September 12, 2008--Sylvia Renteria watches a big wave caused by Hurricane Ike crash into a seawall in Galveston, Texas.

The storm is expected to bring up to 25-foot (7.6-meter) storm surges and 9-foot-deep (2.7-meter-deep) floods when it slams into the Texas coast Friday night or early Saturday morning.

Hurricane Ike's predicted storm surge--a mound of water created by a hurricane's winds--has prompted National Weather Service officials to issue a rare and chilling "certain death" warning for any residents who do not flee the coast.

Meteorologists said an exceptionally massive surge could be caused in part by Ike's likely path over shallow Gulf waters.

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