How vulnerable is Houston to a Cat 4/5 storm?

[logybogy]

It's 50 miles inland so unless the storm goes right up Galveston Bay which should prevent substantial weakening, it should weaken a lot before the core hits Houston. At least a 1 Category.

How well are Houston homes constructed? Are there good building codes there?

[hicksta]

I live on the water, and the 1st story has to be break away. But in downtown. Its horrible

[f5]

Remember Katrina's storm surge went up those rivers in mississippi.so it wouldn't be hard for those Bayous to overflow remember Allision was a TS

[bbadon]

check out the Harrison County website there is some really good videos of the possibilites. Houston is very vulnerable to a Cat 3 or higher.

[SamSagnella]

Remember Katrina's storm surge went up those rivers in mississippi.so it wouldn't be hard for those Bayous to overflow remember Allision was a TS

Yeah... Allison did quite a number on the city. Bottom line is that any low-lying area (ex. Houston) is very vulnerable to the hydrological impacts of a landfalling tropical cyclone.

[patgaz]

It's 50 miles inland so unless the storm goes right up Galveston Bay which should prevent substantial weakening, it should weaken a lot before the core hits Houston. At least a 1 Category.

How well are Houston homes constructed? Are there good building codes there?

http://www.hcoem.org/videos.htm

What "The Serpent's Coil"...

[m_ru]

When Alicia hit, a CAT 3... the center went basically right up I 45 and in Huntsville, which is over 60 miles north of Houston we got wind gusts well over hurricane strength so saying that a CAT 4 or 5 would weaken to a 1 before it hits Houston isn't very likely if it comes inland anywhere near Galveston.

.

[jeff]

A major hurricane landfall along the upper TX coast will be extremely devastating. Storm surge values will be extremely high in Clear Lake and Clear Creek (20-25 feet at I-45) and in the Houston Ship Channel. Most of the development east of I-45 in Galveston County will suffer heavy storm surge damage. Most if not all of western Galveston Island and the Bolivar Pen. will be swept clean. A strong 3/weak 4 will overtop the Glaveston seawall, but bay side flooding is likely in a strong1/weak 2 where the elevation is much lower on the north side of the Island.

The damage will be similar to that of the MS coast after Katrina....only tow locations will reatin water. Texas City and the Freeport/Lake Jackson area since they are levee protected to a cat 3 storm. Water will have to be pumped from these areas after the storm surge overtops the levees...though it should be nowhere near as bad as the New Orleans ordeal.

Estaimted damage cost of a cat 4/5 into Houston/Galveston is 70-100 billion.

[f5]

that 70-100 billion would be on top of Katrina's 100+ billion

[hicksta]

A major hurricane landfall along the upper TX coast will be extremely devastating. Storm surge values will be extremely high in Clear Lake and Clear Creek (20-25 feet at I-45) and in the Houston Ship Channel. Most of the development east of I-45 in Galveston County will suffer heavy storm surge damage. Most if not all of western Galveston Island and the Bolivar Pen. will be swept clean. A strong 3/weak 4 will overtop the Glaveston seawall, but bay side flooding is likely in a strong1/weak 2 where the elevation is much lower on the north side of the Island.

The damage will be similar to that of the MS coast after Katrina....only tow locations will reatin water. Texas City and the Freeport/Lake Jackson area since they are levee protected to a cat 3 storm. Water will have to be pumped from these areas after the storm surge overtops the levees...though it should be nowhere near as bad as the New Orleans ordeal.

Estaimted damage cost of a cat 4/5 into Houston/Galveston is 70-100 billion.

Your saying that to somone who lives right on clear lake

[Air Force Met]

A major hurricane landfall along the upper TX coast will be extremely devastating. Storm surge values will be extremely high in Clear Lake and Clear Creek (20-25 feet at I-45) and in the Houston Ship Channel. Most of the development east of I-45 in Galveston County will suffer heavy storm surge damage. Most if not all of western Galveston Island and the Bolivar Pen. will be swept clean. A strong 3/weak 4 will overtop the Glaveston seawall, but bay side flooding is likely in a strong1/weak 2 where the elevation is much lower on the north side of the Island.

The damage will be similar to that of the MS coast after Katrina....only tow locations will reatin water. Texas City and the Freeport/Lake Jackson area since they are levee protected to a cat 3 storm. Water will have to be pumped from these areas after the storm surge overtops the levees...though it should be nowhere near as bad as the New Orleans ordeal.

Estaimted damage cost of a cat 4/5 into Houston/Galveston is 70-100 billion.

Your saying that to somone who lives right on clear lake

Houston is very vulnerable. I believe Channel 11 is doing a story on the military's response tomorrow night at 10. They are coming out to the base tomorrow at 10am.

[f5]

the Texas economy is very dependent on the oil that comes through Galveston bay in that since it would be another KATrastrophie

[Downdraft]

How vulnerable is Houston? How vulernable was New Orleans? How vulnerable is Tampa or Miami or Charleston or Baltimore or New York or Boston? Could name a lot more cities but I think you get my point.

[Shoshana]

I wouldn't count on any hurricane of Cat 4 hitting the Texas coast and being a Cat 1 50 miles inland - Carla in 1961 was a Cat 1 in Travis County - which is Central Texas .... and where Austin is.

And another famous Cat 4, the 1900 Galveston Hurricane

http://weather.unisys.com/hurricane/atl ... /track.gif

Went thru what is modern day Houston as a Cat 4 and was still a Cat 1 till just south of Waco... an insane distance from the Coast.

[richartm]

I think he said it would weaken at least 1 category - not weaken to a category 1.

Last year Charlie was a Cat1 when it came by me in northeast FLA after crossing 180 miles of land.

[mahmoo]

I was living near Tomball when Alicia hit (my first hurricane). If I remember correctly, winds were clocked at 120 MPH in that area. Not to mention the tornadoes we had.

[Roxy]

A major hurricane landfall along the upper TX coast will be extremely devastating. Storm surge values will be extremely high in Clear Lake and Clear Creek (20-25 feet at I-45) and in the Houston Ship Channel. Most of the development east of I-45 in Galveston County will suffer heavy storm surge damage. Most if not all of western Galveston Island and the Bolivar Pen. will be swept clean. A strong 3/weak 4 will overtop the Glaveston seawall, but bay side flooding is likely in a strong1/weak 2 where the elevation is much lower on the north side of the Island.

The damage will be similar to that of the MS coast after Katrina....only tow locations will reatin water. Texas City and the Freeport/Lake Jackson area since they are levee protected to a cat 3 storm. Water will have to be pumped from these areas after the storm surge overtops the levees...though it should be nowhere near as bad as the New Orleans ordeal.

Estaimted damage cost of a cat 4/5 into Houston/Galveston is 70-100 billion.

Your saying that to somone who lives right on clear lake

Not surprised are you? You have your evacuation route planned out?

I live in CL too, I am not giving you a hard time.

You guys are saying it won't be hurricane force in Houston, which could be true...but don't forget about all the people who live along 45 on the way to Galveston...pretty populated there and could be bad news for those folks.

[vbhoutex]

Even if we do not get hurricane force winds in the Houston area and it certainly is way too far out to tell at this point, the surge possibilities could easily force some evacuations. EVERYONE in any of the possible surge zones in this area needs to be paying close attention to that portion of the progs if nothing else.