Friday, September 12, 2008

This is called a NEAR MISS?

Yikes! The center of Gustav came much closer to us yet his impacts were less on Metro New Orleans compared to Hurricane Ike. Why? What we have learned from Katrina, the amount of water generated by a Hurricane is more dependent on it's SIZE rather than it's INTENSITY. Fact is, go back to Tropical Storm Allison that flooded Houston several years back but produced very high waters locally. Allison was only a Tropical Storm but it was very large in size. Hurricane Ike is a Cat. 2 storm like Gustav, but his size is much larger like Katrina's. Luckily Ike should pull farther west and his winds should begin to weaken tonight as he reaches the coast, but we will see very high water levels locally for another 1-2 days since south winds will continue to blow water towards the coast. Since we have lost so much wetlands, the higher water levels are higher than local folks ever remember because they are higher. Until and unless we repair our coast, we will have to deal with this problem not just from tropical systems, but also just from strong Gulf winter storms. Hopefully Congress will help us as Louisiana cannot pay the price alone.

Questions...Invest 91, 92 or whatever is given to an area of disturbed weather that has the potential to develop.

Houma, Terrebonne Parish...water levels will be higher than in Gustav and could threaten parts of Houma. Obviously the distance from New Orleans prevents FOX 8 from giving the kind of coverage we give the Metro (Orleans, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. Tammany, St. Bernard) New Orleans area. Glad to get your info as I'll pass it on to News.

Don't look for any relief this afternoon from the winds and high water. things will be much better tomorrow and Esp. on Sunday.

21 comments:

Caveman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Caveman said...

Hope those fools that decided to stay in Gaveston realize that many life insurance policies have exclusions which exclude paying benefits for death as a result of not obeying mandatory evacuations orders by either state or federal authories when life threatening events occur. Just like many did not know their homeowners insurance did not cover flood during Katrina. So if say dad stayed behind yet sent the family to Dallas and he dies the family is in finanacial trouble!

September 12, 2008 12:46 PM

Unknown said...

Gosh, this really is a monster. I know we have all heard some nasty things from the Texans about New Orleans and the LA coast, but I really hate to see anyone have to deal with this.
And those poor guys out on that freighter! What kind of hell that must be...
Hopefully when this is all over, we will ba able to help Texas the way they helped us.

olereb said...

Pray for those that stayed on the island in Galveston. Here is a great link to keep up with the real story out of Houston. Predicting now that the entire islandn of Galveston will be underwater for at least 12 hours. http://www.livenewscameras.com:80/map.html

Bourbon St. Blues said...

Ike looks a little disorganized as it spins toward Houston. Hopefully it will decrease a little in size and the water surge will not be that intense.

I sure hope this is the last of the hurricanes for awhile. I couldn't help but notice that big glob of clouds on the far right of the current satellite for Ike....Yikes

Hope everyone made out okay and has a great weekend... Bob get some rest, you deserve it, man.

Take care all

BSB

Cherie C. Caves said...

I'm really praying for the folks in Galveston, Houston and all other areas that are going to be affected by Hurricane Ike.

Bonnie said...

My prayers are for the ones that just battled Gustav and now have Ike passing by and bringing in a storm surge that our levees just can't handle.

stormzz said...

Just stopped by to say hi and "thanks" Bob for the info. This is an amazing, and sad storm! Praying for ALL those impacted by the storm, which is seeming more wide spread by the moment.

Very sad that some did not leave Galveston, as they may learn the lesson, the same way that we did. Unfortunately, history repeats itself.

Hope all have a minimum of troubled waters...(or no waters!)...

Have a good afternoon...

Stormzz
ps...Bob, you mentioned rebuilding our wetlands...
I struggle with this entire topic. I have property on the coast...but I have it knowing that at some point, it will likely be totally destroyed and lost. I do not believe that for ME, it is a sensible option to live where the forces of nature fight against me, and expect that the government will fight that fight and save MY property when I made this choice, KNOWING that I will likely lose.
On the other hand, folks who make a living as fishermen, shrimpers and coastal/offshore workers, find living on the coast necessary! It seems so insurmountable...fighting against erosion and the forces of water on shorelines. I personally do not see this as a fight that can be won. Do you see this being a viable task, to "restore" the coastal areas? Engineers come up with plans, but it seems simply a drop of sand on a beach full to me...

Thoughts?

Stormzz

saints fan said...

It looks like Texas is going to take a hard hit. Can only hope residents of Galveston have left.

I know our state will be ready to extend a helping hand to Texas after this storm hits.

Phantommp5 said...

This is my first venture into the blog world. I have the utmost respect for Bob and appreciate him taking the time to inform and educate his viewers. I have depended on Bob's forecasts for many years and count on his accuracy. I have first hand knowledge of his expertise having seen him review national weather Center reports only to say, they're wrong" and then listen to him explain WHY they were wrong. I was his floor director and "camera 7" at WVUE many years ago. I know that people don't hesitate to point out the negatives of "on air" personnel. Unfortunately, few bother to point out the positives. Let me say that Bob is the same on air and off air....friendly and eager to teach others about "the weather." Bob, Thanks for continuing to help protect my family from the elements through informed reporting.

David Arthur

the mesiah said...

revelation reads "the mountain of water from the fury of god will touch down on the largest city's first" Pray Pray Pray for the people of Galveston and hope all is well after they weather the storm

Delta Skygoddess said...

Here is Northeast Louisiana the weather is relatively calm for the afternoon. We are expecting rain sometime tonight. Am home watching the Weather Channel until you come on at 5:00! Hope Galveston is now a ghost town and that the media takes cover and plays it smart too! They are not invincible!! Am waiting for evacuees to arrive from Lake Charles where I hear the weather is precarious at the moment. Hope you and yours (including Zack and Zoe) are high and dry! Take care and be safe.

Caveman said...

Getting reports that 10,000 plus homes will flood in west Louisiana! I think "Ike" will be retired as a name.

Caveman said...

Ike should be a Cat 3 at landfall, eye is getting tighter and is speeding up, NOT GOOD.... Ike could cost more than Katrina in both $ and lives if as many people stayed as the estimate...

weather8fan said...

Phantom, are you Spartacus by any chance?

the life of Denise said...

I am in the Houston area. It is getting darker and darker and the trees are swaying. Light drizzle on and off. Im nervous. I have never stayed for a hurricane in LA..always evacuated. We are not boarded up..No one boards here (suburb N. of Houston) We are looking at getting the Worst part here on the right front quadrant. Please pray for Galveston-Houston...We that live here are NOT all from here.
Thanks

FishinGuy said...

Stormzz...This is fishinguy's wife. I wanted to thank you for mentioning the fisherman, as most of them have no choice but to live down on the coast. My daddy has been shrimping since he was 8 years old(chose to help his parents that weren't in the best of health)! I am real sad right now from my last talk on the phone with my mom....the Lafitte/Barataria area in Louisiana are really getting hit with the surge, as it is now almost in the house. The nextdoor neightbors already have water in their home, and everyone is staying on their shrimp boats. It is a blessing that my parents have a shrimp boat that has all of the amenities of a house, so they are pretty much camping out on the water, but helplessly watching the water gradually rise and maybe eventually into the house. Just around one more foot, and it will be in there. That house has survived around 19 years down there without any water threat, until now. Rita made the water come up, but not this high. I am 24 and from what I can remember living there, we never had much water come over the bulkhead for storms before 2005. Gustav actually sucked all of the water out, but this "Ike" is just a MONSTER, pushing mass amounts of water in! The eye of Gustav passed just west(next door) of my parents area, so because of that little dip to the west, they did not suffer any significant wind damage...THANK GOD!! I know Texas is the target for Ike, but Louisiana's coast is getting it's share as well.

I am praying for everyone in Texas, but please do not forget about Louisiana's coastal residents.

We are high and dry in Colorado, but our hearts and prayers are with EVERYONE being affected by this beast of a storm!

MAY GOD BE WITH EVERYONE!!!

- Ashley

FishinGuy said...

caveman,

Can you please SHUT UP! Seems to me like you get a charge out of a bad situation!

Bonnie said...

Please don't give the squeaky wheel any attention ~ that's all he wants.

Nicole Elizabeth Williams said...

stormzz: well the wetlands south of New Orleans have been damaged not by nature but by man. Canals and dredging allowed saltwater into the wetlands killing the vegetation that helped solidify the ground. It's less fighting Mother Nature but repairing what mankind has destroyed.
Besides, the idea of losing a city even due to inaction and indifference of a nation speaks volumes regarding the decline of our nation.

Caveman said...

fishinguy sorry but thought this blog was to discuss weather not give emotion healing and support.