Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

Hurricane Ike is on its way to Texas and the National Weather Service is warning coastal residents that if they don't leave, they may die.

In an unusually strongly worded warning, NWS told residents that coastal communities

"WILL BE INUNDATED DURING THE PERIOD OF PEAK STORM TIDE."

And cautions:

"PERSONS NOT HEEDING EVACUATION ORDERS IN SINGLE FAMILY ONE OR TWO STORY HOMES MAY FACE CERTAIN DEATH."

Winds are expected to reach up to 115 mph in some areas and tide is supposed to swell up to 6 feet.

To help in the massive evacuation of coastal areas, the Red Cross has sent volunteers to set up shelters and feed people who have fled their homes.

Four Rhode Island volunteers, already departed to help with the Gustav evacuation, have now been dispatched from Alabama to Fort Worth, Texas, according to Red Cross spokeswoman Marisa Albanese.

The volunteers arrived in Texas yesterday. Two are assigned to "mass care," Albanese said. That means doing whatever is necessary at shelters.

The other two are working "emergency response vehicles," bringing food to people who are not in shelters.

Similar vehicles will be on the streets in Rhode Island where shelters will be open and emergency generators will be running tomorrow in Rhode Island, as well.

It's not that Ike is expected to reach us, it isn't -- tomorrow is just a drill.

The full-scale hurricane exercise will focus on communication between communities, outside agencies, and the state and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Cities and towns are asked to open emergency shelters, crank up the generators and test emergency radios and phones.

Hurricane season doesn't end until Nov. 30.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson

 Tags  Red Cross

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