Monthly Archives: September 2008

Hurricane Ike: Houston This Is It

houston this is it Hurricane Ike: Houston This Is It

I took this on my last trip to the small market in my building. The winds are picking up but are still minor in downtown Houston. You can certainly tell that a storm is coming though.

A convoy of Houston police officers sped by just after this shot was taken. Everyone is getting ready to (as we say in Texas) hunker down.

My prep work is done and I’ve confirmed that my family is safe. However, they do expect water up to the roof of their evacuated house if the current forecasts hold. I have some friends to check up on now while we can still communicate.

In about an hour I’m going to relocate to a friend’s place about a mile away. He has a generator. Hopefully I’ll be able to update through this blog and Twitter well into the storm.

More updates soon.

Hurricane Ike: Galveston Expected to be Completely Underwater – Ike Expected to Reach Cat 3

This is going to be ugly:

Ike remains a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of about 105 mph, but could make landfall as a Category 3, a major hurricane. The center of the hurricane was located at about 295 miles east of Corpus Christi and about 195 miles southeast of Galveston as of 7 a.m. Friday.

…If current projections hold up, Galveston Island and parts of Galveston could end up underwater, and the Houston area could take the brunt of the hurricane.

…Forecasters said because of Ike’s size and the shallow Texas coastal waters, it could produce a wall of water 20 feet high, and waves of perhaps 50 feet.

The latest tweet from HurricaneIke:

NHC: Modest intensifying expected, will most likely push Ike to category 3 before landfall.

I’m wrapping up last minute prep here. Not much time left.

Hurricane Ike: Last Minute Prep

All the hard work is done and I had my supplies, gas, and cash on hand days ago. However, I have some cleaning, laundry, and battery charging to do. It sounds trivial but the little things will make a big difference if I’m left without power for days or weeks.

I also need coffee – badly.

Ship in Trouble off Galveston – In Path of Hurricane Ike

This must be terrifying:

The Coast Guard says a freighter is stranded about 90 miles southeast of Galveston — in the path of Hurricane Ike.

The Coast Guard early today received a radio call for help about a 584-foot bulk freighter, which is carrying 22 people.

Petty Officer Patrick Kelley told The Associated Press that the ship, hauling petroleum coke, broke down in the path of the hurricane “in a potentially dangerous situation.”

Kelley says they’re so far offshore, you’re looking at only helicopter responses — then you’re dealing with winds.

Kelley says the Coast Guard is weighing its response options.

Update:
The crew is on their own:

Coast Guard officials abandoned plans to remove the crew with helicopters after determining that the aircraft were not available.

“We don’t have the air assets,” said Chief Warrant Officer Lionel Bryant. “It’s a tough situation.”