The scenarios that forecasters are worried about as Hurricane Ike churns through the Gulf Coast of Texas include 25-foot waves, winds of more than 100 mph and devastating flooding in Houston, the country's fourth-largest city. The storm is expected to make landfall — as a Category 3 hurricane — late Friday or early Saturday south of Galveston, Texas.

NPR's Ari Shapiro tells Renee Montagne that he's surprised by the number of people remaining in Galveston, where officials issued a mandatory evacuation order and warned of "certain death" for those who don't leave.

Shapiro says parts of the city already are under water, yet there are people standing around taking pictures.

Some people told him they still plan to leave — but as the flooding worsens throughout the day, it will be harder to evacuate — while others told heartbreaking stories about why they're staying.

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