Woman facing “certain death” in Galveston

The last hurricane to reach the US mainland was Ike, which struck Galveston over two years ago – as a category 2 on September 13, 2008.

Weather service warns of ‘certain death‘ in face of Ike

September 11, 2008

Residents living in single-family homes in some parts of coastal Texas face “certain death” if they do not heed orders to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Ike’s arrival, the National Weather Service said Thursday night.

If the government says it, it must be true.

Why Hurricane Ike’s “Certain Death” Warning Failed

Gene Hafele, director of the Houston-Galveston National Weather Service office, said about 500,000 people in and around Galveston were in a mandatory evacuation zone, and only about 300,000 left.

Some probably refused to leave because they’d been caught in the chaotic evacuation for Hurricane Rita in 2005, he said.

During that event, roads out of Houston became gridlocked. Officials later estimated that about 90 people died during the 2005 evacuation because of heatstroke, dehydration, and other causes.

Read also said that some of those who refused to leave during Hurricane Ike stayed because they have an intense anti-government attitude. “They think, No one tells me what to do,” Read said.