Running Hurricane Ike thread

Good luck to all involved in these times. Played golf in the outer bands of Ike on Tuesday. My amazement continues to grow on the size and duration of these things, and how many lives a single one can have a huge impact on.

 

Eye is 75 miles across. Good Lord.

We're getting close to the time when Ike's supposed to make a turn more to the north to make a beeline for Galveston Bay. A direct hit would actually probably cause less damage. But I fear this thing will be too big to be steered easily and will make landfall to the west.

 

Here's the video of the Houston reporter and cameraman getting hit by a wave:

http://www.khou.com/video/news-index.html?nvid=281935

 

Here's something to think about. With about 12 hours until the eye makes landfall were it not for that 17-foot seawall Galveston would already be underwater.

 

I thought it looked enormous on radar. When I went to bed last night, the eye was, according to wunderground, "a tight 9 miles across."

 

What exactly does that mean?

The bigger the eye the stronger the storm? Or does that mean it is weakening?

 

Eyewall regeneration. That means it's poised to get stronger. But the storm is so huge, I don't think it can build much more momentum. I've noticed an uptick in the pressure to 957 millibars.

 

Parts of it already are underwater. With the seawall breached 12 hours before landfall, Galveston will be all underwater before this thing is over with. I'm really starting to feel that Galveston as a whole is not going to survive this storm.

 

There's a link to the video of the idiot in the bear suit on that page, as well. Kind of reminds me of one of the dumber cast members of Orlando's Monsters in the Morning.

 

Fox News is talking to a bartender at a place called Poop Deck on Galveston Island. Some moron in the background just yelled out that they're partying. The person on the phone hadn't heard about the "certain death" pronouncement. She said there were about 20 people there. F-ing crazy.

 

Price gouging miles away... gas in north Alabama in the town of Killen has topped 5 bucks a gallon...

 

Here's some video of that bar.

http://www.khou.com/video/caught-index.html?nvid=281866