Ike news and notes: Photos, etc.

Hurricane Ike is expected to make landfall near the upper Texas coast by late today or early Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

The impact in Biloxi:

Street flooding: The storm surge currently covering waterfront streets and low-lying areas of the city is expected to recede slightly this afternoon. To see photos from this morning, click here.

School buses: School buses transporting students in Biloxi Public Schools may be running a bit late this afternoon because of detours caused by street flooding in low-lying areas of Biloxi. The Biloxi public schools system operates as many as 42 buses to transport as many as 2,300 students on 126 routes each school day.

State of emergency: As a precautionary measure, the City Council approved Mayor A.J. Holloway’s request to declare that a state of emergency exists as the city endures Ike’s storm surge and tropical force wind gusts. The city, incidentally, is now operating under three states of emergency: Katrina, Gustav and Ike.

To see the National Weather Service’s latest coordinates on Hurricane Ike,
click here.