Deadly Ike heads for Galveston

Update 1:22PM: Very dangerous Ike continues towards the Texas coast at 13mph with 105mph winds. Strong winds well in advance of the system have already cut power along the coastline (Bolivar Peninsula). Heavy swells have pushed over 8 feet of water up into Galveston Bay with a 20-22 foot storm surge predicted. In the last hour winds have already gusted above tropical storm force in Galveston. Here is the link to the local statement...GALVESTON NWS.

Kemptville this morning, it has since gone up to 139.9...Photo Nathan Jahn

Update 9:54: Ike is 230 miles from Galveston, 105mph winds moving NW13 mph. The idiots at the major gas companies have now pushed the price to 139.9 a litre as they continue to rob us.

Update 8:18: The gas and oil companies being the devious crooks they are have used Hurricane Ike as an excuse to raise gas prices on a Friday. They rose 15 cents a litre in Kemptville overnight to $1.29.9 (that is over $5.00 a gallon).

Ike at 4am CST

Ike is a very dangerous storm moving at 13mph towards the upper Texas coast.

There is great concern this morning in Galveston, and along the entire upper Texas coast and southwestern Louisiana. Yesterday computer models indicated a northerly turn much sooner then originally expected. This spells very serious news for Galveston Bay and Houston. A Hurricane Warning is now in effect from Morgan City, Louisiana to Baffin Bay, Texas with tropical storm warnings as far east as the Mississippi border. Forecasters are expecting a large storm surge from Ike with waves reaching over 20 feet along Galveston Bay and eastward towards Cameron, LA. Massive evacuations have been ordered along the upper Texas coast with more than 1 million residents fleeing inland. Even in Houston most people are being told to leave any low lying areas and to evacuate to upper floors in high rise structures.

Ike is a massive storm with tropical storm force winds extending outward over 250 miles from the center. Ike is a category 2 at this time but expected to increase to a three prior to landfall. The storm is now 265 miles from Galveston and deteriorating weather conditions will occur from this point. All preparations are being rushed to completion at this time. Winds and waves will increase from the south today with landfall near Galveston expected by midnight tonight.

Afterwards Ike is expected to rapidly move northeast towards the lower Great Lakes, and weaken to a depression. Heavy rain and gusty winds will extend well inland, but the life threatening storm surge will be confined to coastal counties. You need to get off the upper Texas and southwest Louisiana coast now.