Ike 9PM Update

Ike is 600 miles wide. Hurricane warnings are in effect for more than 400 miles of Texas and Louisiana coast. Water in Galveston is rising at a rate of more than an inch every two minutes. A tornado watch is in effect for the Greater Houston and southeast Texas areas until 10AM. This is only the beginning. The Coast Guard has rescued 60 people and at least 12 high water rescues have been made on Galveston Island. Due to night fall and increasingly severe weather, no more rescues will be attempted tonight, however, authorities ask that you still report any emergency situations to 911. Cell phone carriers are recommending customers to text rather than make voice calls to avoid overloading area cell towers. Authorities are asking all residents staying in Galveston to write their SSN on their forearm in case of the worst. Depending on your location, curfew goes until at least 7AM and as late as 10AM for some areas. The exception is Galveston County where the curfew is in effect from 5PM until dawn Sunday. Fire crews are reporting a large fire in west Galveston jumping from house to house. They have been unable to reach it and expect it will burn through the night. Centerpoint Energy is reporting 200,000 power outages. The Texas Governor believes Ike could be a $100Billion storm. Finally, if you are in the effected area, the American Red Cross provides a service to allow you to reassure and find your loved ones. You can find more information at http://www.safeandwell.org. Stay safe.