Last week, Hurricane Ike hit the Texas coast near the port city of Galveston.  This immense category 3 hurricane caused widespread damage to Galveston and nearby coastal communities with lesser damage to the city of Houston just 35 miles inland.  Most other Texas cities were spared from serious damage.

For tourists traveling to Texas, it should not cause great inconvenience.  The airport at Houston is open and the city is slowly cleaning up the debris,  A few streets and roads will remain closed for a few days until the waters slowly recede.  On the other hand, Galveston will be completely closed to visitors for some weeks while aid workers attempt to deal with the widespread destruction. The Houston NASA Space Center, which is situated near Galvaston, is temporarily closed to visitors.

Other Texas cities, such as Dallas, San Antonio and Austin have been little affected by Hurricane Ike.