09L: Hurricane Ike

[Sarah Austin]

Quoted by Joshua T. Clark
Can we call it right making landfall.

Let's see...if the center of the hurricane is over land, I think it probably made land fall already. LOL!


TWC has had incredible footage. Although, seeing Geroldo in the tree is great to watch too. Both Geroldo from FOX and Mike Bettes from TWC have been blown over by strong wind gusts.

 

[Dennis Sherrod]

TWC @ Clear Lake TX over the past 30 minutes wins for best live video, simply unbelievable.

I will have to agree. TWC outdid everyone on videos. They are continuing this coverage now.

 

[Joshua T. Clark]

It is official.

WTNT64 KNHC 130731
TCUAT4
HURRICANE IKE TROPICAL CYCLONE UPDATE
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL092008
230 AM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008

...IKE MAKES LANDFALL AT GALVESTON...

RADAR DATA AND SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATE THAT THE CENTER OF IKE
MADE LANDFALL AT GALVESTON TEXAS AT ABOUT 210 AM CDT.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

FWIW, latest RECON finally showing a >20 mile stretch of 80-90 kt SFMR-measured sfc winds off-shore between Bolivar Peninsula and Port Arthur. It seems that residents are very fortunate that Ike made the NNW turn a bit earlier than anticipated, since the right-front quad is considerably stronger than the left-front quad that Houston proper will/is experiencing.

Dropsonde near there showed 118 kt winds at 925mb (350 m ASL).

KHOU is in the outer edge of the inner eyewall now. Unfortunately, no wind obs available as of last report.

 

[Jim Saueressig]

Landfall was called at 2:10 Am

NM - See post above. Lagg got me

 

[Joel Wright]

Man, it's a good thing Ike made landfall early this morning and not later on today. It sure looked like it was finally getting it's act together and was poised to really strengthen. Not to take anything away from how strong it is now, but it may have been a lot worse had it been 6-12hrs slower.

 

[Joshua T. Clark]

What is the Stormtrack.org record on the largest amount of posts in a single thread?

 

[Paul Hadfield]

It looks to me that the eye is getting smaller/tighter...is this some strengthening right before landfall or just effects from the land?

I saw this too which I suspected would happen. I say that as when watching it exit Cuba, it got stronger for a minute just as it entered waters closest to the coast then quickly subdued as it moved over deeper waters. I'm guessing rapid intensification at the transition from land to sea due to shallow water surf temps being slightly higher due to sunlight than deeper water offshore? or not?

 

[Sarah Austin]

Quoted by Joel Wright
Man, it's a good thing Ike made landfall early this morning and not later on today.

I agree. Another 12 hours may have made quite a difference. It really is a good thing since a lot of people decided to stay instead of evacuate.

 

[Joshua T. Clark]

Any current barometric pressure readings?

 

[Bill Tabor]

I have an idea. I propose a new hurricane rating index due to the fact that apparently a lot of people didn't evacuate likely because Ike was only a Cat 1 further out and later a Cat 2 kind of lulling them to sleep and giving them a sense of false security. Seems that happens a lot. People feel that unless a cane is a Cat 4 or 5 there isn't so much to worry about, and you hear them talk about how their area has weathered other such hurricanes, and how they evacuated other times but nothing much happened. I think the key with Ike was it's large size combined with the timing of high tide, etc. Hurricanes are ranked and categorized primarily based on wind speed, but I'm thinking a better indicator would be a more appropriate threat rating based on wind speed combined with storm surge, tide, and possibly conditions of the beach being approached. This in my opinion would provide people a more accurate idea of what they are facing. Perhaps that way they would realize this 'Cat 2' is not the same as a previous 'Cat 2'. Thoughts?

 

[Paul Hadfield]

Landfall was called at 2:10 Am

NM - See post above. Lagg got me

if i'm reading this properly, they at least have the tide on their side with low tide falling at about 2:30AM.

Tides for Clear Lake starting with September 13, 2008.
Sa 13 Low 2:30 AM 0.2
13 High 11:50 AM 1.3
13 Low 2:59 PM 1.1
13 High 9:30 PM 1.2


http://www.saltwatertides.com/dynamic.dir/texassites.html

 

[Joshua T. Clark]

I totally agree. Heck we have the Enhanced Fujita scale for tornadoes. Why can't have the Enhanced Saffir-Simpson scale ie...ECat2? Hurricane rating systems need to take in consideration not only the wind speed but size of storm and storm surge potential. You can have a TC that is only 100nm in diameter one week rated at Cat 1 and then the next week you could have the same size storm but it being a Cat 5.

 

[Jeff Piotrowski]

Galveston IKE

The eye passed overhead around 2:10 pressure fell to 954 MB. The storm Surge is six foot downtown Galveston.

I'm currently in a five story parking garage in downtown Galveston about 20 cars are floating in the first level of parking garage also one 21 foot boat is now floating.

There have been a number of fires just before sunset one of the fires only one block away.

The buildings just burned fire trucks could reach the fires due to high water.

I understand that a full scale search and rescue will start after the winds calm down below tropical storm force at first light.

 

[Joshua T. Clark]

Well everyone my night is fine. I have collect about 6 hours of radar imagery and will build a movie from. To everyone effected, God bless and good night.