ATL: IKE Discussion

[stormy1970al]

My mom talked to her cousin in Beaumont yesterday morning. He did leave and went two hours north of Beaumont. We didn't think he was going to leave but thank goodness he did. The nursing home in Beaumont took my great aunt to Fort Worth so we know she was out of harm's way. This is the second time they have evacuated in a month. They took her to San Antonio when Gustav came in. I am not sure how she did this time around. She is 95 and has had back surgery in the last two months. We still haven't heard from my mom's cousin since yesterday morning.

[HURAKAN]

Ike keeps roaring even miles inland.

[lisa0825]

How is everyone? I am at a friend's near Katy. We have power and all is well! My neighbor from across the street called me and said that the house in Texas City looks fine! No trees crashed down on it!!! and believe it or not, I still have power there too!!!! No flooding, lots of tree limbs and debris, but otherwise all is well. I hope for the best for everyone.

Katy was west of the storm and beyond the eyewall, so it is natural it would be in better shape than most of the rest of Greater Houston.

It got pretty hairy here, and we did lose power at about 8 last night, but it came back on this morning. In case you missed it, I also reported that my house in Texas City, is fine too. That was why I bothered to post.

[CrazyC83]

GUys I was asleep when it came ashore, I went to bed about 10:30 CDT did the NHC ever bump it to a 3?

I got up twice and read most of the pages near landfall and I did not see them upgrade it to a three. Saw lots of talk here that it should be but it never reached a 3 in the official NHC statements.

The landfall intensity, operationally, was 95 kt. However, I do believe it is quite possible they will upgrade to 100 kt in post-analysis, as FL winds and dropsondes supported such.

[Stephanie]

Video on demand KHOU;

http://www.khou.com/video/news-index.html?nvid=282414

[Extremeweatherguy]

Someone is calling into the KHOU live feed right now saying that his hotel room in the Westin Hotel had its windows blow out and then a wall collapse onto his bed. He had to grab his bags and get out of there quickly.

[Stephanie]

One of the videos shown by KHOU was of the Chase Bank in Houston - all of the windows were blown out and the blinds looked like knots of ribbons flapping outside of the windows. There are lights flickering inside some of the offices.

[Just Joshing You]

That buoy drifted a good 30 miles at least, pretty much the entire length of galveston. Just looked it up on google earth.

[HURAKAN]

One of the videos shown by KHOU was of the Chase Bank in Houston - all of the windows were blown out and the blinds looked like knots of ribbons flapping outside of the windows. There are lights flickering inside some of the offices.

Video: http://www.khou.com/video/?nvid=282429&shu=1

[Solaris]

TX--Ike-Rescue Efforts,0133
Ike continues to hamper search and rescue efforts



Ike continues to hamper search and rescue efforts
Eds: APNewsNow.
GALVESTON, Texas (AP) _ Hurricane Ike is still not letting
Galveston authorities assess damage where the massive Category 2
storm made landfall.

Police in the island city said early Saturday they hoped strong
winds and driving rain would ease in the next few hours and let
them begin taking stock of Ike's destruction.

Ike has weakened into a Category 1 storm, but state officials
say search and rescue operations continue being held back because
of the hurricane's lingering danger.

Steve McCraw, Gov. Rick Perry's homeland security chief, says
officials in Orange County have been fielding pleas for help from
residents trapped in their homes. The Southeast Texas area
experienced a significant storm surge.

McCraw said flooding was particularly intense in the cities of
Orange, Bridge City, Rose City and Sabine Pass.



(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

APTV 09-13-08 0955EDT

[MaryEllen71]

I relly hope nobody has been killed or injured but sadly I don't think that is the case.

[Stephanie]

http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/ ... 11e08.html

Damage reports from throughout the area

07:58 AM CDT on Saturday, September 13, 2008

KHOU.com staff report

Harris County: Harris County Office of Emergency Management suspends 911 service in Pasadena because of problems. People urged to call (713) 920-2136, (713) 920-1604, (713) 475-9714 and (713) 472-0144

CenterPoint says customers with service through above ground lines are without power


COURTESY

The Hooters in Galveston has some damage.
Conroe: Half of the city is without power

Liberty County: Reports of roof torn off of a home near 2018 Grand Ave.

Dickinson: Residents asked to boil water

West Houston: Building collapse at the Palm Court Apartments on 90 Country Place near I-10 and the Beltway

Reliant Center: Hole in the roof

Clear Lake: Damage reported at the Hilton Hotel on Clear Lake Blvd.



Video Slideshows Blogs Galveston: Hooters restaurant damaged

Galveston: Several boats caught fire at the Galveston Yacht Basin Friday afternoon, but weather conditions prevented fire crews from responding.

Houston: Brennan's restaurant burned to the ground. Three people were hurt.

Downtown Houston: Bus shelters knocked over and shards of glass raining down from skyscrapers

HURRICANE IKE
Harris County bayou levels

Animated storm tracker


Galveston: There's about three feet of water inside the courthouse building, according to Galveston County Emergency officials. There are 27 people currently inside that building but EOC officials believe they are perfectly safe, because they have moved to the second floor. The water was beginning to recede a bit by 3 a.m., so they’re not worried about it coming up further. The courthouse still has power because it is running on a generator. The people inside managed to move most of the first floor computers and several boxes of election materials up to the second floor before it flooded.

Deer Park: The roof has blown off the Casa El Dora apartment complex at 200 Helgra. Six residents were being taken elsewhere and no one was hurt.

Matagorda County: With Ike making landfall on Galveston, Matagorda County found itself more on the “clean” side of the storm.

John O’Connell with the Matagorda County Office of Emergency Management in Bay City said that outside of power interruptions, there were not reports of major problems within the county.

“We’ve had some gusts of wind and some rain, but no major rain,” said O’Connell.

Kemah: City adminsitrator Bill Kerber said there is high water across Kemah. Six feet deep even in higher areas. City hall and the fire station have some water in them, not sure yet how much. City Hall, which is on Highway 146, sits at roughly the high point in Kemah.

La Porte: With the eye of Hurricane Ike approaching, officials in this Galveston Bay community had reports of widespread street flooding, but no major damage.

But EOC head Jeff Suggs said the true extent of Ike’s damage wouldn’t be known until an assessment of the city could be made at first light after Ike had moved on.

Texas City: Officials in Texas City were breathing a presumptive sigh of relief early Saturday morning as it appeared that the levee system that encircles the city held back the vicious storm surge of Hurricane Ike.

Most of the city is without power and there are lots of downed power lines and tree limbs. Clawson said too that what water was coming into the city was quickly receding.

The local refineries and chemical plants also reported no significant damage.

He stressed that the city won’t be totally out of the woods until Saturday afternoon.

“It’s not where we wanted to be, but it doesn’t look like we suffered any major damage,” said Clawson.

Friendswood: Officials in Friendswood have been unable to assess what damage has occurred because of Hurricane Ike. Police Chief Bob Wieners said there have not been any calls to the public safety building of major damage within the city.

Power has been cut off to most of the city, he said.

He also said there were no calls from residents of life-threatening instances.

Angleton: A large chunk of the Brazoria County Courthouse was blown off by the winds of Hurricane Ike. It also damaged some cars that were in the parking lot.

Freeport: A police car had a window smashed out by flying debris. There are also downed street lights throughout the city.

San Leon: Boats pushed up out of the water into yards and houses

Jersey Village: The roof was blown off a hotel on 290 and Jones Road in Jersey Village and into power lines. The lines are across a feeder road. About 55 occupants were moved to a temporary shelter

[O Town]

One of the videos shown by KHOU was of the Chase Bank in Houston - all of the windows were blown out and the blinds looked like knots of ribbons flapping outside of the windows. There are lights flickering inside some of the offices.

Video: http://www.khou.com/video/?nvid=282429&shu=1

Wow, they must have all the power lines underground there.
Seemed to be enough damage to loose power, although I didn't see many if any large trees down. Just the smaller ones lining the streets.

[Steve]

still no power 350 miles from I k e. Winds still gusty except out the south now.

[Solaris]

Ike brings serious flooding to Louisiana coast
Eds: APNewsNow.
AP Photo LAHOU101, LAORS102, LAORS108
By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Associated Press Writer
LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) _ Officials along the Louisiana coast are
reporting serious flooding from Hurricane Ike.

Now that the winds are calming, rescue teams are starting to
venture out and answer calls for help. Hundreds of homes have been
flooded. Gov. Bobby Jindal says 160 people were rescued Friday and
more would likely need help Saturday.

Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach says flooding there is worse than
in Hurricane Rita three years ago. Ike's storm surge has breached
levees and flooded areas still recovering from Hurricane Gustav
earlier this month.

In Plaquemines Parish near New Orleans, sheriff's spokesman Maj.
John Marie says floodwaters are higher than in Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita. Only one injury has been reported there, a deputy whose
vehicle hit a submerged levee.

AP-ES-09-13-08 1001EDT

[Sanibel]

Ike's current shape tells you a lot about what kind of storm it was. It still looks roughly the same even though it is well inland.

Peak surge on Galveston was slightly less than expected.

[Extremeweatherguy]

I have seen some video of large oaks downed in parts of downtown Houston. They also interviewed a man who lives downtown on CNN who said that this (so far) appears to be worse and more extensive than Alicia was. He specifically noted that the downtown tree damage was worse.

[tolakram]

Looking at the plot below I'm guessing the worst damage is to the east of the bay. Unfortunately the tide gauge at Rollover pass went out a little after 06z, which is worrisome.



Last map for Ike

[Sanibel]

I want to see High Island reports. It took the east side shoulder of the storm.

[HURAKAN]

Still roaring.