people in Texas have been advised to leave their homes before Ike hits early Saturday morning. | More than a million people in Texas have been advised to leave their homes before Ike hits early Saturday morning. |
| The storm has already killed more than 70 people in the Caribbean, with Haiti and Cuba particularly badly hit. | The storm has already killed more than 70 people in the Caribbean, with Haiti and Cuba particularly badly hit. |
| At 1500 GMT Ike was about 195 miles (320km) south-east of Galveston, with winds above 100 mph (160km/h). | At 1500 GMT Ike was about 195 miles (320km) south-east of Galveston, with winds above 100 mph (160km/h). |
| The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Ike could strengthen from a Category Two to a Category Three storm - a "major hurricane" - by the time it reaches the coast. | The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Ike could strengthen from a Category Two to a Category Three storm - a "major hurricane" - by the time it reaches the coast. |
| The effects of the storm will be felt along the coast before it makes landfall. | The effects of the storm will be felt along the coast before it makes landfall. |
| The hurricane's predicted path will take it through Galveston and on to the US's fourth largest city, Houston. | The hurricane's predicted path will take it through Galveston and on to the US's fourth largest city, Houston. |
| href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/americas_enl_1221245583/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/americas_enl_1221245583/html/1.stm', '1221245658', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=466,height=381,left=312,top=100'); return false;"> href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/americas_enl_1221245583/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/americas_enl_1221245583/html/1.stm', '1221245658', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=466,height=381,left=312,top=100'); return false;" >Enlarge Map | |
| Forecasters warned that because of the size of the storm, the low-lying coastal areas could be hit by a 20ft (6m) high surge of water. | Forecasters warned that because of the size of the storm, the low-lying coastal areas could be hit by a 20ft (6m) high surge of water. |
| "All neighbourhoods and possibly entire coastal communities will be inundated during the period of the peak storm tide," the National Weather Service said in a statement. | "All neighbourhoods and possibly entire coastal communities will be inundated during the period of the peak storm tide," the National Weather Service said in a statement. |
| "Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single family one- or two-storey homes will face certain death." | "Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single family one- or two-storey homes will face certain death." |
| The warning was issued after it became apparent that some residents in the Galveston Bay area were resisting orders to evacuate. | The warning was issued after it became apparent that some residents in the Galveston Bay area were resisting orders to evacuate. |
| "There's more people here than I thought," Alicia Cahill, a public information officer for Galveston was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying. | "There's more people here than I thought," Alicia Cahill, a public information officer for Galveston was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying. |
| The Texas authorities have laid on more than 1,000 buses to facilitate the exodus. | The Texas authorities have laid on more than 1,000 buses to facilitate the exodus. |
| In Galveston - scene of the country's deadliest hurricane which killed at least 6,000 people in 1900 - 75 buses are transporting residents to the state capital, Austin. | In Galveston - scene of the country's deadliest hurricane which killed at least 6,000 people in 1900 - 75 buses are transporting residents to the state capital, Austin. |
| Weak and chronically ill hospital patients are being moved to San Antonio, about 190 miles from Houston. | Weak and chronically ill hospital patients are being moved to San Antonio, about 190 miles from Houston. |
| Authorities have ordered residents in Houston to stay put, to avoid a repeat of 2005, when some 110 people in the city died during a chaotic evacuation in the face of Hurricane Rita. | Authorities have ordered residents in Houston to stay put, to avoid a repeat of 2005, when some 110 people in the city died during a chaotic evacuation in the face of Hurricane Rita. |
| Almost all energy production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut down as a precaution, but the US Department of Energy said the storm was expected to miss most of the installations. | Almost all energy production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut down as a precaution, but the US Department of Energy said the storm was expected to miss most of the installations. |
| President George W Bush has declared a federal emergency in Texas, allowing funds to be freed to help the state deal with the storm. | President George W Bush has declared a federal emergency in Texas, allowing funds to be freed to help the state deal with the storm. |
| Aid appeal | Aid appeal |
| Hurricane Ike killed four people, wrecked tens of thousands of buildings and destroyed crops when it slammed into Cuba. | Hurricane Ike killed four people, wrecked tens of thousands of buildings and destroyed crops when it slammed into Cuba. |
| The UN estimates the cost of the damage at $3bn-$4bn (£1.7bn-£2.26bn). | The UN estimates the cost of the damage at $3bn-$4bn (£1.7bn-£2.26bn). |
| RECENT MAJOR STORMS Hurricane Ike: SeptemberTropical Storm Hanna: SeptemberHurricane Gustav: August, SeptemberTropical Storm Fay: August In pictures: Hurricane IkeEyewitness: Waiting for IkeHurricane Ike: Cubans' storiesFlashback: Galevston's great storm | RECENT MAJOR STORMS Hurricane Ike: SeptemberTropical Storm Hanna: SeptemberHurricane Gustav: August, SeptemberTropical Storm Fay: August In pictures: Hurricane IkeEyewitness: Waiting for IkeHurricane Ike: Cubans' storiesFlashback: Galevston's great storm |
| The island nation was already reeling from the impact of Hurricane Gustav, which destroyed about 100,000 homes when it hit the island at the end of August. | The island nation was already reeling from the impact of Hurricane Gustav, which destroyed about 100,000 homes when it hit the island at the end of August. |
| Ike earlier caused 66 deaths in Haiti and reportedly damaged 80% of the homes in the Turks and Caicos Islands. | Ike earlier caused 66 deaths in Haiti and reportedly damaged 80% of the homes in the Turks and Caicos Islands. |
| Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, has endured the onslaught of four tropical storms in a three-week period, causing more than 550 deaths. | Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, has endured the onslaught of four tropical storms in a three-week period, causing more than 550 deaths. |
| The UN has appealed for more than $100m (£57m) in international aid to assist Haiti, where most people live on less than a dollar a day. | The UN has appealed for more than $100m (£57m) in international aid to assist Haiti, where most people live on less than a dollar a day. |
| The US has pledged $10m (£5.7m) in aid to Haiti, where the UN estimates 800,000 people are in temporary shelters. | The US has pledged $10m (£5.7m) in aid to Haiti, where the UN estimates 800,000 people are in temporary shelters. |
| Washington also offered $100,000 (£57,000) in initial aid to Cuba, whose government has been subject to a US trade embargo for four decades. | Washington also offered $100,000 (£57,000) in initial aid to Cuba, whose government has been subject to a US trade embargo for four decades. |
| Cuba turned the offer down, asking instead that the US sells it supplies on credit. | Cuba turned the offer down, asking instead that the US sells it supplies on credit. |
| Are you in the areas affected? Are preparing to evacuate or are you staying in your home? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below. | Are you in the areas affected? Are preparing to evacuate or are you staying in your home? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below. |
| Send your pictures to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here.Read the terms and conditions | Send your pictures to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here.Read the terms and conditions |
| At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. | At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. |
| In most cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. | In most cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. |