Evacuations In Order As Hurricane Ike Takes Aim For Texas - With Video
Our Texas readers and our military folks please be safe and get a move on …
Ike Strengthens to Category 2
Chris Dolce, Lead Meteorologist, The Weather Channel
Hurricane Ike, after moving back into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday, is now strengthening and is poised to track across the central Gulf over the next few days.
As of 2 p.m. EDT, Ike was located about 255 miles west of Key West, Fla., and was moving northwest at 8 mph. Maximum sustained winds near the center have increased to 100 mph. Additional strengthening is likely through today and Ike is forecast to become a major hurricane in 24 to 36 hours.
Squally weather will continue to impact western Cuba today. Winds have gusted between 60 to 80 mph in western Cuba this morning.
Impacts in the Florida Keys and South Florida are decreasing as Ike pulls away. Winds will remain gusty in the Keys (not as bad as yesterday), however the threat for isolated tornadoes is rapidly diminishing.
Hurricane warnings have been dropped for areas of Cuba, as Ike slowly moves away, but tropical storm warnings are still in effect, including the extreme Lower Florida Keys.
Ike is forecast to move in a general west-northwest direction over the next few days, while gaining additional strength. It appears likely that Ike will become a major hurricane while tracking across the warm Gulf waters in an environment with high pressure aloft providing little wind shear.
The current forecast track would bring Ike to threaten the Texas coast Friday night into early Saturday; but conditions will begin deteriorating during the day on Friday. Persons along coastal Texas should pay close attention to the latest forecasts over the next few days and make all necessary preparations well in advance.
View the projected path here.
Areas outside of the forecast landfall will also feel impacts from Ike, increasing through Friday. Onshore flow will bring high surf and a high danger of rip currents to the western coast of Florida and along the northern Gulf coastal areas.
Given the increasingly windy conditions and onshore flow along the Gulf Coast, coastal flood watches and high surf advisories blanket areas from southeast Louisiana to the western Florida Panhandle.
Cuba Post Hurricane Ike (h/t Babalu)
Florida Keys and Ike
Is that a Texas Gulf Coast beach?? Shhhhh! Don’t wakey Chuckie …
The wake of Hurricane Ike in Cuba (note … those wind turbines look like the ones the democrats and Boone Pickins are pushing … how come they ain’t turning? Not a lot of ‘power’ being put out there. No thanks. DRILL!)
(h/t Babalu)
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