ATL: IKE Discussion

[soonertwister]

Is it true that the media are being quarantined, and that no one but emergency personnel are being allowed to arrive at Galveston Island?

[otowntiger]

If I lived in those areas between SW LA and Galveston, I would have evacuated. This storm may have been just a Cat 2 but it packed a big punch. Look at downtown Houston wihich got hit with hurricane winds. If people had been there in the streets, they would have been killed by the falling glass. I guess a lot of people will never learn that even a cat 1 storm can cause damage, injuries and even death. I heard someone say that we should do away with the categories and I agree. You cannot take on nature's fury or it will kill you.

Kristi

There is nothing wrong with the Saffir Simpson Hurricane scale. It is simply based on winds and the winds of even cat 1 storms can cause damage. There is a different scale to measure the surge potential. Believe me the damage from winds could have been much worse from what I've seen. The damage in Houston is in line with a strong cat 1/weak cat 2. The scale was right on target.

[Shoshana]

A fifth of the nation's oil refining capacity has been shut down, so I would not be surprised if gas jumps to $5-6 dollars per gallon.

Reports are saying it already has, and I thought the 13 cent jump to $1.36 was bad here in Canada.

Our gas is sold in gallons - your's is in liters so y'all are already paying $5+/ gallon for gas...

[PhillyWX]

Reliant Stadium got hit pretty badly. Some images of the damage in Houston.

http://philadelphiaweather.blogspot.com ... uston.html

[southerngale]

Jefferson County Courthouse in Beaumont - roof peeled off

[Brent]

Is it true that the media are being quarantined, and that no one but emergency personnel are being allowed to arrive at Galveston Island?

The 2nd part is true, only official vehicles. No clue on the 1st part.

[Deathray]

I think I'm hearing about Surf side or something there where the media has been restricted to a parking lot as police go to find what has happened

Also flight restrictions at Galveston it appears

[thetruesms]

If I lived in those areas between SW LA and Galveston, I would have evacuated. This storm may have been just a Cat 2 but it packed a big punch. Look at downtown Houston wihich got hit with hurricane winds. If people had been there in the streets, they would have been killed by the falling glass. I guess a lot of people will never learn that even a cat 1 storm can cause damage, injuries and even death. I heard someone say that we should do away with the categories and I agree. You cannot take on nature's fury or it will kill you.

Kristi

Disagree completely. The Saffir-Simpson scale can be a very valuable tool for informational and planning purposes, especially when used in conjunction with other available information. What needs to be fixed is the apparently atrocious way in which the general public is educated about the scale, what it means, and its limitations.

[simplykristi]

If I lived in those areas between SW LA and Galveston, I would have evacuated. This storm may have been just a Cat 2 but it packed a big punch. Look at downtown Houston wihich got hit with hurricane winds. If people had been there in the streets, they would have been killed by the falling glass. I guess a lot of people will never learn that even a cat 1 storm can cause damage, injuries and even death. I heard someone say that we should do away with the categories and I agree. You cannot take on nature's fury or it will kill you.

Kristi

Disagree completely. The Saffir-Simpson scale can be a very valuable tool for informational and planning purposes, especially when used in conjunction with other available information. What needs to be fixed is the apparently atrocious way in which the general public is educated about the scale, what it means, and its limitations.

It's OK to disagree..... I am simply looking out for the safety of people. To me, it does not matter if it is a cat 1 or cat 5. I just want to see people's out of harm's way. It is the surge and subsequent flooding that kills.

I know it has to be a pain to evacuate. In fact, we have a neighbor whose son evacuated from Houston to here. I feel that more should be done to make evacuations safer and quicker.

Kristi

[lurkey]

Is it true that the media are being quarantined, and that no one but emergency personnel are being allowed to arrive at Galveston Island?

The 2nd part is true, only official vehicles. No clue on the 1st part.

First-hand accounts from reporters from Austin Statesman in Galveston. .. Pictures from the Austin Statesman newspaper

. . . Hooters, the balinese room and murdoch are gone. All piers on Seawall are gone, except flagship and 91st street

Just talked to a guy who was in soaking-wet jeans. Says he was at a bar at a hurricane party and water came up to his waist.

[mf_dolphin]

Southerngale evac'd to Ft Worth.

[Brent]

Is it true that the media are being quarantined, and that no one but emergency personnel are being allowed to arrive at Galveston Island?

The 2nd part is true, only official vehicles. No clue on the 1st part.

First-hand accounts from reporters from Austin Statesman in Galveston. .. Pictures from the Austin Statesman newspaper

. . . Hooters, the balinese room and murdoch are gone. All piers on Seawall are gone, except flagship and 91st street

Just talked to a guy who was in soaking-wet jeans. Says he was at a bar at a hurricane party and water came up to his waist.

Thanks for the link. Sounds pretty bad.

[thetruesms]

It's OK to disagree..... I am simply looking out for the safety of people. To me, it does not matter if it is a cat 1 or cat 5. I just want to see people's out of harm's way. It is the surge and subsequent flooding that kills.

I know it has to be a pain to evacuate. In fact, we have a neighbor whose son evacuated from Houston to here. I feel that more should be done to make evacuations safer and quicker.

Kristi

I agree that the problems you're posting about are significant, and they need to be addressed - I just think that giving people less information is not the way to fix it. We need to make it a point of emphasis to help people better understand how to use it. It seems that many people who aren't very meteorologically aware just see that it's a 2 on a scale of 5 and assume it's no big deal. They don't know what each scale means and the effects felt by storms of differing strength, though this is key information in evaluating what to do.

Maybe we need to bring back more widespread use of the Beaufort scale, where even a minimal hurricane is a 12 on a scale of 12!

[cycloneye]

Downgraded to Tropical Storm.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 60 MPH...95
KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS...AND IKE IS NOW A STRONG TROPICAL STORM.
ADDITIONAL WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AS THE CENTER MOVES FARTHER
INLAND...AND IKE COULD BECOME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION BY TONIGHT.

[HURAKAN]

HURRICANE IKE INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 50A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL092008
100 PM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008

REPEATING THE 100 PM CDT POSITION...31.6 N...95.4 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH NEAR 16 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...60 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...975 MB.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 400 PM CDT.

$$
FORECASTER STEWART
---------------------------

Some sleep may be in order! Good job as always.

[tailgater]

Is anyone getting reports from Port Arthur area.

[soonertwister]

It does seem quite apparent that there is a media quarantine on Galveston Island. Checking Google News, there are NO eyewitness reports coming out from the eastern and western portions of the island.

We are going to find out the news, good or bad, sooner or later. I fear that this quarantine is so that emergency response personnel can "sanitize" the most impacted areas before any real reporting is done. That may be the sensitive thing to do, but I'm not at all clear that it's truly in the public interest.

[Brent]

HURRICANE IKE INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 50A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL092008
100 PM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008

REPEATING THE 100 PM CDT POSITION...31.6 N...95.4 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTH NEAR 16 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...60 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...975 MB.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 400 PM CDT.

$$
FORECASTER STEWART
---------------------------

Some sleep may be in order! Good job as always.

AT 100 PM CDT...1800Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IKE



But yeah, major kudos to the NHC. Once again they did an amazing job.

[RL3AO]

TROPICAL STORM IKE INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 50A...CORRECTED
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL092008
100 PM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008

...CORRECTED STATUS TO TROPICAL STORM IN HEADER AND TEXT BODY

[cycloneye]

TROPICAL STORM IKE INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 50A...CORRECTED
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL092008
100 PM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008

...CORRECTED STATUS TO TROPICAL STORM IN HEADER AND TEXT BODY

They are awaken!