Bush returns to Gulf Coast, this time for Ike

HOUSTON: President George W Bush says that people displaced by Hurricane Ike should listen to local officials before returning home.

He also is asking Americans to donate to the recovery effort, warning against ``disaster fatigue.'' Bush spoke to reporters Tuesday from Houston, his first stop on a daylong trip through Texas' most storm-battered areas.

He landed at Ellington Field to sunny skies, and was briefed on Ike and its aftermath inside a US Coast Guard hangar before taking a helicopter tour of the damage. Bush next visits Galveston, where Ike made landfall on Saturday as Category 2 storm.

FEMA director David Paulison says the rescue phase is winding down. Officials are now focusing on providing blankets, tarps, water and ice to victims.