Hurricane Ike targets Subsim (Texas)

[Stealth Hunter]

Originally Posted by sonar732

On a side note...it has a 957mb pressure reading, which equates to a CAT-3 hurricane...but the surface winds are 90mph which is CAT-1. Once the surface winds catch up to the pressure...it's going to get nasty. I suspect when it gets well into the Gulf and feeds on the warm loop currents it will get the highest reading.

Well that's just wonderful.

Haven't seen anything on the news about evacuations, not that I'm planning on leaving (I haven't for the past 5 years when hurricanes have hit).

[geetrue]

Looks like saturday morning early am around corpus christi way:

[vois2]

It looks like this thing will make landfall within spitting distance of Galveston on either side ... and yet am I correct in my understanding that Galveston Island is *NOT* being evacated?

I don't know where Neal is exactly but he's probably closer in to Houston proper.

I'm no emergency modeler but I am thinking ... low-lying coastal island ... Cat 4 washing up very nearby ... not good for the dogs and the cats and the toddlers living on that island.

Well, hopefully the residents won't shoot firearms at the rescue helicopters landing on the island after the storm passes.

[sonar732]

Originally Posted by vois2

It looks like this thing will make landfall within spitting distance of Galveston on either side ... and yet am I correct in my understanding that Galveston Island is *NOT* being evacated?

I don't know where Neal is exactly but he's probably closer in to Houston proper.

I'm no emergency modeler but I am thinking ... low-lying coastal island ... Cat 4 washing up very nearby ... not good for the dogs and the cats and the toddlers living on that island.

Well, hopefully the residents won't shoot firearms at the rescue helicopters landing on the island after the storm passes.

They are under mandatory evacuations now.

[sonar732]

Various webcams from the Texas Gulf Coast...

Current "surf cam" from Freeport, TX

Various Houston Street Cams--A TON OF THEM

Various other webcams in Houston

A few Galveston webcams...almost forgot a Seawolf Park webcam

A few Corpus Cristy Webcams and here.

[sonar732]

Last WW3 Wave information from the US Navy...

36h

48h

Keep in mind to watch Buoy 42001 also.

Conditions as of 7:50 CDT...

Wind Direction Wind Direction (WDIR): NNE ( 20 deg true )
Wind Speed Wind Speed (WSPD): 40.8 kts
Wind Gust Wind Gust (GST): 52.4 kts
Wave Height Wave Height (WVHT): 24.9 ft
Dominant Wave Period Dominant Wave Period (DPD): 14 sec
Average Period Average Period (APD): 9.2 sec
Atmospheric Pressure Atmospheric Pressure (PRES): 29.30 in
Pressure Tendency Pressure Tendency (PTDY): -0.10 in ( Falling Rapidly )
Air Temperature Air Temperature (ATMP): 82.9 °F
Water Temperature Water Temperature (WTMP): 84.4 °F
Dew Point Dew Point (DEWP): 75.0 °F
Heat Index Heat Index (HEAT): 90.3 °F

[sonar732]

A good weather blog from Jesse Ferrell at Accuweather.com with loads of information besides forecast.

[vois2]

Originally Posted by vois2

On 09-10-2008, 10:38 PM , vois2 wrote

It looks like this thing will make landfall within spitting distance of Galveston on either side ... and yet am I correct in my understanding that Galveston Island is *NOT* being evacated?

I don't know where Neal is exactly but he's probably closer in to Houston proper.

I'm no emergency modeler but I am thinking ... low-lying coastal island ... Cat 4 washing up very nearby ... not good for the dogs and the cats and the toddlers living on that island.

Well, hopefully the residents won't shoot firearms at the rescue helicopters landing on the island after the storm passes.

I wrote that 48 hrs ago when almost all the models had Ike coming in at Freeport. Mr. Ike decided to head in much closer and onto Galveston Island - not that Freeport would have been much better for the island itself considering the location of Galveston Island relative to (what was once predicted as) a Freeport landing. I haven't followed the news in the last couple of days but I do hope every living soul is off of Galveston Island.

[RamRod]

Galveston called for a mandatory evacuation yesterday but not everyone left. There are many people still on the island and there are already reports of looting. Many people that wished now they had left are being sheltered in Ball High School.

[geetrue]

I just got home and turned on the weather channel ...

What's the first thing I see?

Sugarland is under lock down 8pm curfew ...

I think Neal is in Missouri City which is bascally the Sugarland area ...

Neal is in lockdown

[TheBrauerHour]

Hope Neal weathers the storm well. The video I am watching here doesn't look good.

[RamRod]

Originally Posted by geetrue

I just got home and turned on the weather channel ...

What's the first thing I see?

Sugarland is under lock down 8pm curfew ...

I think Neal is in Missouri City which is bascally the Sugarland area ...

Neal is in lockdown

I think Neal lives further east, like in Pearland. My guess is he's huddled up in a sleeping blanket under his kitchen table, talking on the phone to his girlfriend to keep himself from panicing.

[geetrue]

Originally Posted by RamRod

I think Neal lives further east, like in Pearland. My guess is he's huddled up in a sleeping blanket under his kitchen table, talking on the phone to his girlfriend to keep himself from panicing.

Thats where he lives Pearland ... when I was in highschool back in the 60's Pearland, Sugaland and Missouri City all ran together.

CNN just reported La Porte is flooding and that is way inland on Galveston Bay. I lived there till 1977.

This is going to be a wild ride

[sonar732]

Originally Posted by vois2

I wrote that 48 hrs ago when almost all the models had Ike coming in at Freeport. Mr. Ike decided to head in much closer and onto Galveston Island - not that Freeport would have been much better for the island itself considering the location of Galveston Island relative to (what was once predicted as) a Freeport landing. I haven't followed the news in the last couple of days but I do hope every living soul is off of Galveston Island.

Unfortunately, that is not the case...

CNN Coverage

Galveston had ordered evacuation of the island, but LeBlanc said about 40 percent of the city's 57,523 residents chose to stay. "It's unfortunate that the warnings that we sent out were not heeded," he said.

Fox Coverage

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.

[RamRod]

Pearland Resident Cracks Under Weight of Hurricane Ike
By Ricky Gillicake Copyright 2008 Houston Chronacle

Pearland - This afternoon Pearland resident Neal Stevens was detained after a 30 minute chase through his upscale subdivision, naked but for a scuba mask and snorkle running and splashing in ankle deep water screaming phrases such as "Batton down the hatches!" and "Emergency Blow!".
Police and EMS responders were quoted as saying that the stress of the impending hurricane was too much strain for the unfortunate man who among other things is a researcher of submarine history. They also reported that family had been notified and would be available to ease the troubled man's mind. County officials are unsure how to categorize this casualty of the storm.