Texans Endure Sleepless Night as Ike Roars Ashore (Eye Reaching Galveston Now)

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press/The Weather Channel

Texans endure sleepless night as Ike roars ashore

By JUAN A. LOZANO and CHRIS DUNCAN, Associated Press Writer
37 minutes ago
GALVESTON, Texas - A colossal Hurricane Ike menaced the darkened Texas coast early Saturday, ensuring a sleepless night for thousands who huddled and waited to find out if a gamble to face the storm head-on could cost them their lives. Before the eye even crossed land, the first bands were punishing. Wind-whipped waves surged over a 17-foot seawall in Galveston and filled streets with waist-high water. Homes were flooding, hundreds of thousands were without power and there was fear hurricane-force winds could shatter the sparkling skyscrapers that define the skyline of America's fourth-largest city.

Rescue crews worried daybreak would bring a nightmare scenario: Thousands who defied evacuation orders and became trapped in submerged communities. "We don't know what we are going to find. We hope we will find the people who are left here alive and well," Galveston Mayor Lynda Ann Thomas said. "We are keeping our fingers crossed all the people who stayed on Galveston Island managed to survive this."

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"The unfortunate truth is we're going to have to go in tomorrow 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.

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Fire fighters left three buildings to burn Galveston because water was too high for fire trucks to reach them. 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.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ike

[uppityperson]

1. At least Katrina hit during the day. I talked with several survivors who said

this saved a lot of people, a lot more would've died if it had hit at night. Best wishes for all, and hoping the rescue goes quickly.

[Purveyor]

2. We shall not know of the devastion until the sun rises today. eom

[Hissyspit]

3. Weather Channel: 40% of Galveston Island Riding out the Hurricane n/t