Hurricane Ike to Make Landfall in Texas Late Friday, Early Saturday

Hurricane Ike has become a large Category II hurricane over the central Gulf and is expected to remain a very dangerous storm as it tracks toward the Texas coast over the next 36-48 hours, according to weather research firm Planalytics.

Ike is currently forecast to make landfall south of Galveston Bay late Friday into Saturday morning and will bring hurricane force winds to the Galveston and Houston areas, according to Planalytics analysts.

Also expected with Ike will be a significant storm surge that may damage the Galveston Bay area.

Torrential rainfall can be expected from eastern Texas to the Ohio Valley as Ike moves inland and weakens during the upcoming weekend, analysts said. This heavy rain may bring large areas of flooding.

Ike's A Twister Turner