09L: Hurricane Ike

[Marc Austin]

Hmmm................Ok, I just saw Ike on radar at weathertap. Pardon me if I say that the big bad monster hurricane looks a tad small? I just expected it to appear wider on radar. Trust me I am going to sleep much easier tonight now after looking at the gulfs largest..err...smallest terror to hit the texas coast. Ok I am kidding. I am fully aware of the large and dangerous storm surge that may do considerable damage and potential take the lifes of the foolish and otherwise inebriated.

Of course. You're in San Antonio! The most you can expect is TS force winds. I agree the storm has shrunk over the last 24 hours, but the surge will be as large as it would have been if Ike were the same size.

 

[Mike Parker]

David is streaming a building that is on fire right now. Powerlines maybe??

 

[David Schuttler]

Yes. Much more symmetric and has an opaque eye now. I think the storm is certainly trying to gain strength, not that it matters much now. I don't see how anyone would stay on Galveston unless they were in a reinforced concrete high-rise building, but maybe that's just because I've never truly experienced a full blown hurricane.

Edit: TWC reporting that Surfside Beach, TX is now completely cut off due to the surge in advance of Ike... Incredible!
Also reporting a boat manufacturing facility is on fire somewhere near the Galveston area.

David D has the boat fire on his stream.
Fox had a picture of a house on the beach gone from fire and the one next door had smoke

 

[William Combes]

Anyone watching David Drummond's live cam? He has some huge fire zoomed in right now. Looks like a marina?????????

 

[Von Castor]

I can confirm a few of the questions that were asked. Yes there are many cars parked at the convention center so I assume the people are there to. Also Darren and I have driven the local streets and there are many people riding this out in their houses. Just about 10 min ago there was an army chopper that flew over our location but and appeared to be heading NE. We are holed up in a concrete parking structure that is about 40 ft . Just had a transformer blow 1/2 block from here.

 

[Mike Parker]

WOW.. look at the flames shooting out sidways for at least 40 feet!

 

[Bill Tabor]

Looks like a marina building and not a boat, but a lot of that may be on fire soon if unchecked.

Also chase buddies Randy Denzer and Josh Jans report being on location in Clear Lake City waiting for the fun to begin.

 

[Chip Redmond]

Now thats a fire! Most likely there isn't any fire or ems permitted or available to attend it.

Things seem to be getting interesting!

Is that smoke on Stuart Robinson's cam or really fast, low moving clouds?

Chip

 

[Darren Addy]

Despite evacuation order, 1,000 remain in Galveston jail

Forecasters have warned that a storm surge of as much as 20 feet is possible. That height would put storm water 3 feet over the top of the Galveston sea wall.
City Manager Steve LeBlanc said a 20-foot surge would leave the entire island under water except for a strip of land behind the sea wall.

That last line would agree with a comment I saw elsewhere which said:

Actually, no. You're seeing the city as being like:

bay __________[\ gulf

It's not. It's

bay ___---ˉˉˉ\ gulf

Highest point in the city is the wall, but then the rest of the city slopes back from the wall down to the back bay. So, if it overtops at 20 feet, then you'd see 3-4 feet near the wall, not 20 feet. The amount of water would then go up the closer you get to the back bay (which is at sea level).

This helps explain the storm surge maps better (in my mind, anyway).

 

[Darren Addy]

Now thats a fire! Most likely there isn't any fire or ems permitted or available to attend it.

Things seem to be getting interesting!

Somebody knows how to profit from Ike: Collect from multiple insurance companies for the same event!

 

[J West]

David's stream is getting plugged on Houston Ch 11 KHOU...

Reporter is saying a transfomer blew and ignited fuel at the marina building that is burning and there is a hospital next door. Fire personnel are trying to get on scene but flooded roads are hindering that process.

 

[Bill Tabor]

Appears to me particularly on IR sat that eyewall has closed, become symmetrical and appears to be shrinking / tightening.

 

[Chris C Sanner]

I believe you are correct in that assessment.

Wasn't David planning on getting off of the island before Ike hit? I honestly hope he knows his time is very short (if at all) to do just that right now

 

[Tim Vasquez]

Anyone making reports from the Houston - Galveston area about flooding ... please include exact locations (i.e. landmarks or intersections, etc) in your report. Some of us are crosschecking it with SLOSH output and elevation data from USGS maps to get an idea of how the runup & flooding is progressing. Thanks,

Tim

 

[Darren Addy]

FYI
Location of Galveston County Jail from Google Maps:

Close-up of same area:

Now views from the Computer Simulated "Hurricane Carly" of the same area.
Dry:

Under a 19.0 foot surge: