Hurricane Ike Damage

Hurricane Ike

Search and rescue teams are standing by, and plan to move into the affected parts of southeast Texas later today to search for storm victims, 1200 WOAI news reports.

At one point, there had been fears that as many as 40,000 people may have to be rescued...but now that figures appears to be far too high, as the storm has passed metro Houston and there are no widespread reports of casualties, officials say.

"We expected a major storm, and our expectations, unfortunately, came true," said Mike Miner, a spokesman for Governor Perry.

Ike damage

"It is too early to send search and rescue teams into the devastated areas. They are on stand by. They’re ready to go. The weather needs to clear up a little bite before they can actually go in, take a look around, and see what the actual devastation was."

The biggest problems facing most residents of metro Houston this morning is a lack of electric power, according to Centerpoint Energy Corp, the region's electric utility. 'It has been a really bad night and early Saturday morning on our electrical system," a spokesman said.

"We've got trees knocking power lines down all across the system. At this point, nearly two million customers who receive electricity via power lines are out of service."

He says the effort to restore that electricity will be slow. "We can't wait for Ike to keep moving, we can't wait for Ike to pick up steam and move on. We need to get our assessors and our helicopters to do aerial surveys, we need to get out foot patrol people down."

"Power is almost 100 percent out," Houston Mayor Bill White said this morning. "We have gotten 4700 emergency calls into the 9-1-1 center. The good news is, as the winds are diminishing, we plan to have some of our emergency crews bacdk on the streets by 10 this mroning."

ike damage

White said it is far too early to determine the extend of damage in the city.

"We're going to have to take this day by day, look at the good and not the bad, and look into teh future. There will be some tragedies that occur, there are people struggling right now. If we Houstonians keep our heads up and plow through this in a competent way, it will be a credit to the city of Houston."

White also urged peopel to stay off the street, because shattered glass is still falling out of windows of downtown high rise buildings.

"Obviously, we have some high rise buildings throughout the city. We do know there has been damage to roofs and structures throughout the city, but we don't want anybody to think downtown Houston is wiped out."

White promised a 'very strong emergency surge' by 9 to 10 this morning.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett is rquesting that all residents conserve water.

"We do want to focus on the water supply, to make sure that it remains safe," Emmett said.

Ike damage

"On the west side of the hurricane, the surge seems to have peaked at 11 to 12 feet and is expected to recede," he said. "But that surge is moving to the east and is expected to continue."

He says the inlets, bays, and bayous east of Houston continue to be subject to flodo warnings.

"The Medical Center right now is not experiencing blackouts because their power lines are underground," Emmett said.

"The Houston Fire Department suspended response activities about 4:45 AM, and they will resume as soon as it is possible. The Red Cross and the Salvation Army reports preparations are underway for shelter operations which will be necessary after the storm."

Emmett said a ship is currently being held by tugs in the Houston Ship channel, so residents are being asked to stay off the Loop 610 bridge 'just in case.'

"Nobody really ought to be out driving right now anyway."

Some parts of the Houston area say they did not get the devastation they had feared. "It looks like we dodged a bullet," a city councilman in Baytown, at the north end of Galveston Bay said. "Of course, that could change."

There are reports of high water across the metro Houston area, as well as windows blown out of numerous buildings. There was also a devastating fire at Brennan's of Houston, a landmark restaurant.

Several people had taken shelter at the restaurant and three people, including two children, were hurt.

Hurricane Hannah Track

Hurricane Hannah Projected Path: Tracking towards the Carolinas

As the remnants of Hurricane Gustav remain on everyone's minds, Hurricane Hannah has been busy trailing her way towards the US East Coast.

Hurricane Hannah, which has become the fourth hurricane-strength storm of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, will likely make her way towards the Carolinas.

It is predicted that Hurricane Hannah's projected path will encounter the Carolinas, South Florida, or possibly the Georgia coast.

Hannah is currently making her way across the Bahamas. Stay tuned to tPC for updates over the next few days.

Hanna "could be a major hurricane"

Hurricane Hanna, which is still dawdling south of the Bahamas and just north of Haiti, is expected to strengthen this week, turn and head up the East Coast. It could be a "major" hurricane at landfall, according to this morning's discussion at the National Hurricane Center.

"Major" is NHC shorthand for a Cat. 3 storm or stronger - with top sustained winds of 111 mph or more.

The 5-day forecast track for Hanna (above) now sends it ashore in South Carolina, with its remnants passing just west of the Chesapeake Bay by late Saturday. If that forecast holds - a big IF - it would be the recipe for some serious rainfall this weekend. And if Hanna retains its counterclockwise rotation, it could also mean some significant storm surge up the bay. Probably not on the scale of Isabel's remnants in 2003, but most definitely something to watch.

Here is the latest advisory on Hanna. You have the storm track above. And here is the view from space.

Ike is now a tropical storm in the central Atlantic Ocean. Here's the latest on him. And the storm track.

And that other tropical wave that was coming off the African coast yesterday is now a tropical depression - No. 10 for the season. It is expected to become a hurricane by this weekend - Josephine if nothing else pops up in the meantime. That will be on next week's agenda.

Hurricane Hannah Path

Hurricane Hannah Threat The Bahamas And U.S. East Coast

While Hurricane Gustav makes landfall in the U.S Gulf Coast states, Hurricane Hannah now heads toward the U.S. East Coast.

According to the latest advisory from the National Weather Center, which is listed here as advisory number 19, but is constantly changing as the advisories are updated, Hannah has become the fourth storm of the season, at 75 mile an hour winds it makes Hannah a Category 1 as of this time and is has caused the Government of the Bahamas to issue a Hurricane warning for Central and Southeastern Bahamas.

Projections show that Hannah could continue along it's current path and make landfall potentially affecting Florida, Georgia and possibly North Carolina if it follows the projected path, which has the North Carolina Red Cross keeping some of their supplies close to home in case they are needed to combat the potential hit from Hannah.

The U.S. Coast Guard units are prepared to send more ships, aircrafts, medical teams, disaster assistance teams to areas affected and some have already been sent to the Gulf Coast to help with the damage seen from Gustav which is a Category 2 as reported at Bradenton News.

The projected path of what is now a Hurricane Hannah is expected to hit the East Coast of Florida within 3 days unless the storm slows or loses strength after hitting land in the Bahamas, but even then it is expected to gain strength again once it goes over the warm waters again.

Hurricane Hannah was not projected to become a Hurricane until Tuesday or Wednesday initially.

Hurricane Hannah Projected Path

The Hurricane Hannah projected path is a cause for concern today as people, weary from a very tough hurricane season, prepare for yet another onslaught.

Fortunate for folks in the Gulf Coast, Hurricane Hannah should not be making a stop in their neck of the woods. Instead, the projected path of Hurricane Hannah shows it hitting the East Coast.

Hurricane Hannah is currently a Category 1 hurricane, with winds of 75mph. The Bahamian government has already issued a hurricane warning for Central and Southeastern Bahamas.

If Hurricane Hannah hits in the Bahamas and stays on its' current projected course, it would end up affecting Florida, Georgia and possibly North Carolina. This news has officials in those states concerned.

Relief agencies are now unsure of how to allocate resources in several southern states. Hurricane Gustav is still active and now Hurricane Hannah is threatening further damage.

Hurricane Gustav's Track - What Has Been Predicted ???

Hurricane Gustav

We sit and we wait as Hurricane Gustav heads toward what one could only hope will still be their home after the storm blows through. Many are wondering about Hurricane Gustav's track and where it will be heading. The national weather center had reported only moments ago that Hurricane Gustav's track is headed toward the Gulf of Mexico, as reported by the Jamaica Observer.

Hurricanes are every bit as scary as they sound, and those who may be living though Hurricane Gustav should listen to the news as often as they can for updates.

Here are a few hurricane survival tips:

* Hurricanes have massive winds and can tear through a house in a matter of seconds. If you are facing the event of a hurricane like Gustav you should listen for updates on vacating the area or for where the hurricane is headed.

* There is no exact way of telling where a hurricane could hit but they usually give a pretty accurate location. To be on the safe side, if I was in the surrounding areas I would also leave if there has been a warning to vacate the area.


* In the event that you are not able to vacate the area along with everyone else you should at least pack a safety bag and know where you should seek cover if the hurricane hits. Having a plan will help you to keep yourself safer.

Every year, people die from hurricanes like Gustav and you should keep this in mind when you are trying to make the decision to follow everyone or to stay in the area.

Hurricane Gustav track can not be fully determined, but with all the technology that is available they can tell you approximately where the hurricane will hit and approximately how strong it will be.

As of right now, weather services are predicting Hurricane Gustav will be close to a category 3 hurricane. A hurricane is dubbed as such when it reaches winds of 70 miles per hour. Here in Oklahoma, it isn't unusual to get winds that high throughout the year, but I couldn't imagine having it in the form of a hurricane.

Hurricane Gustav's Track Causes Oil Prices to Spike

Hurricane Gustav, the 7^th Atlantic storm of the season, is now predicted to hit the Gulf of Mexico this coming weekend. Hurricane Gustav's track is currently trending toward Haiti and Cuba, and the U.S. Military Installation at Guantanamo Bay is making storm preparations. Gustav's previous track would have meant a direct hit to Gitmo, but now Hurricane Gustav's track is off shore. Reuters reports that Hurricane Gustav's aim toward the Gulf of Mexico has translated into a spike in the cost per barrel of oil, whereas we've previously been enjoying falling prices per barrel, resulting in cheaper gas at the pump.

Though currently only a Category 1 hurricane, the Gulf's warm waters would feed Gustav and potentially cause an escalation in Gustav's category status to a Category 3 or higher. Katrina made land fall, 3 years ago this week, as a Category 3.

Hurricane Gustav's path and comparison to Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina is still fresh in the mind of many Americans, though it has been nearly 3 years since she wreaked her wrath on the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. Aside from the sheer damage and loss of life, Katrina and subsequently Rita, caused an incredible amount of damage to oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in a huge spike in gas costs. Refineries were heavily damaged, causing a shortage in fuel. Gas prices soared over $3 a gallon in short order, a jump of 30-40 cents overnight, back in early September 2005, shortly after Katrina hit. Hurricane Gustav's track currently makes a Gulf hit a possibility.

Clearly, a Gulf hit of the same proportions of Hurricane Katrina could re-devastate the recovery efforts in the Gulf, not to mention the oil industry in the Gulf region. Americans are still feeling many of the effects of Katrina's wrath on their pocket book, considering that gas prices have yet to drop to pre-Katrina levels.

Hurricane Gustav - gaining strength south of Haiti

Rapidly growing Hurricane Gustav headed for a collision with impoverished Haiti on Tuesday, driving many people off the potholed streets of the capital, but bringing few other outward signs of preparation.

The storm was also on track to slice along the south coast of Cuba during the week — possibly growing into a perilous Category 3 hurricane with 115 mph (185 kph) winds by the weekend, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Forecasters said the hurricane's maximum sustained winds were near 90 mph (150 kph) Tuesday morning, with higher gusts. They said it could become a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 96 mph (154 kph) or higher before hitting Haiti.

Forecasts suggested that Hurricane Gustav's eye might pass near the capital of Port-au-Prince, home to nearly 3 million people.

A light rain fell on Port-au-Prince as the sun rose on an overcast Tuesday. The city's rough streets, often bustling with commerce at the crack of dawn, were largely empty as merchants took refuge.

"The government orders the population to take precautions because this storm will bring a lot of rain," Interior Minister Paul Antonine Bien-Aime told Radio Ginen in an interview repeated several times early Tuesday.

American Airlines canceled all flights in and out of Port-au-Prince.

Preparations for the storm appeared to be minimal and in the hurricane-prone southwestern city of Les Cayes, smack in the hurricane's path, at least some people without access to television or satellite images said they doubted a storm was even approaching.

"There's no rain and wind, the sky is clear, cars are traveling everywhere.

I don't think there's a hurricane," Marc Andre, a 22-year-old motorcycle taxi driver, said over his cell phone.

Yet Haitians are accustomed to the power of such blasts. Flooding caused by storms and hurricanes killed more than 100 people in Haiti and scores in the Dominican Republic last year. In 2004, Tropical Storm Jeanne killed some 3,000 people in the Haitian city of Gonaives alone.

The hurricane was centered about 75 miles (125 kilometers) south-southeast of Port-au-Prince and was moving toward the northwest at near 9 mph (15 kph).

On Monday, Carnival Cruise Lines diverted one of its ships from Montego Bay, Jamaica, to a Mexican port to avoid the storm, company spokesman Vance Gulliksen said. Other cruise lines said they were closely tracking its path.

In Jamaica, officials alerted shelters to prepare for possible evacuations during the storm that is forecast to pass near the island Wednesday.

The commander of the Guantanamo military base in Cuba, where the U.S. holds about 265 men, many suspected of belonging to al-Qaida or the Taliban, ordered U.S. military personnel to prepare for a hit.

Vulnerable to high winds are dozens of tents pitched on an abandoned runway where those attending war-crimes trials for alleged terrorists are housed. No hearings are scheduled this week.

Army Maj. Richard Morehouse, a spokesman for detention operations at the base, told The Associated Press that the lockups housing detainees "are capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds and rain."

Earlier this month, Tropical Storm Fay killed 23 people on the island of Hispaniola shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Nearly all were due to flooded rivers.

Meanwhile, the remnants of Fay brought heavy rain and winds from Georgia to Louisiana. Floridians were still mopping up floodwaters from a storm that stuck around for a week and made a historic four landfalls, dumping more than 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rain along the central Atlantic coast.

The National Weather Service said the vestiges of Fay would deluge northern Georgia, with 3 inches (8 centimeters) to 5 inches (13 centimeters) of rain expected in the Atlanta area and up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) in northeast Georgia. In Alabama, flash flood and tornado warnings were posted.

In Mexico, Tropical Depression Julio continued to weaken as it dumped rain on the central Baja California peninsula and the upper Gulf of California.

The National Hurricane Center said Julio was about 110 miles (180 kilometers) north-northwest of Santa Rosalia, Mexico, with sustained winds of about 30 mph (50 kph).