September 9, 2008--On September 4 Hurricane Ike was a Category 4 storm—imposing even from the safety of the International Space Station some 220 miles (350 kilometers) above.

By the time Ike made landfall in western Cuba on September 9, the hurricane was a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds howling at nearly 80 miles (130 kilometers) per hour.

Ike is expected to regain some of its former strength after entering the Gulf of Mexico.