First, in regards to the guy trying to break into my car…I’ve been getting a lot of emails about that. Afterwards, we saw the guy driving away in another white malibu…a newer model. I think he was just drunk. Good way to ride out a category two (three???) hurricane, guy! Anyway, afterwards I put it in my trunk. Thankfully, the laptop and I made it home safe.
To Hurricane Ike, tropical storm-force winds are all throughout the southeast Texas area. Here in Katy, the winds are steady between 35-40mph with gusts as high as 50mph. The current forecast takes the center of the hurricane right over the major Houston metropolitan area. This is almost the worst-case scenario I posted about earlier. The only way it could’ve been worse is if Ike had indeed made it to the 135-140mph winds that were being forecasted a couple of days ago.
Nonetheless, it is what it is and it won’t get better. I now expect to see hurricane-force winds at my home as well as across much of the southeast Texas area. Houston will likely see winds up to 100mph with gusts as high as 120mph. In the taller buildings, including The Williams Tower, the higher floors could experience winds as high as 135mph with gusts exceeding 150mph. As with Hurricane Alicia, most of downtown Houston will left with downed trees, powerlines, and shattered glass. Expect to see similar to what you saw in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.
Panoramic View of the Houston Skyline
Can you believe Galveston’s weather station went down before noon this afternoon? Unbelievable! Trust me, I was down there. The winds weren’t that bad. Someone wasn’t prepared. But, oh well!
I’m still shocked so many people decided to ride out this storm. Yet again, we’ve seen people take these situations for granted and not take heed to the warnings given. Even though the National Hurricane Center and local meteorologists couldn’t say for certain where final landfall would be, they should’ve evacuated when the order was given else be prepared.
One thing that amazes me about Galveston is the historical nature of the city. You can almost hear the ghosts of 1900 in the streets. Before a Seawall Blvd was built, Isaac Cline rode those beaches warning of an oncoming hurricane. Yet, no one listened.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I have the coffee on, ready to write what I observe. I expect winds to get hairy here around 10 and really scary around midnight. The worst isn’t expected here until 2-3 in the morning. Will keep you posted.
