Posted on 09/07/2008 8:37:37 AM PDT by NautiNurse
Hurricane Ike is the fifth tropical cyclone of the 2008 hurricane season to threaten U.S. Gulf Coast states.
Reports from Turks & Caicos Islands describe 80 per cent of homes damaged or destroyed. On Sunday, Hurricane Ike's position just north of Hispanola was hampering relief efforts for devastation incurred by Hurricane Gustav and Tropical Storm Fay. The death toll in Haiti from Gustav reached 200 people.
Florida Governor Charlie Crist held a press conference Sunday morning shortly after a Hurricane Watch was issued for the Florida Keys.
Public Advisory Updated every 3 hours
Discussion Updated every 6 hours
Buoy data:
Florida & Eastern Gulf of Mexico
Western Gulf of Mexico
West Caribbean
South FL Radar Loop
FL Keys Radar Loop
Cuba Radar Warning: site gets overloaded
FL Long Range Radar Image
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Additional Resources:
Navy Tropical Cyclone
Storm Pulse Very cool site--scroll down for Ike
KeyNews.com Key West News
Miami Herald
NOLA.com
KPLC-tv Lake Charles News
WEAR-tv Pensacola FL
TBO.com Tampa Bay Online
KHOU Houston
WKRG-tv Mobile-Pensacola
| Category | Wind Speed | Barometric Pressure | Storm Surge | Damage Potential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Depression |
< 39 mph < 34 kts |
Minimal | ||
| Tropical Storm |
39 - 73 mph 34 - 63 kts |
Minimal | ||
| Hurricane 1 (Weak) |
74 - 95 mph 64 - 82 kts |
28.94" or more 980.02 mb or more |
4.0' - 5.0' 1.2 m - 1.5 m |
Minimal damage to vegetation |
| Hurricane 2 (Moderate) |
96 - 110 mph 83 - 95 kts |
28.50" - 28.93" 965.12 mb - 979.68 mb |
6.0' - 8.0' 1.8 m - 2.4 m |
Moderate damage to houses |
| Hurricane 3 (Strong) |
111 - 130 mph 96 - 112 kts |
27.91" - 28.49" 945.14 mb - 964.78 mb |
9.0' - 12.0' 2.7 m - 3.7 m |
Extensive damage to small buildings |
| Hurricane 4 (Very strong) |
131 - 155 mph 113 - 135 kts |
27.17" - 27.90" 920.08 mb - 944.80 mb |
13.0' - 18.0' 3.9 m - 5.5 m |
Extreme structural damage |
| Hurricane 5 (Devastating) |
Greater than 155 mph Greater than 135 kts |
Less than 27.17" Less than 920.08 mb |
Greater than 18.0' Greater than 5.5m |
Catastrophic building failures possible |
Recon en route. Apparently, Cuba gave permission for the Hurricane Hunters to inspect and gather data.
Well, I’m about 30 miles north of galveston bay, north of Baytown. If it hits we will get wind, rain and maybe tornadoes but we are NOT evacuating. The worst that could happen is a tree fall on the house, it’s brick, I think we could survive that. But, wife and I already decided, we ain’t leaving. We do live in the woods so to speak so we do have somewhat of a windbreak. Generator is full with 70 gallons of backup, freezer and pantry is full, water containers filled, we are ready for it.
Hurricane Hunters on the way...
Southbound was virtually barren and very few were traveling north
the sky and water were magnificent
the most dangerous place in the Keys is between the city and county mayors and a microphone or TV camera
they can cure a lot of this hyped up anxiety by evacuating the news people when they evacuate the tourists
Perhaps with less potential for face time the two mayors (dumb & dumber)will not be so hair trigger with evacuations
It just makes most people find them less credible when the real ones come
.
Ha! Today might be a good day to find and niggle a few of those storm reporters, although the news focus today is OJ Simpson.
Wow,in other words it can go back to a three, than hit Western Cuba and get somewhat close to Key West I guess...
Okay. Sounds like you’re ready. Good luck.
Okay. Sounds like you’re ready. Good luck.
FL winds are so low it may be only a CAT 1 now if not a TS?
Organization looks pretty good, though.
wow cool stuff, they eye really looked intense just before it hit.
ERC incomplete. Inner eyewall still present, though poorly constructed. Outer eyewall looks better.
Well, I’ll qualify that to “looks pretty good” for having gone 13 hours over land. Last few radar images not so impressive, though.
Tough job to forecast intensity,track is hard enough.
Yes, that’s what I got out of it.
Uh oh lights just blinked during a squall, band coming through right now.
I heard 88 degree water down there,really warm.
Looks like a school of tarpon when they cross the Guflstream and won't eat. They are on a mission.
Eye off the coast, and a hot bath; could be the incomplete ERC is the primary factor affecting intensity, with proximity to land second. Time will tell...
Gotcha makes sense.
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