The mayor of a coastal town in Texas is seeking more than $2 billion in emergency federal aid to fun repair work across the city that was ravaged by Hurricane Ike. Most of Galveston's 57,000 residents were displaced when Ike made landfall in their small island city and now Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas is meeting with Senate officials to request $2.3 billion in emergency appropriations. Thomas is requesting nearly $1.2 billion for Galveston – about $600 million for the city's hospital; and about $500 million for the port. Many of Galveston's residents are expected to try and return on Wednesday, the first day officials will allow people back. But the city is still lacking many basic services, and many residents are likely to return to find their homes were destroyed. About one-third of customers in the Houston area are still without electricity Monday after Ike took down power cables across parts of the state. Entergy Texas, which serves much of Southeast Texas, said it expected to have electric service restored to its hardest-hit areas by Sunday — a week sooner than previously forecast. American Red Cross officials said only about 7,600 evacuees remain in shelters around the state. More than 40,000 fled to shelters in the days after Hurricane Ike came ashore. Texas Governor Rick Perry on Monday encouraged Texans to donate to the Texas Disaster Relief Fund to help communities affected by Ike.
