Hurricane Ike is in the Gulf of Mexico and is quickly approaching the Coastal Bend. This is a very dangerous storm and has the potential to have a devastating affect on Refugio County.

As such, I am ordering a voluntary evacuation for the town of Refugio and the town of Woodsboro effective 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10.

I am also ordering a mandatory evacuation for the communities of Austwell, Tivoli and Bayside effective 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10. I know that many residents feel like they have survived strong storms before but I strongly encourage Refugio County residents to evacuate.

If you choose to stay, understand that Refugio County could be without power for up to two weeks! That means no running water, no sewer, no air conditioning and no ability to keep food cold enough to eat.

Also, immediately after the storm there could be live power lines and broken gas lines that can make your home potentially lethal.

Refugio County is prepared for a storm but we want to minimize the number of casualties by asking residents to protect themselves and their families by seeking shelter as far away from Refugio County as possible. Pay attention to the local news stations for evacuation and weather updates.