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)
Yeah, maybe. But I really adore them both.
Wait for real cold weather in Alaska, and look north!
The light are the fires on the Yukon!
(actually, take one of those cruises up north. Or go stay in Minnesota, during a solar storm.)
On Nelson cancelling Look and Leave from the article you posted:
Eldridge Hwy 6 residences just came back online with electricity. It was an adventure. Scavenging for gasoline 5 days and running Daisy (our miracle 4000 watts generator) was, like I wrote, an adventure.
I never disparaged the Lady.
Somebody, though, please the lord, hand her a sandwhich.
How do you find out when a solar storm is?
The number is an answering message, it says that if you want the blue tarp, you need to fill out a right of entry (ROE) form, and sumbit it. The only two places are in Webster and the location at RedBluff and Spence. You can go there to tell them you need a tarp. Unfortunately, it is completely across the city from where I am. I am trying to find an easier way.
Also, just for an FYI, if you go to the FEMA website and look up Blue Roof, the website hasn't been updated since 2004. Although the phone message is up to date.
I am so thankful to have been able to attend a party on the Balinese last April. First time. They had such an array of old time hollywood pics. So sad but hopefully future generations will put something better in it’s place. It really was ready to come done, truth be told.
NN and all others”
I just want to thank you all for the prayers and well wishes and offers. We returned Sunday and have been really busy cleaning. Just got power on today at our friends house so this is WONDERFUL...
It was a ride. We left and came back to 3 feet of water and the mess that comes with it. It is going to be a long process and it will get depressing I am sure. However, we have a home to rebuild, (so many don’t) and we are all safe and sound all 7 of us. So God is good.
I have been amazed by all the help that has been out and around our area. Lots of water and ice and food. It is all from volunteers (and I include the National Guard in that).
More later
Katlyn
Thanks. I’ve been at work all day...power on in my building. It’s been a long day. I work from 10AM until 8PM....I’m tired. Blessings.........
Excellent news. We’re talking generators now. The hard wired natural gas generators would be great but expensive. Houston lost natural gas during Alicia though so that would make it totally worthless. Hopefully we’ll have until next summer to make a decision.
Thank you. Spencer and Redbluff is right up the road. I will go check it out tomorrow. Did you get your taken care of?
I’m glad y’all are safe and so sorry about your damage. Hang in there, so many in the Houston area have been through the same thing many times and made it okay. I know you will too.
Thanks for the very kind words about a gentle and dear man.
One of my favorite pictures of Jim is him holding my pup Phudd.
I honestly don’t know.
But what I have read indicates that it has to do with solar flares, and we are currently in some sort of super-minimum.
During large solar flares, the Aroura Borialis is visible as far south as Chicago - without the flares, only for Santa to see.
But I can remark, that on a freezing cold night, somewhere above the artic circle, when the entire sky lights up with that beautiful blue-green light - you will forget that your e-tool just exploded in your hand.
All I could think about, is how this must be proof of God, and he was teaching us a lesson in humility. It is like standing on the Mountains for the first time, and being awed by the vista. Or seeing Phantom of the Opera - you either get it, or you never will.
Unlike when you are stuck in a Panamanian jungle, and a howler monkey poops in his hand and throws it at you - you have other thoughts, I assure you. That is quite a different experience.
Yay! Glad you are ok. I’m just right up the road so let me know if there is anything I can do to help.
Walmart carries ammo, and ammo is always useful. You could buy ammo. :D
Darn long day ... rest well .. ;)
Wonderful .. thank God.
Stay safe.
Good news .. power’s on.
That’s a big deal. Take
care.
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