URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE IKE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
140 AM CDT FRI SEP 12 2008
...HURRICANE IKE CONTINUES TO MOVE TOWARDS THE TEXAS COAST...
AT 100 AM CDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IKE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.4 NORTH LONGITUDE 91.1 WEST OR ABOUT 300 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GALVESTON TEXAS.
IKE IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 12 HOURS OR SO...WITH A TURN TO THE NORTHWEST EXPECTED TO BEGIN LATE TODAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF IKE WILL BE VERY NEAR THE UPPER TEXAS COAST BY LATE TODAY. HOWEVER...BECAUSE IKE IS A VERY LARGE TROPICAL CYCLONE...WEATHER WILL DETERIORATE ALONG THE COASTLINE EARLY TODAY...LONG BEFORE THE CENTER REACHES THE COAST.
REPORTS FROM AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 100 MPH... WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IKE IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR- SIMPSON SCALE. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS OR SO...AND IKE COULD BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE BEFORE REACHING THE COAST.
THE AIRCRAFT DATA INDICATE THAT IKE REMAINS A LARGE CYCLONE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 265 MILES. AN OIL PLATFORM IN THE NORTHWESTERN GULF OF MEXICO RECENTLY REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 78 MPH... AT AN ELEVATION OF 400 FEET.
THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED BY THE HURRICANE HUNTER IS 957 MB...28.26 INCHES.
TXZ200-213-214-235]238-130645- /O.CON.KHGX.HU.W.1009.000000T0000Z-000000T0000Z/ BRAZORIA-CHAMBERS-GALVESTON-HARRIS-JACKSON-LIBERTY-MATAGORDA- 140 AM CDT FRI SEP 12 2008
...HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT...
...NEW INFORMATION...
AT 100 AM CDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IKE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 26.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 91.1 WEST OR ABOUT 300 MILES SOUTHEAST OF GALVESTON TEXAS.
FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE REGION.
...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...
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.
RESIDENTS IN THE COASTAL AREAS AND THOSE REQUIRING TRANSPORTATION FROM BRAZORIA COUNTY TO BELL COUNTY MUST RUSH THEIR PREPARATIONS TO COMPLETION BY 10 AM TODAY.
CHAMBERS COUNTY:
A MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN ORDERED FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
GALVESTON COUNTY:
A MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN ORDERED FOR ALL OF GALVESTON ISLAND. THIS ORDER GOES INTO EFFECT AT NOON TODAY.
A MANDATORY EVACUATION IS IN EFFECT FOR BOLIVAR PENINSULA... OMEGA BAY...SAN LEON...BACLIFF...FREDDIESVILLE...TIKI ISLAND... KEMAH...AND CLEAR LAKE SHORES.
SPECIAL NEEDS EVACUATION IS ALSO TAKING PLACE.
BUSES ARE AVAILABLE FOR FOR CITIZENS THAT NEED ASSISTANCE WITH EVACUATIONS. BUSES ARE AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING PICKUP POINTS:
BACLIFF COMMUNITY CENTER: 4500 10TH STREET...BACLIFF...77518 DICKINSON COMMUNITY CENTER: 2417 HWY 3...DICKINSON...77539 HITCHCOCK LIBRARY...8005 BARRY AVENUE...HITCHCOCK...77563 CRYSTAL BEACH ANNEX...941 NOBLE CARL DRIVE...CRYSTAL BEACH... 77650
CITIZENS SHOULD ALSO CONSIDER EVACUATING IF THEY LIVE IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING OR IN MOBILE HOMES. IF YOU DECIDE TO EVACUATE...PLEASE REMEMBER TO PACK YOUR DISASTER KIT AND IMPORTANT PAPERS.
THE GALVESTON-BOLIVAR FERRY WILL CEASE OPERATIONS AT 11 PM TONIGHT.
SCHOOL CLOSINGS...THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL DISTRICTS WILL BE CLOSED THROUGH FRIDAY...HIGH ISLAND...HITCHCOCK...SANTA FE...CLEAR CREEK...FRIENDSWOOD...GALVESTON AND DICKINSON. THE FOLLOWING DISTRICTS WILL BE CLOSED ON FRIDAY...LA MARQUE AND TEXAS CITY.
THE BOLIVAR S.U.D. HAS INDICATED THEY WILL CEASE WATER SERVICE TO THE PENINSULA AT 5 PM TODAY.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL BRANCH HOSPITAL IN GALVESTON MAY BEGIN A COMPLETE EVACUATION OF THE HOSPITAL FACILITIES THIS MORNING. THE EMERGENCY ROOM WILL STAY OPEN.
HARRIS COUNTY:
A MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN ORDERED FOR ZIP CODE 77507 IN THE PASADENA AREA.
A MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN ORDERED FOR THE FOLLOWING ZIP CODES...77058...77059...77062...77520...77546...77571...77586... AND 77598.
PERSONS THROUGHOUT HARRIS COUNTY THAT LIVE IN MOBILE HOMES OR HIGH RISES SHOULD CONSIDER EVACUATING DUE TO THE HIGH THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS.
FOR HARRIS COUNTY GOVERNMENT WORKERS...ESSENTIAL WORKERS ONLY REPORT ON FRIDAY.
FOR RESIDENTS IN THE MANDATORY EVACUATION ZIP ZONES WHO HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS AND ARE NOT REGISTERED...PLEASE CALL 311.
THERE WILL BE NO TRASH SERVICE ON FRIDAY DUE TO THE EXPECTED HIGH WINDS.
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES IS SUSPENDING FLIGHTS INTO AND OUT OF HOBBY AIRPORT BEGINNING AT 9 AM FRIDAY.
JACKSON COUNTY:
A MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN ORDERED FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED TODAY AND FRIDAY.
MATAGORDA COUNTY:
A MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN ORDERED FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 35. THIS MANDATORY EVACUATION INCLUDES THE COMMUNITIES OF PALACIOS...ASHBY-BUCKEYE...EL MATON... COLLEGEPORT...MATAGORDA...WADSWORTH...SARGENT...CEDAR LANE... CHINQUAPIN...TRES PALACIOS OAKS...AND TIDEWATER OAKS. BLESSING IS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE MANDATORY EVACUATION EVEN THOUGH IT IS NORTH OF HIGHWAY 35.
THESE EVACUATIONS MUST BE COMPLETED BY 6 PM TODAY.