HOUSTON, TX (BRAIN)—Many Houston and Galveston area retailers were still closed on Monday without electricity due to the devastating Hurricane Ike, which has left more than 17 dead across nine states.
Bike Barn was one of the few retailers open in Houston on Monday, with three of its six stores open for business.
"We've got some water damage, broken windows, but no major flooding," said Neil Bremner, manager of a Houston Bike Barn. "We're open and we're actually selling a few bikes."
Bremner said the city is "totally disrupted" with down trees and power lines.
Houston retailers Cycle Spectrum, Planetary Cycles and Bikesport all seemed closed on Monday with no answer at all three locations. There was also no answer at Island Bicycle Company in Galveston.
An estimated 20,000 people on the Texas coast ignored evacuation orders and tried to ride out the tempest, despite warnings of "certain death" from the national weather service.
President George W. Bush said he would travel to Texas today to see the devastation first hand.
—Jason Norman
