----- Original Message ----- From: "Julia Thompson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Killer Bs (David Brin et al) Discussion" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 11:18 PM Subject: Re: 08:00 UTC
> > > On Wed, 10 Sep 2008, Rceeberger wrote: > >> >> On 9/10/2008 9:09:27 PM, Julia Thompson ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) wrote: >>> On Wed, 10 Sep 2008, xponentrob wrote: >>> >>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>> From: "Ronn! Blankenship" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>> To: "Killer Bs Discussion" <[email protected]> >>>> Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 3:05 AM >>>> Subject: 08:00 UTC >>>> >>>> >>>>> 30 minutes after LHC startup and we still seem to be here . . . >>>>> >>>> >>>> I'll get back to you after Saturday....................... >>>> >>>> http://www.stormpulse.com/ >>> >>> I was hanging out with some folks this evening, one of whom had a laptop >>> and Weather Underground up, and it was fascinating seeing all the >>> predictive stuff on that site. (I usually use NOAA, but wunderground >>> has >>> an interactive feature that combines prediction with Google Maps, which >>> is >>> pretty cool.) >>> >> Yes! I've been hanging out on Wunderground most of this hurricane season. >> Lots of weather-wise people there (plus some interesting trolls) and more >> information than can be digested in just a few sittings. Jeff Masters' >> blog >> there is a jewel of a resource. >> ATM, I'm debating whether I should evac or not. It really depends on the >> storm track and how bad Ike gets. If I stay, I might shove a webcam out >> the >> window and cast the storm somewhere. >> >> xponent >> No Evac Called For My Area As Of Yet Maru >> rob > > Dunno if the guy who was showing it to me posts, but if you ever see > something from "Sodium" or "Captain Sodium", that's probably my buddy. An example of why I like Wunderground. >From Jeff Masters' blog: http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/show.html "Hurricane Ike is closing in on Texas, and stands poised to become one of the most damaging hurricanes of all time. Despite Ike's rated Category 2 strength, the hurricane is much larger and more powerful than Category 5 Katrina or Category 5 Rita. The storm surge from Ike could rival Katrina's, inundating a 200-mile stretch of coast from Galveston to Cameron, Louisiana with waters over 15 feet high. This massive storm surge is due to the exceptional size of Ike. According to the latest wind field estimate (Figure 1), the diameter of Ike's tropical storm and hurricane force winds are 550 and 240 miles, respectively. For comparison, Katrina numbers at landfall were 440 and 210 miles, respectively. As I discussed in yesterday's blog entry, a good measure of the storm surge potential is Integrated Kinetic Energy (IKE). Ike continues to grow larger and has intensified slightly since yesterday, and the hurricane's Integrated Kinetic Energy has increased from 134 to 149 Terajoules. This is 30% higher than Katrina's total energy at landfall. All this extra energy has gone into piling up a vast storm surge that will probably be higher than anything in recorded history along the Texas coast. Storm surge heights of 20-25 feet are possible from Galveston northwards to the Louisiana border. The Texas storm surge record is held by Hurricane Carla of 1961. Carla was a Category 4 hurricane with 145 mph winds at landfall, and drove a 10 foot or higher storm surge to a 180-mile stretch of Texas coast. A maximum storm surge of 22 feet was recorded at Port Lavaca, Texas." I'm bunkered in with my cats and networking with the neighbors (Apt manager and hubby) in order to protect other neighbors and property. We are at 30' above sea level here and are sufficiently boarded up. Got a small generator to help make it through the first days of the aftermath. We expect less than 90 mph winds at this location http://www.maroonspoon.com/wx/ike.html is a good place to watch our local coverage. Just turn down the sound on the windows you are not watching. Galveston is really getting hammered already in an event of Katrina-like proportions. The whole island is likely to go underwater during the storm. Fortunately, I am no longer at the location I was during Rita (as some may recall, I was across the road from NASA-JSC) and my former residence is very likely to be inundated in the storm surge. Catastrophists are predicting a storm much like the 1900 Galveston hurricane, at least with regard to its destructive potential. It is predicted that Ike will be the most destructive storm in history (dollar wise),and if one adds into the calculations the destruction wrought upon Haiti and Cuba and the other Caribbean islands, it already is. The Galveston 1900 storm killed 6000-8000 people and I don't expect such an outcome in human cost, but the massive storm surge is likely to destroy a good bit of coastal habitations and infrastructure. For those so inclined, please pray for the coastal people of Texas and Louisiana that their suffering is tolerable. Will check in occasionally as power allows. xponent High Ground Maru rob _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
