Posted on 09/12/2008 11:29:13 PM PDT by NautiNurse
The eyewall of Hurricane Ike crossed Galveston Island in the early hours of Saturday morning. Reports indicate as many as 20,000 residents of Galveston Island chose not to evacuate as storm surge engulfed the island. The Freeport Chief of Police reported as many as 2000 residents did not evacuate as flood waters swamped coastal communities. There are widespread reports of power outages and coastal flooding throughout the Texas/Louisiana region. The U.S. Coast Guard received hundreds of calls Friday afternoon to rescue people stranded by flood waters along the barrier islands and Galveston Bay communities.
Multiple fires broke out in the Greater Houston area fueled by strong winds. Fire fighting efforts were hampered by flood waters. Brennan's Restaurant, a landmark in Houston, burned to the ground. A 584-foot freighter crippled in the Gulf of Mexico and its crew of 22 survived the storm after The U.S. Coast Guard was forced to abort rescue efforts Friday afternoon due to foul weather
Gulf Coast wholesale gasoline prices jumped to nearly $5 a gallon over fears that water and wind damage could keep the facilities closed for days or longer. Oil companies had shut down 97.5 percent of production in the Gulf of Mexico by Friday morning and were battening down refineries and petrochemical plants in an area that accounts for one-fifth of U.S. refining capacity.
Exxon Mobil reported evacuating workers from its Gulf Coast offshore platforms and onshore facilities in the anticipated path of Ike, shutting down daily production of about 36,000 barrels of oil and 270 million cubic feet of gas..
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
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 |
|
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Previous Threads:
Hurricane Ike Live Thread III
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)
Sidebar...for those that want more info on
“For want of a nail....
http://www.rhymes.org.uk/for_want_of_a_nail.htm
The earliest known written version of the rhyme is in John Gower’s
“Confesio Amantis” dated approximately 1390.
(snip)
Benjamin Franklin included a version of the rhyme in his Poor Richard’s
Almanack when America and England were on opposite sides.
Absolutely amazing if totally true... (Hard to believe it carried him 12.5 miles though)
I think they’ll be back. Humans are too resourceful and governments are too greedy.
One local reporter went to Bolivar, Gilchrist and Crystal Beach and talked to survivors at High Island. He said they talked of the number of folks that didn't make it.
Not sure if these have been posted. If so, let me know and I’ll have the post removed.
~~~~
More updates ~~ this one from San Leon. Prayers for jpsb and his loved ones and all those awaiting rescue.
“3 missing in San Leon
September 14th, 2008
Chief Scott Lyons said the three individuals had decided to ride out Hurricane Ike in their homes in San Leon, a community that sits on Galveston Bay. Family members reported to emergency management officials that they had not been able to contact their loved ones since the storm passed.”
http://www.khou.com/video/index.html?nvid=282727
~~~~
Checking in on Oak Island — he says at the end that he has also been to Bolivar, has some editing to do on the film, but it will be up soon.
http://www.khou.com/video/news-index.html?nvid=283002
More KHOU videos here
~~~~~
Galveston Island flyover, including West End, from yesterday (you’ll want to turn the sound OFF):
http://www.khou.com/video/news-index.html?nvid=282686&shu=1
Hard to believe it’s legal to build right on the beach, at water’s edge. God be with these people and their loved ones.
As my mama always says...where there’s a will, there’s a way.
I read it. Hampster (sic), skivvies, one shoe and all.
I want to believe casualties are low, but the number of people who stayed was too high for me to be optimistic.
Families of people - who tried to talk them into leaving - will be another indicator. Victims will be counted as they aren’t heard from over the next days.
You’re back! With power .. glad
you guys doing well. Bored yet ..
LOL.
I know the pain of those interruptions
to your peaceful slumber will soon be
forgotten ...... ;)
When’s the chainsaw hunt begin?
After tonight I will be caught up on my sleep.
Many prayers to those worse off than me . . .
Were was “jpsb” staying?
Where was “jpsb” staying?
You certainly have earned a good night’s rest. Take care, and sweet dreams.
Are we thinking a freeper(jpsb) might be missing or his/her family?
Haven’t been able to read all the posts today on the thread.
OMG .. that is beyond amazing. He rode in the broken house for 12.5 miles? These stories ... chills.
~~~
winds blew the house where he was taking refuge into the bay and sometime later he ended up on our peninsula some 12.5 miles away
Thank you very much.
If I had watched that as a scene in a movie, I would have rolled my eyes and said it was hokie. Truth is stranger than fiction.
Unbelievable .. like a fantasy movie. One lucky guy, and thank God he had the strength to yell just when there were folks to hear him.
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