Ports prepare for Hurricane Ike

Ports prepare for Hurricane Ike With Hurricane Ike expected to make landfall along the Texas Coast by early Saturday, the U.S. Coast Guard is cautioning mariners to prepare for the storm.
   The Captain of the Port for Sector Houston-Galveston said Wednesday that gale force winds were anticipated within 48 hours. It said vessel owners and operators should enact their plans to moor or anchor their vessels, or put to sea, in preparation of the severe weather associated with Hurricane Ike.
   The Coast Guard Captain of the Port in Morgan City, La., said Thursday morning that ships and boats in waters west of Houma, La., should prepare for the storm which was expected within 48 hours.
   The Houston Chronicle said the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry system would halt operations Thursday evening due to the threat of Hurricane Ike. The ferries link Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Island.
   The Corpus-Christi Caller-Times also said the port, local refineries and Coast Guard were preparing for the storm.
   The Coast Guard said it has established an information site for the storm at www.uscgstormwatch.com/.
   The National Weather Service is forecasting Hurricane Ike will intensify to a Category 3 hurricane and possibly a Category 4.
   The Coast Guard said it was conducting pre-hurricane sorties with Falcon Jet crews from Air Station Corpus Christi.
   It warned rescue and assistance by the Coast Guard and other agencies may be severely degraded or unavailable immediately before, during and after a devastating storm.