Posted on 09/12/2008 5:12:09 AM PDT by NautiNurse
Large and dangerous Hurricane Ike approaching the Upper Texas coast. Mandatory evacuations began in earnest Thursday as an estimated one million coastal residents headed inland. There were widespread reports of gas stations running out of fuel.
The National Weather Service posted dire storm surge predictions of 20-25 ft storm surge along the coast and bay heads. Hurricane warnings covered a 400 mile swath of the Gulf of Mexico.
Wholesale gasoline prices spiked 30 percent Thursday, or nearly $1 a gallon, out of fear of what Ike might do.
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
KHOU Houston
ABC 13 News Houston
FOX News Houston
KPLC Lake Charles
KFDM 6 Beaumont/Port Arthur
KKBMT 12 Beaumont
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 II
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)
FWIW, in our little corner of Houston, it’s a light breeze and roughly 88. No rain, sort of overcast.
If you want on the Houston and Surrounding Areas Hurricane Ike (Peace Be Not Upon Him) Ping List, let me know!
Never heard of a “tornado alert.” A tornado warning means a tornado or possible tornado has been indicated on radar or seen by a spotter. A tornado watch just means to keep an eye on the weather as conditions might be ripe for tornado development.
In my area, there’s a tornado watch OR a tornado warning.
A watch means conditions are favorable for development of tornadoes.
A warning means a tornado has been spotted either on radar or visually.
Go to http://www.spc.noaa.gov and see what it says.
Waves 20-30 feet high out in the ocean, according to Fox local. Wow!
(No, the Houston hurricane ping list.)
Thanks.
In nola right now - never seen winds like this in ny.
You’re right. I hate to be crass but there’s gonna be a time in the next few hours where no rescuer should risk their life for someone who wasn’t smart enough to heed the warning to evacuate in the first place.
Barely hanging on..........
Looks like the surge is working...
Oh, I just found this:
The National Hurricane Center is forecasting a 20-foot surge a rapid rising of water inundating areas and moving inland for a large swath of Texas and the Louisiana coasts. Above that, the center predicts “large and dangerous battering waves.” Waves could be 50 feet tall, said hurricane center spokesman and meteorologist Dennis Feltgen.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,420783,00.html
It looks like it is trying to build a much more compact eyewall on visible sat, water vapor and radar. And there is quite a flareup of convection south and east of the eye. Not good. A big punch of convection is starting to wrap around into the northern part of the void where the 60 mile wide eye was - and if that is the case, it means the east side of the eyewall is going to hit Galveston Island directly instead of hitting off to the east a bit. I agree, it is strengthening, and that is NOT GOOD - a hurricane strengthening at landfall packs more punch and carries hurricane-force winds further inland as well.
BnBlFlag checking in from American72’s house in Spring Branch. We evacuated Chambers Co. this AM. I live about a Mile and a half from Trinity Bay at 30’ elevation which is fairly high for that area but I wasn’t about to take a chance. Plus, we had to come over and help take care of our 4 y.o. Granddaughter!
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
516 PM CDT FRI SEP 12 2008
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS ISSUED A
* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
NORTHWESTERN IBERIA PARISH IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
THIS INCLUDES...NEW IBERIA...JEANERETTE...
EXTREME SOUTHEASTERN LAFAYETTE PARISH IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
WEST CENTRAL ST. MARTIN PARISH IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
THIS INCLUDES ST. MARTINVILLE...
WESTERN ST. MARY PARISH IN SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA...
THIS INCLUDES...FRANKLIN...BURNS POINT...
EXTREME NORTHEASTERN VERMILION PARISH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA...
* UNTIL 545 PM CDT
* AT 510 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO 9 MILES EAST OF
BURNS POINT...MOVING NORTHWEST AT 69 MPH.
* THE TORNADO WILL BE NEAR...
FRANKLIN BY 525 PM CDT...
BALDWIN AND 6 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CHARENTON BY 530 PM CDT...
JEANERETTE BY 535 PM CDT...
NEW IBERIA AND LYDIA BY 540 PM CDT...
7 MILES SOUTH OF ST. MARTINVILLE BY 545 PM CDT..
I am in Houston and I have been listening to all of the TV and the radio stations and I have never heard anything remotely like a 50 ft storm surge. 20 to 25 feet is the most. I think someone misunderstood.
Fire coverage here:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/texas-news-coverage-hurricane-ike
Yep look for that box to move west as the evening and night progresses.
God Bless everyone anywhere near there... including the brainless and those with too much guts for their own good.
I can’t believe a single person would have stayed on the Island after about 8AM today.
Right after you posted your message the wind picked up here. (Just for a few minutes though).
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