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
|
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)
Was his voice trembling this time?
Do you think they will go home after Ike slams Houston? *wishful thinking*.
Looks like some are updated more often than others, but the important ones seem to update every hour or 1/2 hour. Looks like buoy 42001 is right in the eye about now. I’m gonna look and see if it is still there.
Well texasgirlinPA.....if you can use the history of previous landfalling hurricanes along the Texas coast, then I would 'suggest" that this one will come in east of Galveston. According to that track at the top of this thread, San Luis Pass looks like ground zero, for now. It just seems they almost always take that right hand turn in the last few hours. Alicia in "83 was "tracked" right into Port O'Conner, made a right turn in the last few hours, and came in at San Luis Pass. Rita, suppose to come in around High Island, came in east of Sabine. And further east Ivan, "tracked" by the NHC west of Mobile, came in east of MobileBay. Katrina actually came in east of NOLA, when it was forecast to be west of the city. And you mentioned Fey. The weather burau never seems to mention the possible "last minute right hand turn,, but somehow, it seems to me, most storms of the GOM almost always do. I evacuated from Galveston for Alicia when at that late hour they(NHC) changed their tune, putting Port O'Conner west of landfall. At 6Pm Galveston was suppose to get about an 8 or 9 foot surge. After they changed their forecast, they were predicting 13 feet and possibly topping the seawall. I was residing on Stewart Road, about 300 feet behind that seawall. My family and I drove across the causeway at midnight and it was already blowing 60 or so. I think I was the only one on the causeway, but then you could only see about 100 feet. My family and I made it to a motel in Lemarque. When they opened up the causeway at three that afternoon, we were the third car back on the island, and the first two were DPS units. Nowadays, you evacuate from that island, you'll be lucky to get back on in a week, damage or no damage. Just my "gut feelin", but if Ike goes east of the island, and my prayers would certainly be with my Bolivar friends, and if you are in Fort Bend, that should be on the back side, and hopefully, you made a safe decision. Good luck.
Probably, but they won’t leave them alone.
I’m in Houston. I’m struck by the few people I’m seeing boarding up. I hear the Home Depot is a zoo, and there were lines at Stop & Go for the gas... I figgure its either a line or no gas by now. But I’m not seeing that much urgency.
BUt the refineries are all to the east.
We wait ... and pray for
that and Ike.
God be with these folks in
the path.
This is one eye (of Texas) that I hope will not be upon us.
~~~
Gunna find out the hard way,,,
(WU),,,2 AM SAT forecast point looks to be rite on top of
Galveston,,,CAT-3...
LOL I never saw that show, but I can imagine. Sheesh, Golf of Mexico....
susie
On a serious note plywood "ain't" cheap and some may be waiting until tomorrow for payday.
Surge is going to be by far the biggest impact with Ike. It would be better for the eye to track over the refineries to the east of the Galveston Bay, with the main body of surge NOT going into the bay, than for Ike to strike west of Galveston Bay and push all that surge up into the entire region surrounding the bay, which is shaped like a funnel.
I know...sigh
Just talked to someone whose brother in law is waiting around to see if he needs to board up. I wonder if he’s ever tried to do it when the wind picks up?
susie
DrewsMum was being my rock until all this doom and gloom. If I can get out of town I am gone.
He must be single :’)
Lots of people boarded-up for Rita, then nothing happened. Maybe more people boarded up then because they were leaving town. Looks like not nearly as many people leaving town for Ike. My son just went to Walmart & Target to get some milk, water, bread, etc. and says the shelves are empty.
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