9:39am UK, Sunday September 14, 2008

Hurricane Ike has caused a trail of devastation across Texas, causing several deaths and leaving more than two million people without power.

Ike left a trail of devastation through Texas

The storm flattened hundreds of homes, and flooded barrier islands across 500 miles of coastline, cutting off nearly all oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico.

The inland damage has been estimated at around £4.5bn ($8bn).

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said some deaths had been reported, but gave no more details.

Some 2.2m people fled inland but more than 100,000 residents – including 20,000 in Galveston alone – decided to ride out the storm despite warnings to evacuate.

“Fortunately, the worst-case scenario that was projected in some areas did not occur, particularly in the Houston ship channel,” said Texas Governor Rick Perry.

“But there is plenty of damage out there.”

President Bush declared the area a major disaster as the Category 2 hurricane hit.

Emergency officials said they were “inundated” with calls from residents who now needed to be rescued.

Ike came ashore at the island city of Galveston as a Category 2, with 110mph winds – just 1mph shy of reaching Category 3 strength.

The storm drove a wall of water 20ft high and sent huge waves crashing against a 17ft sea wall built to protect the city.

It was feared the hurricane, roughly the size of Texas itself, would be the worst storm to hit the state in nearly 50 years.

Speaking at the White House, Mr Bush said Ike was a “huge storm” and warned that the danger had not yet passed.

He also said the Government would be monitoring fuel prices to “make sure consumers are not being gouged”.