hurricane ike damage

A man walked through strong winds in downtown Houston on Saturday. Hurricane Ike left at least three million customers without power, streets under water and authorities poised to evaluate the extent of the damage once the storm made its way through. Bloomberg News September 12, 2008 Hurricane Ike , the storm that’s forcing people to flee the Texas coast, will cause at least $5 billion in insured damage, said Steve Smith Steve Smith, an atmospheric physicist for the Carvill reinsurance brokerage.

In previous storms intitial damage forecasts were often exagerrated and the forecasters had lost some credibility. By yesterday afternoon the National Hurricane Center had made the case that the greatest potential for destruction by Ike was the storm surge because it was such a large storm.

Governor Bob Riley on Friday afternoon declared a state of emergency for Alabama after he received new information from the U.S.

We have just received notification from a very reliable source that many of the refineries in Texas are being shut down due to Hurricane IKE.

Grand Turk island was one of several popular Caribbean destinations hit hard by Hurricane Ike.

Remember that swath of heavy damage for most hurricanes, even intense ones, is only 50-75 miles wide.

Flooding is the major risk.

The flooding is of greater risk than the damage done by the windspeeds of Ike; except for downed power lines.

Obenson Etienne walks to his house Sunday in Providenciales, one of the isles in the Turks and Caicos.

HOUSTON - Cars and trucks streamed inland and chemical companies buttoned up their plants Thursday as a gigantic Hurricane Ike took aim at the heart of the U.S.

The GFDL and HWRF models forecast some modeststrengthening before landfall.

“Five billion is the absolute floor.

A 1900 hurricane following a similar track to Ike inundated Galveston Island, killing at least 8,000 people America’s deadliest storm. HOUSTON - Hurricane Ike’s gargantuan size not its strength will likely push an extra large storm surge inland in a region already prone to it, experts said Thursday. Storm surge the prime killer in hurricanes will be far worse than a typical storm of Ike’s strength, the National Hurricane Center said.

Because the worst surge is always just east of the eye of the hurricane, the Galveston-Houston area was spared the worst of the damage.

I understand that there are wind damage specifications, but what about wave damage?

Recall that damage is exponential - 110 mph winds may be 10% higher than 100 mph winds, but will cause 20% more damage.

Gustav managed to damage high voltage lines even at a smaller size and being a Cat 2 storm at landfall.

The model runs at the the WeatherUnderground show the same thing.

The storm drove a wall of water 20 feet high and sent huge waves crashing against a 17-foot sea wall built to protect the city after a hurricane in 1900 killed at least 8,000 people.

Here’s a flash graphic of the oil refineries and rig maps from Hurricane Rita, it emphasizes Beaumont and Galveston’s importance.

All the current tracking maps show Ike at 110 mph as of 6pm CDT, one mph from officially being a Cat 3 storm.

After growing up in N.O.

Many people may have fatally chosen to ride out Ike because it has been estimated as “only a CAT2.”

Ike should turn northward duringthe next 36 hr.

The National Hurricane Center is forecasting a 20-foot surge ” a rapid rising of water inundating areas and moving inland ” for a large swath of Texas and the Louisiana coasts.

Obviously, the seawater under Ike’s clouds didn’t get any sunshine, but again, obviously, there is plenty of oceanic energy from the seawater temps.

Ike’s torrential rains were blamed for at least 71 deaths in Haiti and caused widespread destruction across Cuba, where buildings crumbled in historic Havana and about 10,000 tourists were evacuated from seaside hotels.

The all-inclusive Beaches Resort won’t resume business until Nov.

The National Hurricane Center is forecasting a 20-foot surge a rapid rising of water inundating areas and moving inland for a large swath of Texas and the Louisiana coasts.

Waves could be 50 feet tall, said hurricane center spokesman and meteorologist Dennis Feltgen.

Ike’s giant girth means more water piling up on Texas and Louisiana coastal areas for a longer time, topped with bigger waves.

The storm was moving westward at about 13 mph , and forecasters expect it continue on that track and turn west-northwest Monday.