All Saudi nationals in the US state of Texas are safe, the Foreign Ministry announced here on Monday. Prince Khalid Bin Saud Bin Khalid, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said initial information received by the Ministry from Houston confirmed the safety of Saudi nationals there after Hurricane Ike swept through the state. The Saudi Consulate in Houston was able to evacuate Saudi students and patients from coastal and nearby hurricane areas to safe hotels and houses further inland, he was quoted by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) as saying. A huge relief effort is underway in storm-struck Texas as Houston struggles to get back to business. About 2,000 people have been rescued from flooded areas in the largest such effort in the state's history as searchers scoured hard-hit places like the devastated island city of Galveston, which was shredded when the hurricane made landfall on Saturday morning before heading inland to Houston. Twelve of the 15 Texas oil refineries that had been shut as a precaution showed no visible signs of flooding or damage – a sign fuel production could resume more quickly than initially thought. But power outages could still hinder their start-up. Over 4 million people, several refineries and many businesses and gas stations remained without power, but floods were receding as crucial aid such as ice, water and food was being delivered to distribution points. The death toll from Ike rose to 30 in eight states, many of them far to the north of Texas' Gulf Coast as the storm slogged across the US midsection, leaving a trail of flooding and destruction. Glass-strewn Houston was placed under a weeklong curfew, and millions of people in the storm's path remained in the dark. Rescuers said they had saved nearly 2,000 people from waterlogged streets and splintered houses by Sunday afternoon. Many had ignored evacuation orders and tried to ride out the storm. Now they were boarding buses for indefinite stays at shelters further inland in San Antonio and Austin. “I have nowhere to go,” said Ldyyan Jonjocque, 61, waiting for a bus. In hard-hit towns like Orange, Bridge City and Galveston in southern Texas, authorities continued their door-to-door search, hoping to reach an untold number of people still in their homes, many without power or supplies.
