Hurricane Ike Live Thread

NOAA/NHC ^ | 7 September 2008 | NOAA/NHC

[NautiNurse]

Hurricane Ike is the fifth tropical cyclone of the 2008 hurricane season to threaten U.S. Gulf Coast states.

Reports from Turks & Caicos Islands describe 80 per cent of homes damaged or destroyed. On Sunday, Hurricane Ike's position just north of Hispanola was hampering relief efforts for devastation incurred by Hurricane Gustav and Tropical Storm Fay. The death toll in Haiti from Gustav reached 200 people.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist held a press conference Sunday morning shortly after a Hurricane Watch was issued for the Florida Keys.

Public Advisory Updated every 3 hours

Discussion Updated every 6 hours

Buoy data:

Florida & Eastern Gulf of Mexico

Western Gulf of Mexico

West Caribbean

Forecast Models

South FL Radar Loop
FL Keys Radar Loop
Cuba Radar Warning: site gets overloaded
FL Long Range Radar Image

Ike
Single Image		Image Loop
Lat/Lon	No Lat/Lon	Short	Long
Visible	Visible	Visible	Visible
Shortwave	Shortwave	Shortwave	Shortwave
Water Vapor	Water Vapor	Water Vapor	Water Vapor
Infrared Channel 4 Enhancements
None	None	None	None
AVN	AVN	AVN	AVN
Dvorak	Dvorak	Dvorak	Dvorak
JSL	JSL	JSL	JSL
RGB	RGB	RGB	RGB
Funktop	Funktop	Funktop	Funktop
Rainbow	Rainbow	Rainbow	Rainbow

Additional Resources:

Navy Tropical Cyclone
Storm Pulse Very cool site--scroll down for Ike

KeyNews.com Key West News
Miami Herald
NOLA.com
KPLC-tv Lake Charles News
WEAR-tv Pensacola FL
TBO.com Tampa Bay Online
KHOU Houston
WKRG-tv Mobile-Pensacola

Category	Wind Speed	Barometric Pressure	Storm Surge	Damage Potential
Tropical Depression	< 39 mph < 34 kts			Minimal
Tropical Storm	39 - 73 mph 34 - 63 kts			Minimal
Hurricane 1 (Weak)	74 - 95 mph 64 - 82 kts	28.94" or more 980.02 mb or more	4.0' - 5.0' 1.2 m - 1.5 m	Minimal damage to vegetation
Hurricane 2 (Moderate)	96 - 110 mph 83 - 95 kts	28.50" - 28.93" 965.12 mb - 979.68 mb	6.0' - 8.0' 1.8 m - 2.4 m	Moderate damage to houses
Hurricane 3 (Strong)	111 - 130 mph 96 - 112 kts	27.91" - 28.49" 945.14 mb - 964.78 mb	9.0' - 12.0' 2.7 m - 3.7 m	Extensive damage to small buildings
Hurricane 4 (Very strong)	131 - 155 mph 113 - 135 kts	27.17" - 27.90" 920.08 mb - 944.80 mb	13.0' - 18.0' 3.9 m - 5.5 m	Extreme structural damage
Hurricane 5 (Devastating)	Greater than 155 mph Greater than 135 kts	Less than 27.17" Less than 920.08 mb	Greater than 18.0' Greater than 5.5m	Catastrophic building failures possible

[jpsb]

I guess it depends on how strong and how well defined the steering currents are. But I was impressed, particularly with Hanna. Hanna had to be a dificult storm to figure out, but I thought they nailed the Hanna forecast. Dido Gustav, nailed that too. To early to tell that’s up with Ike, but if you are on the La coast or upper Tx coast you are not liking what you are seeing.

[LA Woman3]

Yikes! Here we go again!

[blam]

Yesterday someone posted a forecast of the track of Hanna that extended to the UK, when I saw that, I wondered if the weather (linked below) is associated with one of our earlier weather systems?

Flood Fears Ease As Rains Lighten (UK)

[NautiNurse]

Don’t know of another system from the U.S. that would have caused the U.K. flooding. Didn’t see mention of what is headed their way in that article either.

[jpsb]

Grand Bahama’s getting clobbered right now, direct hit by the eye wall, ouch.

[arkady_renko]

I thought Texas yesterday and I think the same today. I think the HP ridge will slide towards the low pressure to the west/southwest.

Prayers for the poor people of Cuba. They are in for something ferocious.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

I added Cuba, Louisiana, and Texas to the topics list.

[brytlea]

I keep wondering how Guantanamo weathers these storms.
susie

[NautiNurse]

No thanks. Not remotely funny, and you hotlinked an unnecessarily large graphic when folks are trying to prepare to protect lives and property in the face of a deadly storm. Take it elsewhere.

[NautiNurse]

Thanks for adding the additional topics.

[dfwgator]

I have been a fierce supporter of the embargo against Castro, but if indeed Cuba does get the brunt of this storm, we should send aid to Cuba.

The question is, will their government allow it, or will they attach such conditions on the aid, that it will still allow them to keep whining about the embargo, to cover up for their sorry, failed system.

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

Thanx for the ping

[MaxMax]

and you hotlinked an unnecessarily large graphic

Oop's, Sorry about that. I'll ask to have it removed.

[NautiNurse]

Yesterday: Cuba rejects US storm help offer

[NautiNurse]

Thanks.

[dfwgator]

...and said Washington instead should sell it relief supplies and allow food sales on credit.

Cuba doesn't exactly have the best credit rating.

[Humvee]

They may change their tune after Ike. Anyway, I can drive back across Alligator Alley to Fort Myers tomorrow.

[AFPhys]

I’ll bet you’re happy to be able to get rid of your advanced engineering of the header!

[NautiNurse]

Governor Jindal presser on now. 30% of fuel depots are down. Priority has been on getting fuel to areas since Gustav. Jindal stressing there is a lot of uncertainty with Ike’s path.

[NautiNurse]

Hurricane season can’t end soon enough.