Posted on 09/10/2008 2:18:37 PM PDT by NautiNurse
Texas began issuing mandatory and voluntary evacuations as Hurricane Ike continued to strengthen and slowly moved toward an uncertain landfall destination in the western Gulf of Mexico. Texas Governor Rick Perry issued a disaster declaration in advance of the storm. Louisiana Governor Jindal released several hundred buses to Texas for evacuation assistance.
Reports from Cuba indicate widespread damage from Hurricane Ike, which raked the length of the island nation. The U.S. State Department again offered Cuba humanitarian assistance after a previous offer was declined by the Cuban government.
The stock market Wednesday rose as investors bought oil stocks and and oill futures fell.
Public Advisory Updated every 3 hours
Discussion Updated every 6 hours
Buoy data: Western Gulf of Mexico
Houston/Galveston Long Range Radar
Corpus Christi Long Range Radar
Brownsville Long Range Radar Lake Charles Long Range Radar
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Additional Resources:
Navy Tropical Cyclone
Storm Pulse Very cool site
ABC 13 News Houston
FOX News Houston
KRIS-TV Corpus Christi
KZTV Corpus Christi
Brazoria County Emergency Management
Galveston County Emergency Management
Chambers Country Emergency Management
Liberty County Emergency Management
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 |
Previous Threads:
Hurricane Ike Live Thread I
TS Hanna, Hurricane Ike & TS Josephine [Other than that, the tropics are calm]
Tropical Storms Hanna, Ike and Josephine, TD Gustav (Other than that, the tropics are calm)
I grew up in Kingwood (Forest Cove, actually) and went through Alecia there. There were a LOT of those pine trees snapped like twigs. One tree in our neighbor’s yard snapped off at ground level and ended up in out backyard. Somehow it managed to clear a 6 foot fence without touching it.
We had to pack things up a work so I didn't get home until after 8:00 pm last night. You couldn't get to a gas station or a grocery store last night. There were lines at the gas stations and the HEB was busy too at 6:00 am. I didn't need too much - mainly snacks for me and treats for the doggies (I don't want them to eat me in my sleep for running out of their goodies!).
I've put all the potted plants and things that might blow away in the garage with the cars, so I should be good to go at this point. I will fill up the bathtubs with water and all that's left to do is wait for Ike to come calling!
That’s a whole lotta graphics. Any idea how often they are updated?
They should have been more aware, our local news 3 days ago said if this storm slows it will head further east. I hope they start NOW to get it together.
It looks like our state government has been very quiet about this storm but in reality they have been busily preparing for awhile. On the coast...they have nursing homes and people with special needs on standby with a place to go if needed. Buses, ambulances etc are waiting. I’m well out of the cone now but we have national guards here camping out “just in case”.
...and cell phone towers go down in powerful storms.
Excellent reminder, and the old corded phones are inexpensive.
Hey!! How are things at your house?
Without reading 430 posts, is there anyone from Katy on here?
Reed Arena here at TAMU has been transformed into a field hospital, and will be receiving coastal patients (room for 500+) over the next couple of days.
All roads out of our neighborhood were flooded the day before the great flood, but all cleared up as the rest of Houston was underwater.
College Station?
NN,
Based on what I see in this storm... it IS getting pretty close to panic time for SOUTH Houston. I hope people are not being complacent because the winds are only 100 mph. I believe the winds are just low at the moment because 1) It’s passing over some cooler water, and 2) the eye wall is restructuring itself.
In the next 24 hours, the eye will be going over much warmer water... If these dual wind bands combine into a single eye, everything else is in place for this storm to blow up to a Cat 4 in a BIG hurry. The central pressure is already low enough...and, this is the biggest factor in storm surge anyway.
Current forecast models predict a landfall near Freeport in the early morning hours of Saturday.... right at high tide.
If that scenario holds up, it is going to be devastating for Houston. Several years ago, I did some computer modeling work with the NWS to look at potential storm surge affects in Galveston Bay and Clear Lake. The entire results were never released publicly.... they were THAT BAD!.
Basically, everything east of I-45, from about Nasa Rd 1 south... gets covered with water. Some places, like the beautiful South Shore Harbor areas, are 10-15’ under.
I went to Port Arthur,Tx and Sulphur, La days after Rita hit. The level of destruction was frightening. If that level of wind/surge hit near Freeport... oh my.
So please.... anyone living in League City... Dickinson.. Texas City... Santa Fe... Galveston... Clute.. Lake Jackson... DO NOT STICK AROUND!
If you’re less than 20’ elevation...and within 15 miles of the coast... then you are NOT safe. If you’re in a higher elevation area then, it’s your decision based on how strong you think your dwelling is.
My prayers for all of you... I HOPE and PRAY that I”m wrong.. and, Ike stays weak, or moves somewhere else.
If the current path holds..this will be a total disaster!!!
According to another forum people aren’t taking the storm seriously in the houston area...and local officials and local media are not playing it up....
In fact the mayor of Galveston: “We do not intend to evacuate Galveston Island,” Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas defended this decision, saying current models call for Galveston to be hit with winds and rain only equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane
SHE is 100% wrong!!! and Ike’s storm sruge will swamp the island
We’ll be fine, barring tornadoes. Think it’s actually going to be like my sacastic “damp and breezy” comment from earlier in the week. For us anyway, not so for the northern coast.
Thought they were starting a bit early, but there is a protocol they have to follow.
JMO but I think Houston will do what they need to do and will be ok.
With that path the eyewall is going over my house, fun isn’t what is coming immediately to mind. If the storm explodes before it hits the beach, fun might be a disaster that’ll make all these other ones look mild. Houston’s got a lot to break, more than anything that’s seem a Hurricane in modern time. They better move that damm storm path is all I’m saying.
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