| The best case scenario for the Gulf Coast | | | | strength over the next four days and build to |
| residents would ahve been for hurricane Ike | | | | a Category 3 again. |
| to straddle the mountains of Cuba and weaken | | | | |
| big time. But NO! Ike missed the entire | | | | Hurricane Ike roared down Cuba's spine Monday |
| Eastern mountainous region, crosses over Cuba | | | | and toward the island's densely populated |
| and goes back out to sea, before attacking | | | | capital of fragile historic buildings after |
| Cuba again and paying a visit to Havana. In | | | | ravaging homes and forcing more than 1 |
| other words, hurricane Ike will come out of | | | | million people to evacuate. U.S. residents |
| Cuba stronger than we originally | | | | from Florida to Texas braced for Ike's next |
| planned.  | | | | wallop. |
| | | | |
| Hurricane Ike made landfall around 9:45 p.m. | | | | As one Cuban resident said, "This critter was |
| EDT Sunday evening, near Punto De Sama in the | | | | angry, really angry," Delia Oliveras, 64, |
| Cuban province of Hoguin with winds estimated | | | | said in the central city of Camaguey. Winds |
| near 125 miles per hour. As of 5 p.m. | | | | tore the roof from the living room where her |
| EDT Monday, Ike was located about 340 miles | | | | family was huddled, and they fled to a |
| SE of Havana, Cuba, and moving westward at 14 | | | | covered patio. "We have seen hurricanes, but |
| mph. Time over land had weakened the storm | | | | never as big as this." And the people have |
| and Ike is now a Category I hurricane with | | | | not yet recovered from Gustav. Gustav tore |
| winds near 80 mph. Organization of Ike has | | | | across western Cuba as a monstrous Category 4 |
| appeared to increase over the past couple of | | | | hurricane on Aug. 30, damaging 100,000 homes |
| hours since it has moved over the water. | | | | and causing billions of dollars in damage. |
| | | | But no deaths were reported, thanks to |
| So, where's this dude going?  :-( | | | | mandatory evacuations of at least 250,000 |
| | | | people. |
| The best guess now as we're still five days | | | | |
| out (Saturday seems to be the best landfall | | | | So, now Texans wait and pray that Ike goes |
| estimate) is somewhere between Corpus Christi | | | | some place else or fizzles out. Both |
| and Beaumont. Can you say HOUSTON? Houston, | | | | scenarios are highly unlikely as of Monday |
| we have a problem: maybe! And with the warm | | | | evening. |
| waters of the Gulf, Ike is expected to regain | | | | |