Texas Evacuates Parts Of Gulf Coast Ahead Of Ike

HOUSTON (AP) - Authorities in the Houston area and along the Southeast Texas Gulf Coast are ordering hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Ike.

Forecasters expect the storm to make landfall this weekend somewhere between Corpus Christi and Houston, creating the potential for heavy punishment for Houston and nearby areas even if it's not hit directly.

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued Thursday morning for low-lying areas in Harris County, where Houston is located.

Evacuation orders were also issued for Jefferson and Orange counties, between Houston and the Louisiana state line.

Parts of Southeast Texas also had mandatory evacuations as Hurricane Gustav approached. The region suffered major damage during Hurricane Rita in September 2005.

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