Huricane Ike

TexasBama

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Jan 15, 2000
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Dr. Jeff Masters reported on his blog (Wunderground) this evening that Ike is bigger than Katrina and will also has more storm surge energy than Katrina. This evening's forecast has pushed the expected landfall up the coast from Freeport to Galveston, with the eye coming over downtown Houston. I am hoping for another move like that B4 landfall. Houston on the west side of the eye is worth billions.
 

BamaLuver

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Aug 16, 2000
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My brother lives in Houston (Missouri City), and has decided he'd rather stay than flee. I think Rita did him in -- when he tried to leave, it took him something like 8 hours to get from Houston to Dallas.
 

TexasBama

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At present, waves breaking over the top of the Galveston seawall. Water backing up from storm sewers and flooding streets downtown. The west end roads will be impassible in an hour or two. Tracking still indicating a landfall at Galveston or perhaps a liitle to the west.
 

TexasBama

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BamaLuver - I'm in the Heights northwest of downtown and we're still considering leaving. Figuring that if we get on the road heading west by oneish it'll be ok. The highways are clear.
 

BamaLuver

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BamaLuver - I'm in the Heights northwest of downtown and we're still considering leaving. Figuring that if we get on the road heading west by oneish it'll be ok. The highways are clear.
Thanks for the update TexasBama -- if the highways are clear, I certainly hope my brother will re-think his options.
 

IH8Orange

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Aug 14, 2000
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People need to disregard the fact that this hurricane is only a category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The hurricane force wind radius is huge as is the tropical storm wind radius. There's a new index that is making the rounds on the met boards lately. It is named the Integrated Kinetic Energy index and is based on the amount of total energy that is being expended by a hurricane on its environment. The IKE for Ike is higher than the value of Katrina at its maximum intensity.

The hurricane wind radius for Ike at the moment is about the same as Katrina when it made landfall. Maximum windspeeds aren't quite as high for Ike as Katrina, but the eyewall may tighten up as interaction begins with land, so it is possible that the maximum winds could increase a bit just before landfall. The reason that Ike has a higher IKE than Katrina is due to the larger radius of tropical storm winds. He's pushing a larger expanse of water and it will rise up as it moves over the shallow bottom of the continental shelf near the Texas coast. This is why the surge is projected to be along the same order as a category 4 hurricane.
 
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I have a flight connecting through Houston tomorrow morning; it was originally scheduled for this evening.

I'm on the phone with Continental right now to push it to Saturday night or Sunday morning. Or, y'know, connecting me through any other city but the epicenter of a huge hurricane.

If I can't get another flight...it's been nice knowin' ya!
 

SavannahDare

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I have a flight connecting through Houston tomorrow morning; it was originally scheduled for this evening.

I'm on the phone with Continental right now to push it to Saturday night or Sunday morning. Or, y'know, connecting me through any other city but the epicenter of a huge hurricane.

If I can't get another flight...it's been nice knowin' ya!
If Ike does what it looks like he's gonna do, there won't be anyone flying in or out of Houston for several days.
 
I

It's On A Slab

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Re: Geraldo's not quite Hurrican Dan Rather moment

Ahh, but you forget his pedigree: Geraldo Rivera, HBITW.

"Hair Blowing In The Wind"

;)
 

Displaced Bama Fan

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Re: Geraldo's not quite Hurrican Dan Rather moment

At least he knew he would be a star of youtube.

Well, the sun just came out in Katy...storm has taken a slight eastward turn...weird, weird, weird. A buddy of mine has relatives in Pt. Arthur. For the first time ever, they evacuated the firemen/trucks in lieu of the surge.

Galveston is flooded. Deer Park and LaPorte (refinery central) are expected to flood as well.
 

bayoutider

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Son just called again from Lake Charles and said the rains have begun and it looks like they will be getting wet all night long. Latest report is wind's shouldn't be too bad and maybe not lose power.