Saturday, September 13, 2008

Ike Ravages Texas With 130 mph Gusts on Galveston Island & We Brace for its Rain & Wind



Our thoughts and prayers go out to those in Texas and especially Galveston Island as the worst part of the hurricane or the eye wall goes over the island. I am really scared to think what is going to happen to anybody that did not evacuate. Reports of 45 foot waves are crashing over the islands 17 foot sea wall. Chunks of the sea wall are now coming off and I am thinking this storm may change the way these things are covered on television. There are several objects flying through the air at this time and one reporter just asked the cameraman if he got hit and to get down. Why do we have all these people covering this on the beach and I am very worried about somebody getting hurt. Evacuations are issued for a reason and it should include everybody whether you are a meteorologist, television reporter, or President of the United States. Quite frankly the hurricane hype has gotten way out of hand and I do not want to name any names but we all know where it started. Now I do admit I had my fun in Myrtle Beach with Hurricane Bonnie on a television station there and even though I was amazed at the power of nature with 60 to 80 mph wind gusts and a howling sound of the wind that is hard to describe I was thinking about it not being the smartest thing to do or place to be. Now I feel more strongly about this than ever. The picture above tells it all. The yellow band you see above represents the eye wall or the most violent part of a hurricane. It is taking the worst possible route into Texas. Once this eye moves inland it will still bring 70 to 90 mph winds to Houston and even Dallas will see hurricane force gusts and plenty of damage. Here is the latest track tonight and what it means for us in Indiana.

By Sunday at 5 p.m. you see Ike's remnants will move into Indiana. It will still be a tropical depression when it arrives here. The part we need to be on guard for will not just be flooding but severe thunderstorms. These tropical systems cannot be trusted when it comes to severe weather and the areas most vulnerable to damaging winds and tornadoes are in the path of the storm and to its south and east. Based on the track above we are right in the path for not just heavy rain but strong storms. We will have to really watch things carefully on Sunday. Here is what you can expect here at home.
That is right we could actually have tropical storm force wind gusts even though the storm is striking about a thousand miles away. This storm is about 2.5 times the size of a normal hurricane and like Katrina it will pack a punch rarely seen from any storm here on earth. Our weather team will keep you updated. This weekend the Lay Flats Festival is on Saturday with plenty of plans out there and if you have any Saturday would be the better day of the two with occasional rain, but also some dry hours. The heavier rain will try to hold off until late day and the evening just in time for the Purdue-Oregon game. I cannot rule out thunderstorms over Ross-Ade which would cause a delay. We are in a slight risk for severe weather and remember last year the Purdue game was delayed due to lightning during the second game of the season. A repeat? Maybe. We will keep you updated here on Live Doppler 18 with another post coming up today including why severe weather has to be taken in these situations and an update on the possible flooding including the rivers. Keep adding up the rain and take some pictures and our weather team will try to show as many as we can. Stay safe and blog away.


Here is a picture sent to us by Darci Pizzi. She says this is good duck roasting weather. Everybody is fired up for the big game today! Boiler up and roast those ducks on and off the field! Now I am going to try to talk my wife into making some of those chocolate chip cookies. It is going to be a long night.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

as of 2:57am.

The whole Wlfi viewing area is in a tornado watch but Warren, Montgomery, and fountain, countie places like Benton, Newton, and jasper, need to keep watch as the storm cell's are pushing there way over you all.

Justin in Lafayette.

Anonymous said...

I notice we're under a Tornado watch until 10 am. I didn't think we were in a threat for sever weather tonight.

Also, I agree with you on the hurricane coverage. I'm worried I will see one of them get seriously hurt. I've already seen one take a pretty nasty fall (TWC), and I also saw a guy run naked behind the reporter (in the middle of a hurricane of all things!) about a hour and a half ago on CNN's coverage. Crazy and scary coverage there.

Anonymous said...

That was something you did not want to see. LOL..

Look's like these storms are slowly poshing off to the north east at around 44mph also look's like the main thing's for places like Newton, and Jasper, will be some heavy rain's and lightning. Some good new's is there is no dopplar Indicated tornado's let's keep it that way. otherwise it is looking better.

Justin in Lafayette.

Anonymous said...

Well the storm's are now makeing there way out of the wlfi viewing area. Thing's are looking much better and clam. Im going to try to get some more sleep and hopefully there will be now more storm's tonight! :) Sleep well all and I will be here later on in the morning see you here!!!!! :)

Justin in Lafayette.

Anonymous said...

Hi Bloggers, any of you up yet:) I was trying to post on the blog around 2:30 am after my wx alarm woke me. I couldnt get my post to go through, Justin and others we must have been posting at the sametime LOL! We did have a nice little t-shower here in Laf. had to close the windows. I wonder how all are doing in the Counties north of Tipp?

I agree with Mike about the news coverage on Ike, those people are in such danger, I watched a reporter ride out the first part of the hurrican in Van in 100+mph winds his van was being pounded by glass, tree limbs, hunks of roofing ect.! Another reporter is trapped on a stairwell of Her hotel, due to all the broken windows and the building is being blown apart! She and crew are on an upper level of the hotel, but the lower levels of the are flooded, they cant get out!

I must admit I could not pull myself away from the TV. Really made my heart race, so not much sleep for me,

I wonder what are area is in for, they are saying the hurricane turned into a wind event instead of a surge event! I am concerned about tornados here!

Teri in Laf.

Anonymous said...

Dang and something told me to put the weather radio on last night!

Yeah we all have to stay on our toes during the next few days.

Anonymous said...

Brow, I like you wx pic!

Teri in Laf

Anonymous said...

Hey all Im here we are getting some high wind gusts every now and then nothing bad at this point and I got a total rain amount of .30".

Let me check out a few thing's and I will be back!

Justin in Lafayette.

Anonymous said...

Yes Justin we sure are getting the wind, feels strange outside, almost spring like wx! The air is so thick! I have my windows open yet the humidity is really getting to me!

Teri in Laf

Anonymous said...

We do have a break in the rain for a bit today! however we still could see some wind gusts between 25 and 30 mph. As we go into early tomorrow we could see wind gusts as high as 40 maybe 45mph as a cold front will be pushing it's way over our state a few
sca-T storm's are possible so we will have to watch that. I think we will be picking up tree limb's in the morning! Now do note this could change this is indiana lol.

Everyone get ready we will be seeing what's left of Ike tomorrow with some Heavy Heavy rain's.....

Justin in Lafayette.

Anonymous said...

some maps have us in just over an inch of rainfall others 3-6 inch, looks to me it is heading north of Tippecanoe Co.

Are we going to get high winds only? Is the Purdue game game going to be delayed?

Anonymous said...

I found this on Dan Rather: Rather's career moved to a national level thanks to a terrible tropical storm. In September 1961, Hurricane Carla headed toward the American coastline along the Gulf of Mexico. It hit at full force near Galveston, Texas, and became one of the worst storms ever to reach the U.S. mainland. Rather and his team were the only live television news source broadcasting from Galveston when Carla hit, and he delivered one of his reports by hanging onto a palm tree. Rather also persuaded the director of the local weather-reporting station to let his crew put a television camera in front of the radar screen, which tracked storms from high above Earth's atmosphere. "That day," noted Cartwright, "viewers saw something they had never seen on live television: the image of a four-hundred-mile-wide hurricane superimposed over a map of the Texas Gulf Coast. The coverage spurred a mass evacuation of the coast and probably saved thousands of lives."

Rather's fearless reporting earned the attention of CBS executives in New York City and forever earned him the nickname "Hurricane Dan" among his professional colleagues in the media. Shortly after Hurricane Carla, he was promoted to serve as the network's national news correspondent for its southwestern bureau, which included several southern U.S. states as well as Mexico and Central America.

Anonymous said...

This rain will not amount to much. Just like most of the rain missing us the past two days here in Laf., I see less than an inch from IKE. No disrespect intended, but the weather people tend to hype these events a little. Do need to watch out for s bad storm or two. But don't make plans on my forecast. This is just one amateures opinion. Have a great weekend and go BOILERS!

Anonymous said...

I report in from Remington where i have a storm total of 1.12 inches rain. Areas around Chicago have already had 3-6 inches rain. If you were watching radar it rained all day and night up there. The WX radio woke me at around 3:00 a.m. and after shutting windows (had T&L with rain and what sounded like small hail) I was glued to the TV! The eye was over Galveston at that time and it was fascinating to watch.

Braced for what else is coming.....

MA in REM

Jusin did you lay down at all last night???

Anonymous said...

To anonymous quote:"no disrespect intended, but the weather people tend to hype these events a little". Whats a little, would you rather be prepared or be caught in a dangerous situation as those in TX? Then to have someone come rescue you,or give you shelter because you did not believe???? You are just like those who did not heed the warings in TX. OH nothing we can ride out this storm, now they are all calling for help. Be thankful for the "weather people"! Remember mother nature will do as she will! And at times she changes her mind!

Anonymous said...

Ya Mary anne I got a few hour's sleep but I wonder if I will tonight! I got the latest map's and it look's like by around 4am or 5a tomorrow / tonight we all could start to see high wind gusts around 40 to 45 mph I have been watching this all day and it is looking to be more and more promiseing. Remember If we do get these high wind gusts the power could go out!

Justin in Lafayette.

Anonymous said...

Hi Mary Anne and Justin, goodness you are both right, Justin we are already getting high wind gusts scary. And yes MA there is heavy rainfall north of Remington! Glad to hear you are fine!

This is something to be watched. I have my flash lights and candles out just in case of a power outage!

Teri in Laf.

Anonymous said...

BTW...what are gas prices around the area? Ours went from 3.89 yesterday to 4.38 today!

and I just went to 85*

MA in REM

Anonymous said...

Yesterday when we filled up the price was 4.889 unleaded reg. I have no clue where the prices stand at this time.

Teri

Anonymous said...

Even worse than Galveston Island is Bolivar Peninsula including Bolivar, Crystal Beach, Gilchrist, and High Island.

The entire peninsula went under water and Crystal Beach and Gilchrist were utterly destroyed.