Ike makes landfall in Galveston, Texas

Widespread flooding, power outages reported

Last Updated: Saturday, September 13, 2008 | 9:18 AM ET CBC News

Hurricane Ike slammed ashore in southeast Texas early Saturday with winds of 175 km/h and heavy rain that caused widespread flooding along the Gulf of Mexico.

Stretching 965 kilometres in width, the storm made landfall at the island city of Galveston at 2:10 a.m. local time, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Thousands of homes were flooded and roads were washed out, according to emergency officials. Nearly three million people have lost power to their homes.

Forecasters predicted the Category 2 hurricane's storm surge waves could reach up to seven metres high on the coast.

In Galveston, tens of thousands of residents decided to not evacuate the area, city manager Steven LeBlanc said. Nearly 100 per cent of the population left ahead of Hurricane Rita three years ago.

Fire crews rescued about 300 people who tried to flee the island at the last minute. They were found walking through flooded streets late Friday.

The hurricane drove a wall of water over Galveston and submerged a five-metre seawall built more than 100 years ago to protect the city.

About 80 kilometres inland, Ike also battered downtown Houston, shattering windows of several skyscrapers that house some of the world's largest energy companies.

Around 8 a.m. local time Saturday, Ike weakened to a Category 1 storm as it moved inland, 30 kilometres south-southeast of Huntsville, Texas. Its maximum winds slowed to 144 km/h.

The storm has idled more than a fifth of U.S. oil production. Some 4,000 offshore oil rigs dot the Gulf Coast.

U.S. President George W. Bush said his government intends to monitor gasoline prices to make sure there is no price gouging.

Bush said his administration has also suspended Environmental Protection Agency waivers on some reformulated gasoline to make it easier for foreign imports to reach the U.S. market.

"The storm has yet to pass and I know there are people concerned about their lives," Bush said in remarks from the south lawn of the White House after he participated in video conference with Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and David Paulison, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

With files from the Associated Press