Bad news – but that’s to be expected:
THE AIRCRAFT REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE SMALL INNER EYE IS ERODING AS OUTER BANDS SURROUNDING THIS FEATURE ARE BECOMING BETTER DEFINED. THIS COULD LIMIT RAPID DEVELOPMENT IN THE VERY NEAR TERM. HOWEVER…THE UPPER AIR PATTERN IS GOING TO BE VERY FAVORABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT OVER THE NEXT 24-48 HOURS…AND NOT MUCH LESS FAVORABLE THEREAFTER. IN ADDITION…THE FORECAST TRACK TAKES IKE OVER SOME WARM GULF EDDIES. WHILE THERE IS SOME DRY AIR IN THE WESTERN GULF…AND INDEED SOME OF THAT IS NEAR THE CORE RIGHT NOW…THE LARGE SIZE OF THE CIRCULATION AND OUTER BANDING SUGGESTS THAT IKE SHOULD BE FAIRLY EFFECTIVE IN FIGHTING OFF THESE NEGATIVE EFFECTS.
Voluntary evacuations notices are on the rise in the Houston area:
City officials are expected to urge a voluntary evacuation today of the low-lying western end of the island, where high tides, rain and large waves could cause serious flooding.
Galveston Mayor Lyda Ann Thomas is expected to order the evacuation at a noon news conference after a special meeting of the City Council to declare a state of emergency and grant Thomas emergency powers, city spokeswoman Alicia Cahill said.
Thomas will be joined by Galveston County Judge Jim Yarbrough and by Vic Pierson, mayor of Jamaica Beach, a tiny city on the western end of Galveston Island.
My concern now is that predicted last minute swing North taking communities by surprise. Anyone in the cone, especially those who could be impacted by the storm surge, should be ready to act quickly as Ike approaches.
Hurricane Warnings Issued for Much of Texas Coast Ahead of Ike
No real surprises here but it’s now official: AT 10 AM CDT…1500 UTC…A HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FROM MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA TO BAFFIN BAY TEXAS. HURRICANE CONDITIONS COULD REACH...
Hurricane Ike: Texas Task Force One Activated – State Resources Deploying
Texas is getting ready: Search and rescue teams are on standby, ready to deploy for Ike. Governor Rick Perry activated Texas Task Force One ahead of the storm. Teams arrived...
Texas Prepares for Hurricane Gustav – Disaster Declared – 5,000 Troops on Standby
It’s reassuring to see state and local governments across the Gulf Coast ramp up disaster operations well ahead of the storm: Gov. Rick Perry has issued a disaster declaration for...
Tropical Storm Edouard Prompts Hurricane Watch for Upper Texas Coast
Notice of the watch upgrade came in the 10 PM update form the National Hurricane Center: AT 10 PM CDT…0300 UTC…THE TROPICAL STORM WATCH FROM WEST OF INTRACOASTAL CITY TO...
Tropical Storm Dolly: Hurricane Threat to Texas on the Rise
Folks along the Texas Gulf Coast should monitor this storm closely: The surface center of Dolly is reforming a bit further to the north of the storm, near the heaviest...
