( CNN ) -- The Texas attorney general sued a hotel and a motel Thursday , accusing them of price gouging during September 's exodus of more than 1 million Gulf Coast residents ahead of Hurricane Ike . Attorney General Greg Abbott filed suit against the Hotel Nacogdoches in Nacogdoches and the Super 8 Brookshire Motel near Katy , accusing them of illegally raising room rates after Gov . Rick Perry had issued a declaration of disaster on September 8 . `` Although Texas law clearly prohibits profiteering during declared disasters , these defendants are charged with increasing room rates for evacuees during Hurricane Ike , '' Abbott said in a news release . `` The law imposes strict penalties on vendors that attempt to increase their profits after the governor issues a disaster declaration . `` Despite today 's price-gouging charges , the vast majority of Texas businesses complied with the law and are to be commended for working with authorities to provide crucial assistance to hurricane victims . '' In Texas , the state attorney general can sue , but not file criminal charges . A district attorney would need to file any such charges . An estimated 1.2 million Gulf Coast residents heeded officials ' recommendations that they move inland until the storm had passed . Hotel Nacogdoches , located north of Houston along a major evacuation route , charged evacuees more than double its usual rate , the statement said , citing complaints from guests whose receipts showed the hotel charged $ 99.99 for a room that had cost $ 49.99 two days before Ike . It told a similar tale about Super 8 Brookshire Motel , west of Katy , which also housed evacuees . The motel charged up to $ 125 for a room that ordinarily cost $ 99 , the statement said . The businesses also charged state and local hotel and motel taxes , even though the governor had issued a declaration waiving them , according to the statement . The office of the attorney general is seeking civil penalties of up to $ 20,000 per violation and up to $ 250,000 per violation for victims over the age of 65 . Managers from neither hotel immediately returned calls seeking comment .
Also , motel accused of illegally raising prices as evacuees fled from Ike . Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott files lawsuit against the two businesses . In general : Hotel charged $ 99.99 for rooms that had cost $ 49.99 days earlier . About 1.2 million Gulf Coast residents moved inland to avoid worst of Ike .