ATL: IKE Discussion

[fasterdisaster]

Estimate from local Fox affiliate: 17 billion dollars of insured damage

Ike is very likely the #2 costliest hurricane in US history.

[KWT]

Wow those photos are amazing, crystal beach really is nearly totally gone

[Time Traveller]

Here is a link to some interesting Ike video clips:

http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=ike&search=Search

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

Looks very very good right now. Personally would of waited another advisory to end them, but hey, I don't have any say over it. Nice intense convection still firing over the well defined LLC. I'd say borderline tropical storm.

[TreasureIslandFLGal]

This is something I am only going to mention once, then not again, because it is a very bad thing that I realized and brings up bad memories.

We all know that like 40% of the population on those barrier islands opted to stay, as estimated from emergency personnel and even teh Mayor herself. We all woke to very few pictures and flyby's being shown, except for from high above.

We still are seeing very few aerial shots, unlike Katrina, when we saw many by now of many areas.

There may be a grizzly reason behind that.

You can't show bodies on tv. Joe Public can't see that. Congress can't see blood.

Before any of the footage can get out, it must be prescreened to ensure that they are not going to break the law and show any dead bodies floating.

With all those that stayed behind, with their innocent children, there would be a high likelikhood that some did not make it through the surge.

[btangy]

Line of very heavy thunderstorms has developed along a frontal boundary roughly along I-10. Flash flood warnings have been issued. As much as 1-2 with isolated 3" per hour rainfall rates per doppler radar estimates.

[jlauderdal]

hopefully people don't put the generators in the garage or to close to the house during this rain event

[cycloneye]

It really is a race against the clock.Read the most recent press release that I found at Yahoo.



Race Against the Clock

[Janie2006]

I agree, unfortuantely. Given the rather substantial number of people who either refused to evacuate (or waited too long) and the devastation wreaked by the storm surge, almost certainly there are a number of folks who were killed. That number remains to be seen.

You see, this sort of thing (from Luis's link):

"We just didn't think it was going to come up like this," said the boy's father, Lee King. "I'm from New Orleans, I know better. I just didn't think it was going to happen."

just infuriates me. He knew better and stayed anyway, endangering the lives of his entire family.

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

For comparison, this is an example of what Bolivar/Crystal Beach looked like BEFORE Ike.



AFTER

After Rita, I seen a pic like these of a coastal area that used to have a lot of houses. Afterwards there where none, but the pavement. Of course, I would not at all be suprized if there where area's that where the same. Lets hope no more deaths are reported...

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

SPECI KPOF 141201Z AUTO 20035G57KT

This adds support to my thinking that Ike is still a tropical storm...

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

Also a 57 knot/65.5 mph gust on that....Ir shows a system appearing to wrap over land. I wonder if it can make it into the great lakes.

The great lakes are around 70-71 degree's, so a little cool. But should slow the weaking a little if it moves over them.

[TideJoe]

For comparison, this is an example of what Bolivar/Crystal Beach looked like BEFORE Ike.



AFTER

Ike really roughed them up...... but I don't think that surge is even close to Katrina. What was the official Ike surge in Crystal Beach area.

[MaryEllen71]

For comparison, this is an example of what Bolivar/Crystal Beach looked like BEFORE Ike.



AFTER

Ike really roughed them up...... but I don't think that surge is even close to Katrina. What was the official Ike surge in Crystal Beach area.[/q

I think Bolivar had a 23+ foot storm surge.

[Sanibel]

Stilt houses survived. However you can see many places where there's nothing but the stilts and no house on them. All this from a category 2 hurricane!

[Frank P]

That damage reminds me of the damage in the Long Beach MS area from Katrina., houses completely swept away 10-12 lots inland .. well built stilt houses do fine for Cat 2 winds.. obviously this looks like surge damage, not wind damage, imo. what really distrubs me is that you can't even see the debris line from these pixs.. which would indicate where the surge stopped.. it didn't in this location... if people were in these houses their survival rate would have been extremely low.. hope they evacuated..

I keep waiting for more types of theses pixs to become available.. national media coverage on this today is disturbing lacking...

[ROCK]

Stilt houses survived. However you can see many places where there's nothing but the stilts and no house on them. All this from a category 2 hurricane!

I am willing to guess that post anaylsis they might bump Ike up to a 3.....put strong 2 low 3 not much difference....wind feild was so huge that damage was widespread....Houses on stilts that are fairly new can withstand cat2 winds but its the surge with waves on top of them that pushes the houses off their base...

[HURAKAN]

[MiamiensisWx]

This from a poster on KHOU forum regarding Crystal Beach today:

"Galveston Co Sheriff 64 rescues today, plus many bodies."

Can anyone offer more detailed information or confirm the bolded portion?

In addition, can anyone find photographs of the damage from Gilchrist and the western end of Galveston Island?

Thanks!

[CrazyC83]

Still looks like a tropical cyclone...