Ike Getting Stronger

Crazy. The closer Ike is getting to the coast, the stronger he gets. The winds are now at 110mph (1 mph short of Cat 3). Not only that, the pressure is dropping.

Good luck to those 40% of the population that stayed on Galveston Island.

They're predicting 30+ ft. waves.

The seawall is 17 ft. tall. The math does not bode well.

Local on the 8s

I think my favorite part of watching the weather channel for 24 hours a day is looking at the week long forecast.

They predict:

Thunderstorms and possible high wind.

Thank you captain obvious.

My Hurricane Experience and Background

Thought I'd provide a brief history of my hurricane experience etc. so if you think you are just reading ramblings from some yahoo I could maybe change that to 'informed' ramblings from some yahoo.

I went to school in New Orleans from 2001-2005 receiving a degree in engineering and toughed out many TS and light hurricanes that passed through such as Ivan, Isabelle, Lily, etc.

I was in the city of New Orleans 48 hours before Katrina hit and returned to visit less than 30 days after the storm.

I currently work for an environmental consulting company in Houston and specialize in Storm Water management and control as well as permitting.

I guess I'm a professional storm nut...

This blog is being written from my home in Spring, Tx right at mile marker 68 on I-45 north of houston. That means that Galveston island is just about 70 miles directly to the south of me.

I'm not evacuating and will be riding the storm out here and updating people as long as I can keep power going to my laptop.

Flooding starting in Galveston

Just showed a helicopter shot of Galveston (West End i think). Looks like there is already a few inches to a foot of water across the entire island.

Tiki Island can't be in good shape. Looking for some pics to post.

BTW, I'm planning on posting pics and videos from my home in North Houston (Spring) as the storm rolls through. If I get to posting a lot and you think you miss some pics or vids, I'll also be adding them to this static page on my story of Hurricane Ike.

Where is Jim Cantori?

Jim Cantori is the Weather Channel Meteorologist that always appears wherever the storm is worst, without fail. When he appears it is usually a death knell for the surrounding area. I heard he was in Houston somewhere but hasn't made an appearance yet...

If anyone sees him let me know.

Holy moly, Ike takes up the whole gulf.... (watching weather channel)

8 AM press conference

The Press Conference with Bill White just started. Some notes:

If you live in an evac zone get the hell out.

if you live in a mobile home get the hell out.

in High rises every 100 feet above the ground you are, the intensity of the storm raises by a category.

If you are not in evac zone hunker down and they'll 'see us on the other side..'

Topped of the Morning

They just showed pictures of waves over topping the 17 ft. seawall that protects Galveston. The storm is still 20 hours out... That seawall is pretty much all the protection that the island has. This is not good...

20 Billion in Damage is a lot

Weather Underground is predicting $20-$30 Billion dollars in damage from Ike.

For perspective, that would make Ike the second most expensive Hurricane EVER after Katrina (35 Billion bucks) and Andrew ($20 Billion).

Yikes.

10 PM Sept 11 Ike Track