Hurricane Ike aftermath

Gilchrist, Texas: A single house is left standing on the waterfront Photograph: POOL/EPA

Port Arthur, Texas: A search and rescue team heads into the flooded Sabine Pass to help victims Photograph: Eric Gay/AP

Galveston, Texas: People wait to be evacuated in buses at Ball high school Photograph: Carlos Barria /Reuters

Galveston, Texas: People wait to be evacuated in buses at Ball high school Photograph: Carlos Barria /Reuters

Galveston, Texas: Casey Crocker walks up the stairs of the Blue Hole restaurant and bar, where he and a fellow worker rode out the storm Photograph: Larry W. Smith/EPA

Seabrook, Texas: A helicopter flies over damaged yachts Photograph: Dave Einsel/Getty

Iberia Parish, Louisiana: Storm surge from hurricane Ike inundates the port Photograph: Richard Alan Hannon/POOL/AP

Galveston Island, Texas: Debris surrounds damaged aircraft and hangars at Scholes Field Photograph: Smiley N. Pool/POOL/AFP

High Island, Texas: Oil and water surround a pump jack Photograph: Smiley N. Pool/POOL/AFP

Galveston, Texas: Members of the Texas national guard distribute ice and water Photograph: Mark Wilson/Getty

Sabine Pass, Texas: An alligator crosses a road Photograph: Eric Gay/AP

Houston, Texas: Vehicles drive through floodwaters Photograph: Frank Franklin II/AP

Galveston, Texas: Debris is piled up between houses in a flooded residential area Photograph: Bob Pearson/EPA

Bridge City, Texas: The first floor of a house is covered in marsh grass Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP

Seabrook, Texas: Jerusha Edgar, 17, reacts to seeing her destroyed apartment. She and her mother lost all their belongings Photograph: Jay Janner/AP

Houston, Texas: Five people sit stranded on a car in a flooded street Photograph: Bill Olive/AP

Chicago, Illinois: Thomas Babu, his uncle Daniel Pappachen, of Skokie, and Thomas's brother Daniel Babu, holding his son Aaron, one, wade though floodwaters as they evacuate their apartment Photograph: Chuck Berman/AP

Washington: George Bush with a map of Gulf Coast oil pipelines as he speaks to the press after receiving an update on hurricane Ike from officials Photograph: Tim Sloan/AFP