TXZ200-213-214-235>238-131845-
/O.CON.KHGX.HU.W.1009.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/
BRAZORIA-CHAMBERS-GALVESTON-HARRIS-JACKSON-LIBERTY-MATAGORDA-
132 PM CDT FRI SEP 12 2008
...HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT...
...NEW INFORMATION...
UPDATED PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS SECTION.
UPDATED STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE SECTION.
UPDATED WINDS SECTION.
...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY PERSONS IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OR MARINE AREAS:
BRAZORIA...CHAMBERS...GALVESTON...HARRIS...JACKSON...LIBERTY... MATAGORDA.
...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE ADDITIONAL HAZARDS.
FLOOD WATCH.
...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT PERSONS WHO LIVE IN MOBILE HOMES OR POORLY- BUILT STRUCTURES EVACUATE TO A SAFER LOCATION SUCH AS A WELL BUILT HOME. PERSONS WHO LIVE IN HIGH RISES SHOULD CONSIDER EVACUATING AS WINDS CAN BE AS MUCH AS 20 TO 30 MPH STRONGER AT THE TOP OF A HIGH RISE THAN AT GROUND LEVEL. PERSONS OUTSIDE OF THE MANDATORY EVACUATION AREAS WHO HAVE NOT EVACUATED SHOULD PLAN TO SHELTER IN PLACE IN A WELL BUILT STRUCTURE DURING THE PERIOD OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS.
CURRENT EVACUATION INFORMATION:
BRAZORIA COUNTY:
MANDATORY EVACUATIONS HAVE BEEN ORDERED FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CITIES OF PEARLAND...ALVIN...MANVEL... AND ANGLETON WHICH ARE UNDER A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION.
CHAMBERS COUNTY:
A MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN ORDERED FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
GALVESTON COUNTY:
POWER OUTAGES HAVE BEEN REPORTED ON THE BOLIVAR PENINSULA.
A MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN ORDERED FOR ALL OF GALVESTON ISLAND.
A MANDATORY EVACUATION IS IN EFFECT FOR BOLIVAR PENINSULA... OMEGA BAY...SAN LEON...BACLIFF...FREDDIESVILLE...TIKI ISLAND... KEMAH...AND CLEAR LAKE SHORES.
THE GALVESTON-BOLIVAR FERRY HAS CEASED OPERATIONS.
THE BOLIVAR S.U.D. HAS INDICATED THEY HAVE CEASED WATER SERVICE TO THE PENINSULA.
HARRIS COUNTY:
A MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN ORDERED FOR THE FOLLOWING ZIP CODES...77058...77059...77062...77520...77546...77571...77586... 77598 AND 77507.
PERSONS THROUGHOUT HARRIS COUNTY THAT LIVE IN MOBILE HOMES OR HIGH RISES SHOULD CONSIDER EVACUATING DUE TO THE HIGH THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS.
FOR RESIDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS...PLEASE CALL 311.
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES HAS SUSPENDED FLIGHTS INTO AND OUT OF HOBBY AIRPORT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
JACKSON COUNTY:
A MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN ORDERED FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED TODAY.
MATAGORDA COUNTY:
A MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN ORDERED FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
PALACIOS SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL REMAIN CLOSED ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 15TH.
...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...
TIDE LEVELS REPORTED AT 1230 PM CDT:
HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL/BATTLESHIP TEXAS - 4.7 FEET CLEAR LAKE ENTRANCE - 4.6 FEET ROLLOVER PASS - 5.4 FEET EAGLE POINT - 5.9 FEET MORGANS POINT - 5.1 FEET NORTH JETTY - 7.7 FEET PIER 21 - 6.8 FEET PLEASURE PIER - 8.9 FEET FREEPORT - 7.4 FEET PORT O`CONNOR - 3.6 FEET
WATER LEVELS WILL BEGIN RISING VERY RAPIDLY LATE THIS AFTERNOON WITH WATER LEVELS PEAKING BETWEEN 11 PM AND 3 AM TONIGHT AS THE STORM SURGE SPREADS ONTO THE COAST AND BAYSHORE AREAS. MAXIMUM STORM TIDE LEVELS ARE HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON THE TRACK OF THE STORM AND VARIATIONS IN THE TRACK OF ONLY 15 MILES CAN MAKE DIFFERENCES OF SEVERAL FEET MORE OR LESS FROM SOME OF THESE VALUES.
MAXIMUM WATER LEVELS FORECAST:
SHORELINE OF GALVESTON BAY...15 TO 22 FEET
BOLIVAR PENINSULA...17 TO 20 FEET
GALVESTON ISLAND......14 TO 17 FEET
GULF-FACING COASTLINE FROM SARGENT TO SAN LUIS PASS...8 TO 14 FEET
GULF-FACING COASTLINE WEST OF SARGENT...4 TO 7 FEET
SHORELINE OF MATAGORDA BAY...3 TO 5 FEET
SEVERE INUNDATION IS LIKELY NEAR THE IMMEDIATE COAST AND BAYSHORE AREAS!
NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THE STORM SURGE...AND POSSIBLY ENTIRE COASTAL COMMUNITIES...WILL BE INUNDATED DURING THE PERIOD OF PEAK STORM TIDE. MANY RESIDENCES OF AVERAGE CONSTRUCTION DIRECTLY ON THE COAST WILL BE DESTROYED. WIDESPREAD AND DEVASTATING PERSONAL PROPERTY DAMAGE IS LIKELY ELSEWHERE. VEHICLES LEFT BEHIND WILL LIKELY BE SWEPT AWAY. NUMEROUS ROADS WILL BE SWAMPED...SOME MAY BE WASHED AWAY BY THE WATER. ENTIRE FLOOD PRONE COASTAL COMMUNITIES WILL BE CUTOFF. WATER LEVELS MAY EXCEED 9 FEET FOR MORE THAN A MILE INLAND. COASTAL RESIDENTS IN MULTI-STORY FACILITIES RISK BEING CUTOFF. CONDITIONS WILL BE WORSENED BY BATTERING WAVES CLOSER TO THE COAST. SUCH WAVES WILL EXACERBATE PROPERTY DAMAGE...WITH MASSIVE DESTRUCTION OF HOMES...INCLUDING THOSE OF BLOCK CONSTRUCTION. DAMAGE FROM BEACH EROSION COULD TAKE YEARS TO REPAIR.
HIGH TIDE TIMES:
MORGANS POINT... FRI 2:52 PM. SAT 2:59 PM. CLEAR LAKE ENTRANCE... SAT 10:43 AM. EAGLE POINT... SAT 8:32 AM. PORT BOLIVAR... FRI 1:52 PM. SAT 4:52 AM. SAT 3:00 PM. GALVESTON CHANNEL... FRI 1:38 PM. SAT 4:38 AM. SAT 2:46 PM. GALVESTON PLEASURE PIER... SAT 3:32 AM. SAT 1:40 PM. JAMAICA BEACH... FRI 4:16 PM. SAT 7:16 AM. SAT 5:24 PM. SAN LUIS PASS... FRI 1:29 PM. SAT 4:29 AM. SAT 2:37 PM. FREEPORT... SAT 3:54 AM. SAT 2:02 PM. PORT O CONNOR... SAT 2:01 PM.
NOTE...TIDE LEVELS ARE REFERENCED FROM THE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER.
...WINDS...
THE WIND FIELD SURROUNDING IKE IS UNUSUALLY LARGE. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 39 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE COASTAL COUNTIES IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS...AND SPREAD INLAND TO THE HOUSTON AREA BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS OF AT LEAST TROPICAL STORM FORCE WILL LAST UP TO 24 HOURS.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 74 MPH WILL REACH THE COASTAL COUNTIES LATE THIS EVENING. THESE WINDS WILL SPREAD INLAND THROUGH THE HOUSTON METRO AREA BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 3 AM CDT. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS MAY LAST FOR UP TO 12 HOURS.
PEAK WIND GUSTS OF 90 TO 110 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS HARRIS...LIBERTY...BRAZORIA...GALVESTON...AND CHAMBERS COUNTIES. WIND GUSTS NEAR 115 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE NEAR WHERE THE CENTER OF THE STORM COMES ONSHORE.
VERY DANGEROUS WINDS WILL PRODUCE WIDESPREAD DAMAGE AND DESTRUCTION OF MOBILE HOMES IS LIKELY.
STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WILL INCLUDE THE MAJORITY OF MOBILE HOMES BEING SEVERELY DAMAGED. THOSE THAT SURVIVE WILL BE UNINHABITABLE UNTIL REPAIRED. HOUSES OF POOR TO AVERAGE CONSTRUCTION WILL HAVE MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING PARTIAL WALL COLLAPSE AND ROOFS BEING LIFTED OFF. MANY WILL BE UNINHABITABLE. WELL CONSTRUCTED HOUSES WILL INCUR MINOR DAMAGE TO SHINGLES...SIDING...GUTTERS...AS WELL AS BLOWN OUT WINDOWS. UP TO ONE QUARTER OF GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL.
PARTIAL ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED AT INDUSTRIAL PARKS...ESPECIALLY TO THOSE BUILDINGS WITH LIGHT WEIGHT STEEL AND ALUMINUM COVERINGS. OLDER LOW RISING APARTMENT ROOFS MAY ALSO BE TORN OFF...AS WELL AS RECEIVING SIDING AND SHINGLE DAMAGE. UP TO ONE QUARTER OF ALL GLASS IN HIGH RISE OFFICE BUILDINGS WILL BE BLOWN OUT. AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL CAUSE DAMAGE...INJURY...AND POSSIBLE FATALITIES.
NATURAL DAMAGE WILL INCLUDE ALL TREES WITH ROTTING BASES BECOMING UPROOTED OR SNAPPED. NEARLY ALL LARGE BRANCHES WILL SNAP. BETWEEN ONE QUARTER AND ONE HALF OF HEALTHY SMALL TO MEDIUM SIZED TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED...MOST COMMON WHERE THE GROUND IS SATURATED. UP TO THREE QUARTERS OF NEWLY PLANTED GROUND CROPS WILL BE DAMAGED.
...INLAND FLOODING...
A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT.
RAIN BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANE IKE WILL BEGIN SPREADING ONTO THE UPPER TEXAS COAST THIS AFTERNOON AND THROUGH THE HOUSTON METRO AREA BY EARLY THIS EVENING.
WIDESPREAD RAINFALL OF 5 TO 7 INCHES WITH ISOLATED TOTALS OF 10 TO 12 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE DURATION OF THE STORM. SIGNIFICANT FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE IN AREAS OF HEAVIEST RAINFALL.
...TORNADOES...
THE THREAT FOR TORNADOES WILL INCREASE RAPIDLY BY THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGH LATE SATURDAY AS IKE MOVES ONSHORE. YOU SHOULD PLAN TO SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR AWAY FROM WINDOWS.
...NEXT UPDATE...
THE NEXT LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 530 PM CDT.
$$