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
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Additional Resources:
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Brazoria County Emergency Management
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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 |
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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)
So your house is OK from flooding?
So your house is OK from flooding?
bump to watch later
I passed by there too on the way back from the doc’s office and didn’t see anything. Was it in the Kroger parking lot? I figured it must be inside the store because I saw nothing on the corners.
Here in NE Harris county the tree removal guys showed up today to clear the power lines. They came from Detroit, Nelson Tree Service. I took them some BBQ Spare ribs for lunch. They realy appreciated it too. Maybe we will get power back on by the first of the week.
That was nice of you, I bet they appreciated it a lot. Being that far from home and so many things closed, that’s probably the best eatin’ they’ll get this trip.
Speaking of trees, I heard Randy Lemon on the radio this morning and he said that $1,500 was a good price to have a tree removed and that wouldn’t include grinding the stump. He also said that if you have to pay to have one removed you should be sure the people doing it have workmans’ comp insurance because if they don’t and get hurt on your property, they can sue your homeowners insurance. I thought that was good advice because most are going to just be in a hurry to get their property cleared and not think it through.
$1500 for a single tree removal? That is outrageous.
Well done.
$1500 is a little high on a normal basis. I had 3 huge pines done for $1200 a while back and they hauled off everything. But there will be a big demand for it now so it will be higher than normal.
That’s the going price around here. There are lots of 100+ year old oaks around here and 50’ high pines.
Feeding the workers might get your electricity back tomorrow. :o)
I have worked out in the field before without the comforts of home or even a motel, I know what it is like. These guys slept in their trucks last night. FEMA took the rooms they had reserved.
These are just the tree guys. We still gotta wait for the linemen to come in and make repairs before they can flip the switch. Maybe I will put on a brisket when I see the centerpoint or entergy trucks.
That is still high. The oak trees and other hardwood can be sold as firewood. The rest can fed into a wood chipper. If they don’t have a wood chipper, I wouldn’t trust them as professionals.
We should put you on the Catherine Z. Jones or Ann rules: you mention you BBQd, we’re gonna need a photo :)
Poor guys, that’s not right.
Yep. Been there, done that.
Seems to pay off in spades, eventually.
I hear you. I have always made a point to feed and hydrate folks do who work around here. I try to make them feel at home and appreciated. In turn, they are a lot more willing to go the extra mile, and to come back the next time if necessary.
I really wouldn’t know as my home is 5.5 years old so hardly have need to cut down my little oaks. But that is what I heard Randy Lemmon say yesterday or the day before and he is the garden guru in the Houston area and keeps up with all that stuff.
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