IKE hit Galveston texas officially around 3 am this morning (EDT) as a very strong Category 2, just one mile per hour shy of a Category 3 although some winds from this storm, as evidenced in Galveston and Houston, were of Category 4 strength. The power of Ike’s storm surge was incredible, actually a 5 on a scale of 1 to 6 according to NOAA’s experimental Integrated Kinetic Energy product. This puts Ike at the same strength as Katrina as far as storm surge…an interesting fact you probably are not going to hear from standard weather or news coverage.
Galveston’s Sea Wall worked well for them as storm surge was around 12 to 14 feet enhanced by high tide and high winds. Some storm surge was recorded near 20 feet as we expected near Galveston Bay. As we watched landfall, Ike’s pressure started to drop just moments before landfall meaning that he was strengthening even more, but the combination of Ike’s enormous size and the fact that he made a direct hit rather than slightly south of Galveston saved the city from what could have been worse, although the Coast Guard has already rescued over 100 people this morning that decided to stay after evacuation orders were issued.
This is not to minimize at all what has happened. We have no real death tolls, and damage reports are hindered by rescue efforts right now so I expect we will be seeing horrific reports over the next 48 hours and then the recovery will really begin in an area inundated by water with buildings and homes still burning, disease, mosquitos and missing people.
Houston was still experiencing high winds at 6 am this morning and the downtown area looks horrible. Galveston has been reduced to a city of debris and smoke and water right now and despite cautions and warnings, people are out and about gawking at the damage. Folks, there are power lines everywhere throughout this region, debris, broken glass and flooded roadways…GO HOME!
The next few days will bring about better reports and we will continue to monitor radio transmissions from the region for you as well as contacting folks we have in the area that can give us SUBSTANTIATED reports. This brings up another issue: right now, much of the media is struggling to stay on the air with “Up to the minute coverage” yet we are seeing a lot of unsubstantiated reports emblazoned across the bottom of many screens here in the Tracking Center. One report said that the 6th floor of a hotel was flooded, yet another channel had a reporter on the second floor of the same hotel reporting live. I suggest you stay tuned here or watch the press conferences throughout the day if you want accurate reports before you panic and assume Grandpa and Grandma must be dead. We have found that Texas television KHOU has stayed on things, broadcasts ACTUAL interviews with officials and is showing video from many areas rather than simply those hardest hit. You can watch KHOU online.
As for missing people or checking on loved ones, I suggest you email info@ chasing4life.org or hit the KHOU website forums today rather than relying on safeandwell.org as that website, although designated for just such a purpose, has only had about 25 posts in the last 24 hours. Like the evacuation order that was not heeded because of sore feelings and bad memories after Rita, I believe that safeandwell is probably not people’s first choice for the same reason.
Trust is a big deal during a time like this, and it is unfortunate that after disasters like Katrina, the public ceases to trust at such a level that potentially useful projects and efforts are overlooked for years to come, but this is what we are seeing.
During Katrina and Rita we stayed very active in tracking reports and assisting in the search for missing people. With over 13,000 posts on our forum website from 2004 to 2005, we learned the value of reporting only what we KNOW. I guess you could say that what stands the test of time is “Coverage you can count on”.
Galveston’s Sea Wall worked well for them as storm surge was around 12 to 14 feet enhanced by high tide and high winds. Some storm surge was recorded near 20 feet as we expected near Galveston Bay. As we watched landfall, Ike’s pressure started to drop just moments before landfall meaning that he was strengthening even more, but the combination of Ike’s enormous size and the fact that he made a direct hit rather than slightly south of Galveston saved the city from what could have been worse, although the Coast Guard has already rescued over 100 people this morning that decided to stay after evacuation orders were issued.
This is not to minimize at all what has happened. We have no real death tolls, and damage reports are hindered by rescue efforts right now so I expect we will be seeing horrific reports over the next 48 hours and then the recovery will really begin in an area inundated by water with buildings and homes still burning, disease, mosquitos and missing people.
Houston was still experiencing high winds at 6 am this morning and the downtown area looks horrible. Galveston has been reduced to a city of debris and smoke and water right now and despite cautions and warnings, people are out and about gawking at the damage. Folks, there are power lines everywhere throughout this region, debris, broken glass and flooded roadways…GO HOME!
The next few days will bring about better reports and we will continue to monitor radio transmissions from the region for you as well as contacting folks we have in the area that can give us SUBSTANTIATED reports. This brings up another issue: right now, much of the media is struggling to stay on the air with “Up to the minute coverage” yet we are seeing a lot of unsubstantiated reports emblazoned across the bottom of many screens here in the Tracking Center. One report said that the 6th floor of a hotel was flooded, yet another channel had a reporter on the second floor of the same hotel reporting live. I suggest you stay tuned here or watch the press conferences throughout the day if you want accurate reports before you panic and assume Grandpa and Grandma must be dead. We have found that Texas television KHOU has stayed on things, broadcasts ACTUAL interviews with officials and is showing video from many areas rather than simply those hardest hit. You can watch KHOU online.
As for missing people or checking on loved ones, I suggest you email info@ chasing4life.org or hit the KHOU website forums today rather than relying on safeandwell.org as that website, although designated for just such a purpose, has only had about 25 posts in the last 24 hours. Like the evacuation order that was not heeded because of sore feelings and bad memories after Rita, I believe that safeandwell is probably not people’s first choice for the same reason.
Trust is a big deal during a time like this, and it is unfortunate that after disasters like Katrina, the public ceases to trust at such a level that potentially useful projects and efforts are overlooked for years to come, but this is what we are seeing.
During Katrina and Rita we stayed very active in tracking reports and assisting in the search for missing people. With over 13,000 posts on our forum website from 2004 to 2005, we learned the value of reporting only what we KNOW. I guess you could say that what stands the test of time is “Coverage you can count on”.
Ike has made me think that we should re-open our search forums again, but for now, my hat’s off to KHOU for a job well-done. Their city and surrounding area can be proud of that station and its reporters.
Stephanie Abrams and Mike Bettes, Jim Cantore and the Mike Sidell once again showed how professionals operate, making sure that they made it clear to viewers that they were reporting from a dangerous situation in order to keep folks from going outside. Another job well-done.
I have to recognize at least one more guy, and I wish I had his name. There was a CNN reporter last night that made a speech about the importance of responsible reporting and pointed out in no uncertain terms that he was risking his life in the hopes of people watching him and deciding to NEVER ignore evacuation orders again. My hero.
Once we have established better radio contact with Galveston, we will update you some more.
Watch carefully…
Once we have established better radio contact with Galveston, we will update you some more.
Watch carefully…
Oh yeah, there is a depression in the mid-Atlantic…
