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
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Additional Resources:
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| 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)
Fox only said SW LA
Yes .. a big 5 gal. bucket and a full
tub of water are musts for flushing.
I have seen the fury of the ocean first hand. My grandmother and I stayed in her beach house in Oak Island, NC, during Hurricane Charley a few years ago.
It was only a CAT 1 but I have never been so scared in my life. The ocean was just wicked looking...
If you are in the path of the storm I hope you have a hatchet or an axe in case you need to chop your way onto the second floor.
Fox also received a report that a 10 year old boy was killed. His father cut down a tree so it would not hit the house during the storm. The tree fell on the boy and killed him.
You hearing about a bad train wreck in CA? Shep said there’s a bad one- fires..lost of ambulances..
Are you folks on Xena’s Houston Hurricane ping list?
I found this:
"Hurricane Ike, still 165 miles at sea, apparently claimed its first victim today when a 10-year-old Montgomery boy was killed by a falling branch as his parents cut down a tree."
And worst of all maybe is that it’s going to mostly happen at night... some people might not even know what’s hitting them till it’s there.”
I was just about to make a post about this hitting at midnight, too... but from the opposite perspective. Those who are left there swimming in the dark through the 20ft waves may really have it bad, but at least those of us watching this won’t be able to these people drowning by the hundreds on live TV.
We won’t even be able to see them climbing up the walls of the large buildings there, hanging on to the railings like ants.
Terribly sad, but the rest of his life isn't likely to last beyond tonight. Perhaps God was preventing the little boy from suffering a more terrifying death. Believers and non believers alike should be sending up prayers for all in the path of the storm.
I’m looking at the link you posted, but I can’t get the audio, only the video. Very frustrating!
Keep in touch..
sw
From the Associated Press (one hour ago)
HOUSTON (AP) — Authorities say tens of thousands have ignored evacuation orders and are staying behind as Hurricane Ike takes aim at the Texas coast.
An Associated Press survey shows that in three counties alone, some 90,000 people have chosen not to leave despite dire warnings from forecasters.
The emergency management coordinator for Galveston County estimates that 80 percent of the residents evacuated. That leaves more than 11,000 residents in the county that is expected to take a direct hit from Ike’s massive storm surge.
Farther up the coast, officials say half the residents of Beaumont stayed put less than two weeks after many evacuated for Hurricane Gustav, only to see the storm miss the city entirely.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iE22KLymZMDODlhY9juqlDifiqWwD935EJA80
I imagine it is a scary thing to witness. I feel so bad for those in Texas right now...
Trust me, it’s not easier in the dark. Unless you don’t have a very good imagination like I do! LOL
Where is Crystal Beach?
I just heard a loud thump on the north side of my house. When I went out to check there was nothing there. Heard the same thump a few minutes ago . . . the dogs are digging this weather & one of them pushed another into the house.
Neil Cavuto told the bartender to tell the bar crowd that they would all die if they stayed there, and apparently she did...
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