Ike's Aftermath

Awakening to the start of a new week usually is viewed as a start of new beginnings. Most cases, it's the first day of the working week. A nice way of saying torture - can't wait for Friday. But for some...those that reside in the state of Texas, extra work will be required. Hurricane Ike - a reported Category 2 storm - ravaged the Gulf Coast this past weekend and brought damage to the states of Texas, Arkansas and parts of Louisiana.

According to reports from the Associated Press, over 2 million are left without power in the state of Texas and over 2,000 residents whom decided to wither the storm were rescued from disaster areas. The death toll from Ike rose to 28 confirmed, but many of those were far to the north of the Gulf Coast as the storm slogged across the nation's midsection.

Good news for those hunting for good gas prices. Oil prices shot down immediately as trade opened up on Monday due to minimal destruction and damage to U.S. oil installations. This weekend, gas prices were spiked to $5 a gallon with fears of heavy damage to come from the bunt of Hurricane Ike's fury. Still, some gas stations - especially with Houston residents rushing back into the city - are without fuel and are having serious problems meeting the demand.

Our prayers go out to the citizens of Houston, Galveston and surrounding communities and areas heavily affected by Ike. One of our well respected blogger buddies and industry resources - Keisha - webmaster of The Gospel Music Fill Up - is based and resides in Houston, Texas. We pray that she along with the many great citizens of the area are doing well and will recover from the Ike's aftermath.

[IKE'S BITE]
Nearly 2,000 brought to safety in Texas after Ike [Associated Press]
Oil falls below $99 on low Ike damage [Associated Press]
The Gospel Music Fill Up (Official Site)