Ike gains strength over Gulf, heads for Texas
China Daily | Updated: 2008-09-11 07:50
Hurricane Ike barreled across the warm, energizing waters of the Gulf of Mexico yesterday on its way toward the Texas coast after crashing through Cuba's tobacco country and toppling aging Havana buildings.
Forecasters said the Category 1 storm was already strengthening over open waters after leaving Cuba and could grow into a massive Category 3 storm before slamming into Texas or northern Mexico.
Ike has already killed at least 80 people in the Caribbean, and Texas put 7,500 National Guard members on standby and urged coastal residents to stock up on supplies.
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