Unless there are some serious changes, this will be the last update on IKE!
UPDATED: 09-13-08 @ 2:25PM CDT - For more recent updates check http://www.weather.com/ and be sure to visit the home page here: TexasFred’s
From the National Hurricane Center: AT 100 PM CDT…1800Z…THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM IKE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 31.6 NORTH…LONGITUDE 95.4 WEST OR JUST SOUTHEAST OF PALESTINE TEXAS. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT 50 MILES…80 KM… SOUTH OF TYLER TEXAS…AND ABOUT 70 MILES…110 KM…SOUTHWEST OF LONGVIEW TEXAS.
IKE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 16 MPH…26 KM/HR. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHEAST IS EXPECTED LATER THIS AFTERNOON…WITH A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AND AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED EXPECTED TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK…THE CENTER OF IKE IS FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH NORTHEASTERN TEXAS TODAY…AND INTO WESTERN ARKANSAS TONIGHT.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 60 MPH…95KM/HR…WITH HIGHER GUSTS…AND IKE IS NOW A STRONG TROPICAL STORM. ADDITIONAL WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AS THE CENTER MOVES FARTHER INLAND…AND IKE COULD BECOME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION BY TONIGHT.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 150 MILES…240KM…MAINLY EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF THE CENTER. IKE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES OVER EASTERN TEXAS AND EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA…WITH ISOLATED AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES POSSIBLE. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES… WITH MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 8 INCHES…ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA…WESTERN ARKANSAS…SOUTHERN AND EASTERN MISSOURI… ILLINOIS…NORTHERN INDIANA…AND SOUTHERN LOWER MICHIGAN THROUGH SUNDAY.
A THREAT FOR TORNADOES EXISTS THROUGH TONIGHT OVER PORTIONS OF EASTERN AND SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS…SOUTHERN AND WESTERN LOUISIANA…MUCH OF ARKANSAS…AND SOUTHERN MISSOURI.
My prayers are with everyone in Ike’s path. They have to get out, no property is worth more than a human life.
I talked with a woman in church this morning who is from Belle Chasse, Louisiana and whose parents and family still live there. They evacuated for Gustav but say they won’t if Ike comes their way. Her parents are saying it cost them a lot of money to evacuate for Gustav and although they’re back home, they don’t have electricity and so no stores are open to purchase food. They plan on riding it out like they have in the past. She’s trying to get them to come to Missouri but says they’re stubborn and think people overacted for Gustav.
Maybe it was over reaction, maybe it was luck, maybe it was the hand of God…
New Orleans is going to drown before it’s all over with, it is inevitable..
All I can say to those folks is, good luck!!
Wear your water wings and watch out for gators…
hurricane IKE is gonna make landfall in houston,tx?????
It’s quite possible, but nothing is a certainty as yet…
Do you think it will be coming to houston as of now
Katie, It’s quite possible, but we’re still 4 days out at least, I am NOT a weatherman, I just can’t say..
The best thing I can say to anyone is watch your local weather stations and check here too. I appreciate the hits and will keep reports coming in daily as this thing finds it’s way to where it wants to go… The Home Page will be updated at least once a day, more than that if Ike gets to roaring too fast…
Yikes, it’s Ike!
Best of luck to all….we are praying for the good folks in harm’s way.
My niece and boyfriend live in Houston and are on their way up to us, running a head of the storm. I pray that all are safe from disaster.
I am covering those who stand in the way of hurricane Ike with prayer! Asking God to preserve their lives. In Jesus Mighty Name.
Amen!
I am in Austin and we had a spectacular sunset, thanks to Ike. I got some great pictures. I have family here in Austin who evacuated from Baytown.
The winds are picking up here and we are a little over 200 miles away!
God bless those whose homes are in the bull’s eye.
For those that stayed to weather the storm, we are praying for you!
It’s 11:23PM here and pretty windy even though I’m in Prairie View which is about 30 miles north of Houston. I live in NW Houston (near Cypress) and just went ahead and came this way since I have family and friends in Prairie View. I didn’t want to be at the house alone during this bad weather. Traffic is actually MUCH better than Rita. News sources (2,11 and 13) are saying the storm will really make landfall around 1AM (central).
Returning the concern, Texas Fred, although Ike looks way more dangerous that a little ole’ SoCal earthquake.
Bless you and your family!
My wife’s in Fort Worth on business, flying out, back home, in the morning. Let that damned ‘cane fade before landfall, and then we can pick back up the conservative blog wars, you old coot!
I hope she gets out of Ft Worth early, there is talk of closing DFW possibly, the storm winds may be 50-60MPH after noon..
Thank you, sincerely, for the concern, and all the best to you and yours as well…
I am a veteran of many hurricanes starting with Hurricane Camille when I was a little rug rat, Hurricane Frederick (when I was a teenager and the only eye of a hurricane I personally experienced — a direct hit in the small Mississippi town in which I lived back in 1979) and several others since then. My prayers and thoughts are with all Texans experiencing this event and also with Louisianians as well. This is a HUGE storm and has the potential to create as much damage if not more than Hurricane Katrina. May God be with you all.
Any news about conditions in Pasadena, Texas? My folks live there and phone is not going through and I live out of state. THANKS!
Sammy, I have absolutely NO word on anyone or anything other than the news services..
I am sorry, I can’t help you, I wish I could, I hope and pray nothing but the best for your folks and ALL the folks in the area, there was a brief time last night when I couldn’t get thru to my family either, they are in south Louisiana and there was a lot of flooding…
Give it some time, power is OUT, so, likely phones are too, and whatever you do DO NOT try and go there, the authorities don’t need any more folks stranded or in danger than they already have.
Sammy, I spoke to my father just a few minutes ago, who is 76 miles Northwest of Houston. He said the heart of the storm was just going through Huntsville, TX. 90 mph winds, driving rain, no power. Thank heavens for technology! He was able to get a signal for his cell phone. He told me that it may be weeks before power is restored to
Most people in the Houston and surrounding areas have no power. It appears to be clearing up here in Austin.