MATAGORDA COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE RECOMMENDING A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION OF RESIDENTS NORTH OF HIGHWAY 35 AND IN BAY CITY AND VAN VLECK FOR THOSE LIVING IN LOW LYING AREAS AND MANUFACTURED HOMES THAT ARE NOT PROPERLY TIED DOWN.
IT IS RECOMMENDED YOU EVACUATE WITH YOUR PETS. BE SURE TO TAKE A PET CARRIER...LEASH...VACCINATION RECORDS...AND FOOD FOR YOUR PET. IF YOU EVACUATE TO A SHELTER...YOUR PETS WILL BE BOARDED AT A SEPARATE FACILITY.
BE SURE TO START YOUR EVACUATION WITH A FULL TANK OF GAS.
IF YOU HAVE NO MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION OR CANNOT FIND ANYONE TO HELP YOU EVACUATE AND NEED ASSISTANCE...YOU CAN CONTACT 979-245-3056 OR 979-244-5318. YOU SHOULD COME TO THE BAY CITY SERVICE CENTER OR KC HALL IN PALACIOS.
RESIDENTS OF MATAGORDA COUNTY WHO NEED SHELTER CAN EVACUATE TO THE SHELTER HUB IN AUSTIN. SIGNS IN AUSTIN WILL DIRECT EVACUEES TO OPEN SHELTERS.
ALL SCHOOLS IN MATAGORDA COUNTY WILL BE CLOSED TODAY AND FRIDAY. PALACIOS SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL ALSO BE CLOSED ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 15TH.
...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...
TIDE LEVELS AT GALVESTON AND NORTH JETTY ARE ALREADY 3 TO 4 FEET ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS. TIDE LEVELS WILL CONTINUE RISING THROUGH THE MORNING AND WILL EXCEED 5 FEET ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER ALONG THE UPPER TEXAS COAST AND ALONG THE SHORELINES OF THE BAYS BY EARLY TO MID MORNING. WATER LEVELS WILL RISE STEADILY BEGINNING LATE AFTERNOON FRIDAY AS THE STORM SURGE MOVES INTO THE AREA. WATER LEVELS WILL RISE VERY RAPIDLY FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH 3 AM SATURDAY...AREAS NEAR THE COAST MAY BEGIN TO SEE A SLOW DROP AFTER 3 TO 5 AM. MAXIMUM STORM TIDE LEVELS ARE HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON THE TRACK OF THE STORM AND VARIATIONS IN THE TRACK OF ONLY 15 MILES CAN MAKE DIFFERENCES OF SEVERAL FEET MORE OR LESS FROM SOME OF THESE VALUES.
MAXIMUM WATER LEVELS FORECAST:
GULF-FACING COASTLINE WEST OF SARGENT...5 TO 8 FEET
SHORELINE OF MATAGORDA BAY...4 TO 7 FEET
GULF-FACING COASTLINE SARGENT TO HIGH ISLAND INCLUDING GALVESTON ISLAND......12 TO 16 FEET
SHORELINE OF GALVESTON BAY...15 TO 25 FEET
LIFE THREATENING INUNDATION LIKELY!
ALL NEIGHBORHOODS...AND POSSIBLY ENTIRE COASTAL COMMUNITIES... WILL BE INUNDATED DURING THE PERIOD OF PEAK STORM TIDE. PERSONS NOT HEEDING EVACUATION ORDERS IN SINGLE FAMILY ONE OR TWO STORY HOMES MAY FACE CERTAIN DEATH. MANY RESIDENCES OF AVERAGE CONSTRUCTION DIRECTLY ON THE COAST WILL BE DESTROYED. WIDESPREAD AND DEVASTATING PERSONAL PROPERTY DAMAGE IS LIKELY ELSEWHERE. VEHICLES LEFT BEHIND WILL LIKELY BE SWEPT AWAY. NUMEROUS ROADS WILL BE SWAMPED...SOME MAY BE WASHED AWAY BY THE WATER. ENTIRE FLOOD PRONE COASTAL COMMUNITIES WILL BE CUTOFF. WATER LEVELS MAY EXCEED 9 FEET FOR MORE THAN A MILE INLAND. COASTAL RESIDENTS IN MULTI-STORY FACILITIES RISK BEING CUTOFF. CONDITIONS WILL BE WORSENED BY BATTERING WAVES CLOSER TO THE COAST. SUCH WAVES WILL EXACERBATE PROPERTY DAMAGE...WITH MASSIVE DESTRUCTION OF HOMES...INCLUDING THOSE OF BLOCK CONSTRUCTION. DAMAGE FROM BEACH EROSION COULD TAKE YEARS TO REPAIR.
HIGH TIDE TIMES:
MORGANS POINT...
FRI 2:52 PM.
SAT 2:59 PM.
CLEAR LAKE ENTRANCE...
FRI 10:36 AM.
SAT 10:43 AM.
EAGLE POINT...
FRI 8:25 AM.
SAT 8:32 AM.
PORT BOLIVAR...
FRI 4:45 AM.
FRI 1:52 PM.
SAT 4:52 AM.
SAT 3:00 PM.
GALVESTON CHANNEL...
FRI 4:31 AM.
FRI 1:38 PM.
SAT 4:38 AM.
SAT 2:46 PM.
GALVESTON PLEASURE PIER...
FRI 3:25 AM.
FRI 12:32 PM.
SAT 3:32 AM.
SAT 1:40 PM.
JAMAICA BEACH...
FRI 7:09 AM.
FRI 4:16 PM.
SAT 7:16 AM.
SAT 5:24 PM.
SAN LUIS PASS...
FRI 4:22 AM.
FRI 1:29 PM.
SAT 4:29 AM.
SAT 2:37 PM.
FREEPORT...
FRI 3:47 AM.
FRI 12:54 PM.
SAT 3:54 AM.
SAT 2:02 PM.
PORT O CONNOR...
FRI 10:15 AM.
SAT 2:01 PM.
NOTE...TIDE LEVELS ARE REFERENCED FROM THE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER.
...WINDS...
PERSONS WHO HAVE NOT EVACUATED SHOULD PLAN TO SHELTER IN PLACE IN A WELL BUILT STRUCTURE DURING THE PERIOD OF TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT PERSONS WHO LIVE IN MOBILE HOMES OR POORLY-BUILT STRUCTURES SHOULD EVACUATE TO A SAFER LOCATION SUCH AS A WELL BUILT HOME. PERSONS WHO LIVE IN HIGH RISES SHOULD CONSIDER EVACUATING AS WINDS CAN BE STRONGER AT THE TOP OF A HIGH RISE THAN AT GROUND LEVEL.
THE WIND FIELD SURROUNDING IKE ARE UNUSUALLY LARGE. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 39 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE COASTAL COUNTIES BY 8 TO 10 AM FRIDAY...AND SPREAD INLAND TO THE HOUSTON AREA BETWEEN 11 AM AND 2 PM FRIDAY. WINDS OF AT LEAST TROPICAL STORM FORCE WILL THEN POSSIBLY LAST ABOUT 24 HOURS.
DEPENDING ON THE EVENTUAL TRACK AND STRENGTH OF IKE THE HURRICANE FORCE WINDS WILL REACH THE COASTAL COUNTIES EARLY EVENING ON FRIDAY AND THE HOUSTON METRO AREA 8 TO 10 PM FRIDAY NIGHT. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS MAY LAST FOR UP TO 8 TO 12 HOURS.
PEAK WIND GUSTS OF 95 TO 115 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS HARRIS...LIBERTY...BRAZORIA...GALVESTON...AND CHAMBERS COUNTIES. WIND SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 115 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE NEAR WHERE THE CENTER OF THE STORM COMES ONSHORE.
VERY DANGEROUS WINDS WILL PRODUCE WIDESPREAD DAMAGE AND DESTRUCTION OF MOBILE HOMES IS LIKELY.
STRUCTURAL DAMAGE WILL INCLUDE THE MAJORITY OF MOBILE HOMES BEING SEVERELY DAMAGED. THOSE THAT SURVIVE WILL BE UNINHABITABLE UNTIL REPAIRED. HOUSES OF POOR TO AVERAGE CONSTRUCTION WILL HAVE MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING PARTIAL WALL COLLAPSE AND ROOFS BEING LIFTED OFF. MANY WILL BE UNINHABITABLE. WELL CONSTRUCTED HOUSES WILL INCUR MINOR DAMAGE TO SHINGLES...SIDING...GUTTERS...AS WELL AS BLOWN OUT WINDOWS. UP TO ONE QUARTER OF GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL.