Posted on 08/03/2008 6:26:11 PM PDT by BellStar
GALVESTON — Tropical Storm Edouard formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday and could make landfall near Galveston by Tuesday morning, said forecasters with the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Edouard is the hurricane season’s fifth named storm.
What had been a cluster of storms around a low-pressure system on Saturday was upgraded to a tropical depression Sunday afternoon and then to a tropical storm at 5 p.m. on Sunday. Forecasters expect the storm will strengthen.
The storm was hugging the Louisiana coast and moving west. A tropical storm watch was in effect from Port Arthur to Galveston.
John Simsen, the emergency management coordinator for Galveston County, said local emergency management officials were preparing for what could be a Category 1 hurricane when Edouard makes landfall. Mary Jo Nashke, the emergency management spokeswoman for the city of Galveston, said the city’s emergency operations center would open at 6 a.m. today.
Bruce Clawson, the director of homeland security for Texas City said the Moses Lake floodgate would be closed Sunday night as low tide set in and the water level in the lake — which serves as the flood relief reservoir for the city — was at the lowest point possible.
Simsen said that there would be a conference call of all of the county’s emergency management officials at 8:30 a.m. today.
Emergency management officials were also warning those who live in low-lying coastal communities — including Galveston’s West End, as well as the north county water communities of Bacliff, San Leon and Kemah — to consider making plans for a hurricane making landfall.
Tides are expected to be 2 to 4 feet higher than normal,, and Edouard is expected to be a heavy rainmaker no matter where it makes landfall.
Most computer models have Edouard making landfall on or near Galveston Island’s West End as a tropical storm early Tuesday morning. The forecasters’ cone of uncertainty, however, includes areas along the Texas and Louisiana border to as far south as Corpus Christi.
Heads up!
Karl Rove and George Bush are really having fun with their hurricane machine, aren’t they?
Uh oh
Seriously, may G-d bless and protect all those in the path of this storm.
Bruce Clawson, the director of homeland security for Texas City said the Moses Lake floodgate would be closed Sunday night as low tide set in and the water level in the lake — which serves as the flood relief reservoir for the city — was at the lowest point possible.
A little background: Texas City flooded when Hurricane Carla came into the Texas Gulf Coast. The flood waters came into the city from Moses Lake — not from the Gulf side. So the Texas City leaders vowed that Texas City would never again be flooded by a Hurricane, and they built a retaining wall around the city, with pumping stations so many miles apart. The wall would keep the water out and the pumps would keep Texas City dry.
Batten down the ferris wheel!
Prayers that this system will behave...LOL....and just bring some much needed rain to parts of Texas.
Glad people in that area are now paying attention.
Best wishes that this storm does little damage...stay safe all along the path of Eduoardo!
Is this system what caused our “cool” weather this evening?
That would be one heck of a ride on our newish Roller Coaster the Boardwalk Bullett here in Kemah.
We do need the rain.
Good grief. I’m going to do a hurricane dance. We need the rain in Tarrant co.
Cat. 1 hurricane by land fall all models say!
We do love taking a ride on that boat - The Boss? Yes we do need rain but not all that comes with it. This one is supposed to resemble Allison which was a disaster for those of us living inside the Loop which, because of its design, created a reservoir in the city. We’ll see - take care and Godspeed!
Remember hurricane Alicia Aug 18th 1983!
Kemah.Net - Kemah,TX,USA
This little cat 3 storm with 115mph winds killed 21 people and did 1.2 billion dollars in damage, with a 14 ft storm surge.90%
of Dwellings on Jamaica beach were destroyed the Seabrook and Kemah flats looked like ground zero. Houston highrise glass buildings
sustained heavy damage. Kemah.Net webmaster Claire Durkee Worthington road this one out on board our 56 ft boat
at the Seabrook Shipyard but “never again. I servived the storm and the bad guys did come in smal boats as soon as the wind died down.
Before law was restored and before than Chief of Police Bill Kerber and his officers could even get back in the Seabrook Shipyard,
I had to rack the action on my shotgun more than once. Yes, it really is the international language!” Advice. Be safe evacuate.
The Beast!!!!!!!!!!
I just came home from Webster, Tx yesterday after spending a week there with my son and his wife and two small children. It was so hot and dry! They can certainly use the rain, but I hope it doesn’t go overboard and flood and that there’s no wind damage.
We will keep all up to date even if we loose power the generator will be on.
ping
Stay safe.
Stay safe.
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