Looks like the hurricane is vulnerable and the climate watchers are expecting for it to turn back anytime and hit tem hard at the Texas region. But climate is anything like luck, you are only sure that it will change and the climate watchers are not too sure if they could give the go sign for the evacuation step to prevent a huge loss of life as hurricanes returning from the hot gulf are very strong and we are just like rag dolls in the path of a mad child ;)
The pressure of staring down Hurricane Ike is on as the storm moves across the Gulf of Mexico on an uncertain path that has officials along the Texas coast waiting to decide which communities need to evacuate — and when.
As of late Tuesday, Ike seemed set on coming to Texas, but it remained too early to know whether it would make landfall this weekend somewhere between Corpus Christi and Palacios, drop down into the Rio Grande Valley, or even make a hard turn that would bring it closer to Houston.
"When they get in the Gulf, they tend to do weird things, so we're going to keep watching it," said Francisco Sanchez, of Harris County's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. "We do have a bit of a sigh of relief."
Even if the storm doesn't head directly to Houston, its winds and rains still could be dangerous, said officials, who cautioned residents not to let their guards down.
"We are still in the monitoring stage now," Houston Emergency Center spokesman Joe Laud said. "There is always that chance it could turn back east."
Houston is staying in regular contact with emergency-operations centers across the region, he said.
Six National Guard C-130s were to begin today flying some hospital patients out of Corpus Christi. And about 1,000 special-needs residents there who would otherwise be unable to evacuate were tentatively scheduled to start boarding voluntary evacuation buses this afternoon.
Corpus Christi officials were huddling over whether to pull the trigger on an obligatory exodus.
"It is a real fine balancing act," Ted Nelson, a spokesman for Corpus Christi's Emergency Operations Center, said of trying to decide if people should leave.
"Hopefully, we will wake up in the morning, and Ike has decided to turn around and disappear ... or has decided to go to some sparsely populated section of land and doesn't bother anybody."
There was similar hesitation in Brazoria and Galveston counties, where officials were watching the storm and waiting for more updated predictions.
Corpus grabs supplies
Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas said she was not yet ordering a general evacuation but was considering a limited evacuation of residents on the low-lying western end of Galveston Island.
In Corpus Christi, which for much of Tuesday was in the center of Ike's projected path, residents made a run on storm supplies as they stocked up on bottled water, batteries, plywood and other items.
National Guard crews who honed their skills in Iraq are expected to begin air shuttles between Corpus Christi and the Bryan-College Station area today.
"They train for wartime, but it works very well for people who can't take a three-hour bus ride and want to get out of the way of a hurricane," Lt. Col. Greg Perry said of crews that are trained to handle critically ill patients while airborne.
About 800 evacuation buses and convoys of military vehicles rolled into staging areas, where they were put on standby to move closer to the coast as needed. About 550 more buses are available.
Gov. Rick Perry authorized as many as 7,500 members of the Texas National Guard to be called to duty, and state workers prepared highways for the possibility of large-scale evacuations.
"Hurricane Ike is making its way to the Gulf as we speak, and it is imperative that residents pay attention to this storm, heed warnings from their local leaders, and take the steps necessary to protect their families, homes and businesses," Perry said.
Evacuation lane opening
An evacuation from Corpus Christi, the Rio Grande Valley or other areas would involve convoys of buses past what are normally immigration checkpoints manned by federal agents.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday that federal authorities gave assurances they would not check people's immigration status at evacuation loading zones or the inland checkpoints. U.S. Customs and Border Protection would not immediately confirm any shifts in operations due to the storm.
Brazoria County emergency officials said late Tuesday that unless Ike takes a more northerly and easterly track than expected, the only evacuations that will be needed in the county will be in flood-prone coastal areas.
In Surfside Beach, some homes were boarded up Tuesday, but there were few signs of worry. Most homeowners were waiting until today or Thursday to see whether the Brazoria County beachfront town will be threatened by Ike, Mayor Larry Davison said.
"There were a few people boarding up and getting stuff off the ground," Davison said.
Meanwhile, the National Guard is expected today to move vehicles and troops deep into the Rio Grande Valley and other areas, Chief Master Sgt. Gonda Moncada said.
Guard officials aren't yet ready to predict where or how they will be needed most, she said.
"Those judgment calls have to be made on a day-to-day basis," she said. "This storm may very well hit Northern Mexico instead of Texas. Who knows? It is still a crapshoot at this point."
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