HURRICANE IKE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE THU SEP 11 2008
AT 400 PM ...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IKE WAS LOCATED ABOUT 400 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF GALVESTON TEXAS.
IKE IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 10 MPH...THIS
MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS...WITH A TURN
TO THE NORTHWEST EXPECTED LATE FRIDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE
CENTER OF IKE WILL BE VERY NEAR THE UPPER TEXAS COAST BY LATE
FRIDAY. HOWEVER...BECAUSE IKE IS A VERY LARGE TROPICAL CYCLONE...WEATHER WILL DETERIORATE ALONG THE COASTLINE LONG BEFORE
THE CENTER REACHES THE COAST.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 100 MPH...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IKE
IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE AND IS FORECAST TO BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE PRIOR TO REACHING THE COASTLINE.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES FROM THE
CENTER.
DEPENDING ON THE EVENTUAL TRACK OF IKE...HURRICANE FORCE WINDS
WILL OCCUR OVER THESE AREAS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS BEGINNING AFTER
MIDNIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH MIDDAY SATURDAY. BASED ON THE
CURRENT TRACK FORECAST...THESE WINDS APPEAR MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR
ALONG AND EAST OF THE INTERSTATE 45 CORRIDOR. THE HURRICANE FORCE
WINDS COULD LAST FOR UP TO 6 HOURS.
WIDESPREAD RAINFALL OF
2 TO 4 INCHES WITH ISOLATED TOTALS OF
6 TO
10 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. SIGNIFICANT
FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE IN AREAS OF HEAVIEST RAINFALL.
THE
THREAT FOR TORNADOES WILL INCREASE RAPIDLY BEGINNING LATE
FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING AS THE
RAIN BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH IKE SPREAD INLAND.
MAXIMUM WATER LEVELS FORECAST:
GULF-FACING COASTLINE WEST OF SARGENT...
5 TO 8 FEET
SHORELINE OF MATAGORDA BAY........
5 TO 8 FEET
GULF-FACING COASTLINE SARGENT TO HIGH ISLAND
INCLUDING GALVESTON ISLAND......
12 TO 16 FEET
SHORELINE OF GALVESTON BAY......
15 TO 22 FEET
LIFE THREATENING INUNDATION LIKELY!
ALL NEIGHBORHOODS...AND POSSIBLY ENTIRE COASTAL COMMUNITIES...
WILL BE INUNDATED DURING THE PERIOD OF PEAK STORM TIDE. PERSONS
NOT HEEDING EVACUATION ORDERS IN SINGLE FAMILY ONE OR TWO STORY
HOMES WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH. MANY RESIDENCES OF AVERAGE
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTLY ON THE COAST WILL BE DESTROYED.
VEHICLES LEFT BEHIND WILL LIKELY BE SWEPT AWAY. NUMEROUS ROADS
WILL BE SWAMPED...SOME MAY BE WASHED AWAY BY THE WATER. ENTIRE
FLOOD PRONE COASTAL COMMUNITIES WILL BE CUTOFF.
WATER LEVELS MAY
EXCEED 9 FEET FOR MORE THAN A MILE INLAND. COASTAL RESIDENTS IN
MULTI-STORY FACILITIES RISK BEING CUTOFF. CONDITIONS WILL BE
WORSENED BY BATTERING WAVES. SUCH WAVES WILL EXACERBATE PROPERTY
DAMAGE...WITH MASSIVE DESTRUCTION OF HOMES...INCLUDING THOSE OF
BLOCK CONSTRUCTION. DAMAGE FROM BEACH EROSION COULD TAKE YEARS TO
REPAIR.
Data Directly Above is Forecasted for Saturday Morning 7:am
