Jordan Montag has a packed house this week after Hurricane Ike’s landfall in southeast Texas.Montag, biochemistry senior, has four extra people staying in his one bedroom apartment on West Parker Boulevard.Montag said his brother and three of his friends evacuated to Baton Rouge on Thursday from Beaumont, Texas when officials issued a mandatory evacuation. The drive to Baton Rouge, which usually takes three hours, took nine hours.In anticipation of the storm, Texas officials ordered mandatory evacuations in Brazoria, Galveston, Jefferson, Orange and Chambers counties, and parts of Harris and Matagorda counties. Voluntary evacuation orders were issued for Victoria, Hardin and Jackson counties, according to Friday’s news release by Texas Gov. Rick Perry. The Category 2 storm made landfall early Saturday morning. As of Monday, officials are blaming Ike for seven deaths, two in Louisiana and five in Texas, according to the Associated Press.”I have kind of mixed feelings,” Montag said. “There is a little relief in not having to be without power or to evacuate, but I’m worried about my family and friends back home.”Montag said it’s good to spend time with his brother, but his apartment is a little crowded. The evacuees are sleeping on a couch and an air mattress, he said.”The whole thing is pretty surreal,” Montag said. “I used to hang out a lot on the beach in Galveston, Texas, and it’s just surreal to see restaurants and Wal-Marts I’ve been to on the news under water.”Ike flooded thousands of homes and businesses in Galveston with an 11-foot storm surge, according to the Associated Press.”I have been to Sea Wall Drive [in Galveston] before, and it’s crazy watching water come over the wall,” said Daren Truax, communication studies junior. “You stand next to that wall and look up, and its hard to believe waves were going over that.”Truax said he has two friends from Beaumont staying in his Southgate Towers apartment for at least another week. The two evacuees are staying on his couch after evacuating Beaumont on Thursday afternoon. Truax said it’s nice to get to see his friends, but it has taken a toll on his school work.”With our evacuation and then this, it’s been kind of hard to get back into the school grind,” Truax said.Truax said he also had a friend from Baton Rouge who stayed with him last weekend. His friend’s power was not restored until Sunday following Hurricane Gustav.”We’re just going day by day.” Montag said.Montag said he doesn’t know when his brother and his friends will be able to return to their homes in Beaumont and Vidor, Texas. He said officials are estimating at least a month before Vidor will regain power and at least two weeks for Beaumont.”Hopefully we realize that a few years ago Texans really helped us out during Katrina,” Montag said. “We should be able to give that back to them.”—-Contact Jack LeBlanc at [email protected]