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