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
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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
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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)
What town/area do you live in? Have you ever referenced a map that estimates how high the surge needs to be to reach your neighborhood?
Are there really people staying in the Flagship Hotel during
this storm? That would be suicide.
I don't get that, either.
I am sure it is a very hard decision to pack up the family & pets & few important things knowing that all might be gone in next day or so...and not there when you return
We (well me) are much to tied down to our “things” in life. Something like this puts in in perspective.
I think maybe we need a new or alternate measurment system for hurricanes. The Saffir Simpson scale is only useful to a point and it seems that we continue to be in a time where massive GOM storms are going to produce historic surges... the cycle should last at least another few years in my opinion. There’s no doubt in my mind that some folks are looking at a cat 2 before everything else and assuming things will be OK. I sure hope the figures are not comparable to Katrina when all is said and done, but this has a pretty good shot to rank up there in the top 5... maybe top 2 all time costliest/deadliest storms in the U.S.
We discussed this already. She’s “in the orange” of the map linked Post#51, and is aware of the surge factor.
Thinks other environmental factors in her immediate area are favorable.
I don’t know any more than that. It’s a tough call - she’s made it for herself, and seems to have all the knowledge taken into account. It’s up to her... like I said, I’m just happy jpsb seems gone - he, I’d be deathly afraid for.
My sister is in League City..I guess you could say the Kemah side of League City. She has neighbors staying and is pretty calm..said they'll make a decision around noon. Said they'd just go to a local conference center, about a mile from her house, if they do leave the house. She thinks I'm just being my old emotional self when I say they may want to consider leaving the area!
Just got an e-mail from a friend who lives in that area in Clear Lake. They have left, and she says it’s looking bad for that area.
Do you think people would stay around for something like this???
I grew up in Texas and my grandmother used to talk about the 1961 hurricane. Do people just not know about what can happen now?
Oh well, sending my prayers that people will be okay.
We just finished policing the yard & now setting all emergancy supplies in one area.
It is cloudy outside, but not a lot of wind.
Recon data continues to say Ike might be a cat 3 now.
11:33 am, Texas time: We have property in Conroe. Will someone please tell me the current weather there and do you expect the weather to impact that area as well, like Houston?
As long as your property didn't flood during Allison, IMO you should not face flooding from this storm. You will probably lose some trees and/or limbs.
We (well me) are much to tied down to our “things” in life. Something like this puts in in perspective.
I'm living with a friend on Burnett Bay, fourteen feet above sea level. (Her home has the bay as a back yard.)
I left many sentimental items in her home, happily, as I knew my real treasures (fiancee, sons, family, friends from my area) were already in or headed toward safer areas.
Life is too short to worry about "stuff" - no matter how precious!
I am wondering, how are all the reporters out there going to survive the storm?
i apologize if this has been posted: evacuation routes as follows:
UH grads: I10 west
Baylor grads: 45N
UT grads: I10 east
Rice grads: 59 south
A&M grads: 610 loop
Galveston Island is going to be under water.
Period.
That and the waves are going to wipe away and float away most of the structures now in existence there.
The picture I posted in #360 shows only a 13foot surge. 15ft will every part of it underwater. The waves and tide will make it even worse.
This is going to be much worse than Katrina.
God Help Them.
sw
I am so behind on this thread.God help anybody that did not get out.
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