Ike’s US Death Toll Tops 50

TEXAS CITY, Texas (AP) – Hurricane Ike’s death toll in the U.S. climbed past 50 today and appeared to level off in Texas.

Search teams pulled out of Galveston — after having searched the entire island for survivors. Ike made landfall early Saturday on Galveston.

A long convoy of rescue vehicles headed back to Houston past a miles-long line of cars trying to get back into coastal communities despite orders to stay out.

Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff returned to Texas today for a second time to check on recovery efforts in the Houston and Galveston areas.

Here’s more:

— In Houston, most people in the nation’s fourth-largest city remained without power.

— Galveston County Medical Examiner Stephen Pustilnik said officials had confirmed the first death in Brazoria County.

— Pustilnik also gave details on five deaths in Galveston County: Three had serious medical conditions prior to the storm but did not evacuate, one drowned in a truck and one was found in a hotel room.

— FEMA officials in Houston said they were refining glitches in the relief effort and delivering millions of meals and water every 24 hours.

— A spokesman says FEMA will begin paying for 30 days of hotel expenses for homeowners whose houses are uninhabitable. FEMA plans to reimburse the hotels directly.

On the Net:

FEMA evacuee hotel info: http://www.femaevachotels.com

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)