Wilson Shaffer, chief of the National Weather Service's evaluation division, tells The Associated Press that the highest surge so far was seen at Sabine Pass in Texas, at about 13.5 feet. Still, Ike continues to roar inland and could bring higher surges as it passes through.
The surge at Galveston, where Ike made landfall, was about 11 feet, he said.
Forecasters had predicted a surge of up to 25 feet. That would've been the highest in recorded history in Texas -- above 1961's Hurricane Carla, which brought a 22-foot wall of water.
Shaffer says it will take a few days before tidal gauges provide more definitive measurements.
