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Hurricane Ike Batters Southeast Texas: Galveston Soaked, Houston Tempest-Tossed

It's been an active hurricane season so far in 2008, with storms like Cristobol, Dolly, Edouard, and Gustav causing untold damage in the Caribbean and the eastern and gulf coasts of North America. Ike, the latest menace, came ashore in Galveston, Texas overnight, dumping several inches of rain and causing surging tides throughout the mostly-abandoned community. Though slightly further inland, Houston suffered as well, with scores of windows blown out of downtown skyscrapers and debris littering the streets.

Since making landfall, Ike has been downgraded to a Category 1 storm, and the early word from officials in southeastern Texas is that as bad as it was, it could have been worse. The people of Haiti, for example, have suffered greatly this season, with one storm after another destroying homes and lives, washing out roads, and requiring massive shipments of aid to alleviate some of the misery.

With its greater resources, I'm sure coastal Texas will bounce back soon, drawing visitors to the sandy beaches and laid-back bars that dot the coastline between Galveston and South Padre. It's just Florida with cowboy hats, after all. But the list of hurricanes still has twelve names on it, and it might not be long before Kyle, Marco, Omar, or Paloma show up looking for a party.

[Photo: NOAA]

Related Stories:
· Officials: No Loss of Life Due to Hurricane Ike [Galveston County Daily News]
· Hurricane Coverage [Jaunted]