neighborhoods flooded by storm surges caused by Hurricane Ike, running against time to rescue those trapped faced a second night among houses flattened, rubble strewn and toppled power lines.
In Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, imposed a curfew from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am, as most of the city has no electricity, citing AP.
"For security reasons, we ask people not to circulate through the streets on foot or driving," said police chief Harold Hurtt.
Paramedics, rescue dogs and structural engineers were deployed in Galveston Bay on a full moon night. In the northwestern state, the Coast Guard also worked all night on Saturday, capturing a half-dozen people in Bridge City.
Authorities had hoped to avoid another night of destruction to thousands of Texans -140,000 according to some estimates-not obeyed orders to evacuate before the arrival of Ike.
The authorities have attributed to the storm four deaths so far, two in Texas and two in Louisiana, and rescuers hoped to avoid an increase in the figure.
Heavy rains flooded areas already soaked by Ike and meteorologists warned that there are possibilities that the storms continue through the night.
President George W. Bush travels to Texas tomorrow to give his support to victims of Ike.
Roads blocked by flooding of over one meter tall and downed trees prevented work in the largest rescue effort in the state's history, just one day after the Category 2 hurricane hit Texas with winds of 177 kph.
The tropical depression weakened Ike is on the way to Arkansas, on a path toward the north which is expected to lead heavy rains to a wide area that could reach the border with Canada.
