RSSHurricane Ike Slams the Texas Coast … the Morning After …
Hurricane Ike officially hit the Texas coast in the Galveston area at 1:10 am EDT as a category 2 hurricane with winds up to 110 mph. The storm surge has caused severe flooding and much damage has been left in Ike’s wake. Citizens, businesses and officials are left reeling and in the massive clean up and repair effort that they face in the coming days. Thankfully, the forecasted catastrophic 20 to 25 foot wall of water never materialized and the storm surge only topped out at only 13.5 feet. However, the damage was done.
The strength of the storm and the damage it has caused prevented firefighters from reaching multiple fires burning in Galveston and Houston.
Insurance experts say the value of insured property in the Houston area is nearly $1 trillion. FEMA estimates the damage could top $12 billion.
VIDEO: “I’ve never seen water so high”.
Johnny Hanson: Chronicle
Waves crashing into the seawall reach over the memorial to the hurricane of 1900 as Hurricane Ike began to hit Galveston.
The storm cut off power to more than 4 million people in the Houston area
Floyd LeBlanc of CenterPoint Energy Inc. said 1.8 million of the power company’s customers — or more than 4 million people — in metro Houston are without electricity as high winds and heavy rains downed power lines. LeBlanc said 2 million customers represent about 4.5 million people.
Brian Devall, right, 16, and his friend Andrew David, 17, paddle a kayak through flooded streets to check on Devall’s house after Hurricane Ike hit the Texas coast, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008, in Galveston, Texas.
(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
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See the slide show of pictures from Hurricane Ike.
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Slide show of pictures from Yahoo News
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More pics from Ike from The Houston Chronicle
Two men wade through flooded streets as Hurricane Ike begins to make landfall in Galveston, Texas September 12, 2008. Massive Hurricane Ike bore down on the Texas coast on Friday, driving a wall of water into seaside communities and threatening catastrophic damage.
(Jessica Rinaldi/Reuters)
Ike Strikes Galveston and Houston
Metro Houston faced a wicked blow from Ike this morning. Aside from the coastal flooding on the southeast side of the city along the western bay, Houston will deal with sustained tropical storm-force winds with numerous gusts to hurricane force. Once the center passes I-10, the metro area will see a slow decrease in winds but the heavy rain will continue into the afternoon.
Skyscrapers endured higher winds this morning than compared to the street level because of their elevation. Windows have been blown out in several of these very tall buildings throughout downtown Houston.
UPDATE I: President George W. Bush comments Regarding Hurricane Ike
Obviously, this is a huge storm that is causing a lot of damage not only in Texas, but also in parts of Louisiana. The storm has yet to pass, and I know there are people concerned about their lives. Some people didn’t evacuate when asked, and I’ve been briefed on the rescue teams there in the area. They’re prepared to move as soon as weather conditions permit. Obviously, people on the ground there are sensitive to helping people, and are fully prepared to do so.
… In the meantime, the Department of Energy, the Federal Trade Commission, and I know state authorities will be monitoring gasoline prices to make sure consumers are not being gouged, make sure consumers are being treated fairly.
Gouging? Gas prices near $6.00 a gallon in parts of Florida. How is it that gas prices can escalate but if a bottle of water does, its a Federal crime?
UPDATE II: Ike Roars Ashore in Galveston, Weakens to Category 1 Storm as Millions Lose Power
Posted September 13, 2008 by Scared Monkeys Energy, Hurricane, Natural Disaster, You Tube Video, weather | 4 comments |
Tropical Storms & Hurricanes … H, I, J … Hanna, Ike & Josephine on the way
The hurricane season is heating up and 3 tropical storms and hurricanes are right upon us. As the eastern coast deals with Tropical storm Hanna, all eyes are of Hurricane Ike.
Tropical storm Hanna is presently hammering the Carolina coast with heavy rains and wind. Coastal flooding is expected as storm surge flooding along the South Carolina and North Carolina coasts s with surge flooding of one foot to three feet above normal tide levels. Tropical Storm Hanna is expected to cause rain and flooding up the entire East Coast.
Mexico & Texas Brace for Tropical Storm Dolly (Hurricane) … Hello Dolly
A hurricane watch has been issued for South Texas as Tropical Storm Dolly 
heads across the Gulf of Mexico.
“All forecast models have it hitting over northeast Mexico or the coast of deep South Texas,” National Weather Service forecaster Fred Vega said. “It’s hard to indicate where it’s going to hit landfall, but it’s a large system and we’re going to see the effects way before.”
The National Weather Service posted a hurricane watch from Rio San Fernando, Mexico, to Port O’Connor, Texas. A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible within the next 36 hours. A tropical storm watch for the same time period was issued from Port O’Connor north to San Luis Pass.
Dolly was expected to make landfall on Wednesday as a Category 1 storm with sustained winds of 74 mph to 95 mph.
Its been fast and furious this hurricane season. Tropical Storm Cristobal wanes, as Dolly says hello! Lurking in the wings is Hurricane Fausto
Fausto’s maximum sustained winds are near 160 kilometres per hour and the storm’s center is 651 kilometres west-southwest of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
UPDATE I: Hurricane Warnings Issued Across Texas, Mexico as Dolly Takes Aim
UPDATE II: Hurricane Dolly Set to Hit Texas Coast
Dolly was upgraded from a tropical storm Tuesday afternoon with sustained winds near 75 mph, and some strengthening of the Category 1 storm is forecast before landfall Wednesday. At 5 p.m. EDT, the storm’s center was about 165 miles east-southeast of Brownsville, moving northwest at about 10 mph.
A hurricane warning is in effect for the coast of Texas from Brownsville to Corpus Christi and in Mexico from Rio San Fernando northward.
Tropical Storm Gabrielle Takes Aim at North Carolina Shore
Tropical storm Gabrielle, with winds near 50 mph, takes aim at the NC shore. Gabrielle will pass over the North Carolina Outer Banks and hit land fall Sunday.
(NOAA)
Missing Man Gregory van der Biezen Drown in Aruba; However His Body was Found
A 35 year old man, Gregory van der Biezen, went missing in Aruba after he went body 
boarding with his son near Boca Grandi after hurricane Felix passed over the island. After initial search efforts failed, authorities resumed the next day and the police found the body of the man in the water. Boca Grandi is located near the island’s eastern tip.
The unfortunate drowning of this man does once again bring up an obvious point that seems to be lost or conveniently avoided by so many when discussing the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba. If one simply just drowned in the ocean, they would have been found. She would have either washed ashore or would have been found in the water. Gregory van der Biezen’s body was found even with the rough seas and undercurrents following Hurricane Felix. Why would the rules of nature be so different for an American teenage tourist as opposed to a 35 year old Dutch nurse in Aruba if as so many have claimed Natalee simply drowned? The fact of the matter is, this is what would have occured if someone had simply just drown.
Amigoe, Sept. 4, 2007: Missing man drowned: Rescue workers searching for the missing Gregory van der Biezenoccurred.
ORANJESTAD – The 35-year old man that was missing since Sunday after he went body boarding with his son near Boca Grandi has drowned. The body of Gregory van der Biezen was found on the beach near Grapefield yesterday morning.
Posted September 5, 2007 by Scared Monkeys Aruba, Deceased, Hurricane, Missing Persons, Natalee Holloway, Travel | 117 comments |
Hurricane Felix Takes Aim at Aruba … One Happy Island Supposedly Out of the Hurricane Belt, Not Any More
Hurricane Felix is gathering strength in the Caribbean. Hurricane Felix has become a category two hurricane and is taking direct aim at Aruba. Aruba, the Caribbean island that is touted as being out of the hurricane belt can no longer state that claim.
(Click on the picture for color infrared loop)
Tropical Storm Felix (Hurricane) Strengthens in Caribbean … I thought Aruba Did not Experience Bad Weather on “One Happy Island”
UPDATE I: From the Aruban Forums
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Reports of floods are coming in from the village of Catashi and Seroe Patrishi.
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Haystack Hill and Aruba’s tallest hill Arikok are not visible from a distance.
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Unconfirmed reports of downed palm trees at westpunt near Malmok.
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A few downed kwihi and divi trees reported on streets.
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Visibility poor riding on Sasaki highway near Palm Beach/Eagle Beach.
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Surf is battering Tamarijn hotel entering ground level hotel rooms, according to radio report.
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Power outage reported in Palm Beach, Tarabana and Alto Vista.
Some hotels may have generators. -
Very strong wind gusts all over the island.
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Bubali sanctuary spilling over, too much water.
UPDATE II: Hurricane Felix now a category 3
UPDATE III: VIDEO, Flooding in Aruba
UPDATE IV: Felix Becomes Category 5 Hurricane
ORANJESTAD, Aruba - Felix rapidly strengthened into a dangerous Category 5 hurricane and churned through the Caribbean Sea on a path toward Central America, where forecasters said it could make landfall as a “potentially catastrophic” storm.
On Sunday, Felix toppled trees and flooded some homes on the Dutch islands of Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire in the southern Caribbean. Heavy rains and winds caused scattered power outages and forced thousands of tourists to take refuge in hotels, but residents expressed relief it did far less damage than feared as the storm’s outer bands grazed the tiny islands.
UPDATE V: Category 5 Hurricane Felix slams ashore at Nicaragua-Honduras border
Tropical Storm Felix (Hurricane) Strengthens in Caribbean … I thought Aruba Did not Experience Bad Weather on “One Happy Island”
Tropical Storm Felix forming in the Caribbean has become the sixth name storm of the 
2007 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm is tracking in the Caribbean near Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. So much for tropical storms and hurricanes not being a part of the weather patterns in Aruba. The AHATA may want to re-write the travel brochures.
In Aruba the newspapers almost never publish a weather report. They don’t need to. Around here, “sunny and warm” is not news. With an average rainfall of less than 20 inches a year, an average daytime temperature of 82° Fahrenheit (27° Celsius), a location completely outside the hurricane belt, and the constant cooling influence of the trade winds, Aruba is one of the most temperate islands in the Caribbean. And just as comfortable in July as it is in January.
It would appear that Aruba is not “completely” outside the hurricane belt as evidence by the weather warnings. So much for truth in advertizing.
Felix is expected to continue on this track over the next 24 hours, which would take away from the southern Windward Islands later this morning and near the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao late Saturday or early Sunday, the hurricane center said.
The government of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba has issued a tropical storm warning for the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area within the next 24 hours. A tropical storm watch remains in effect for the northern coast of Venezuela from Cumana to Pedernales including the island of Margarita. (CNN)
The island lies far outside the Hurricane Belt, so there is virtually no threat of tropical storms. Time to refresh the page.
NOAA:
Category 4 Hurricane Dean Takes Aim on Jamaica … Could Soon be Category 5
Hurricane Dean has already cause death and damage in its path in the Caribbean. Hurricane Dean, now a category 4, takes aim at Jamaica. Dean has already killed at least 3 people and now Hurricane Dean bears down on Jamaica. It is being predicted that when Hurricane Dean hits Jamaica it could be a category 5 with winds greater than 155 mph.
Dean was forecast to thrash Jamaica with 160 mph winds, or Category 5 intensity, up to 20 inches of rain, storm surge and large battering waves, with the onslaught beginning Sunday morning. The system, with hurricane-force winds extending 70 miles from its core, was to be directly over the small island nation by Sunday afternoon.
Also facing peril: the Cayman Islands, which are about 200 miles northwest of Jamaica and in Dean’s path. The storm was expected to rumble over those resort islands on Monday while retaining its brute force. (Sun Sentinel)
Dean, a Category 4 hurricane, ravaged Caribbean islands on Saturday and was expected to roll across the Yucatan Peninsula and into the Gulf of Mexico by Tuesday. The Texas coast was a possible target, and some South Texas areas began taking precautions Saturday. (Washington Post)
Hurricane Dean Becomes First in the Atlantic, Heading toward the Caribbean
Look out Caribbean, the first hurricane of the season in the Atlantic is heading your way.
The first hurricane has formed in the Atlantic this season. Hurricane Dean is headed toward the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean.
Hurricane DEAN Public Advisory - NOLA
Hurricane warnings were issued for the islands of Dominica and St. Lucia by their local governments. Hurricane watches were in effect for the islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe and its dependencies, Saba and St. Eustaties.
Hurricane Ernesto bears down on the Gulf of Mexico
The first hurricane of the season has arrived. Hurricane Ernesto heads toward the Gulf of 
Mexico.
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) - Ernesto became the first hurricane of the Atlantic season Sunday with winds of 75 mph, and forecasters said it would strengthen as it headed toward the Gulf of Mexico, where it could menace a wide swath of coastline including New Orleans.
Tropical Storm Ernesto Strengthens Over Caribbean
