National Weather Service message on Hurricane Ike for High Island including Gavelston.

GULF-FACING COASTAL AREAS FROM MATAGORDA TO HIGH ISLAND INCLUDING
GALVESTON ISLAND...12 TO 16 FEET

LIFE THREATENING INUNDATION LIKELY!

ALL NEIGHBORHOODS...AND POSSIBLY ENTIRE COASTAL COMMUNITIES...
WILL BE INUNDATED DURING HIGH TIDE. PERSONS NOT HEEDING
EVACUATION ORDERS IN SINGLE FAMILY ONE OR TWO STORY HOMES WILL
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. 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.

...awful.

Those in single-and two story homes will face "certain death." :wow:

That's just...mind blowing.

I don't recall ever hearing a warning this strongly worded before.

I hope everyone gets the hell out. How can you not with a warning like that?

...DEVASTATING DAMAGE EXPECTED...

.HURRICANE KATRINA...A MOST POWERFUL HURRICANE WITH UNPRECEDENTED
STRENGTH...RIVALING THE INTENSITY OF HURRICANE CAMILLE OF 1969.

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT
LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL
FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY
DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL.
PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD
FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE
BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME
WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A
FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH
AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY
VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE
ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE
WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN
AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING
INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY
THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED. FEW
CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE
KILLED.

AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR
HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE
CERTAIN WITHIN THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS.

ONCE TROPICAL STORM AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ONSET...DO NOT VENTURE
OUTSIDE!

Need to send it someone asap.

It was issued at 1:20 and its the fifth one down I think. Or just do a find on the word "death". It will take you right there.


http://forecast.weather.gov/wwamap/wwatxtget.php?cwa=hgx&wwa=hurricane%20warning

Bush & Co were all just patting themselves on the back over how well they handled Gustav. Something tells me this storm will once again overwhelm them. I hope Texas has prepared for this, and gets everybody out in time...;(

...it will be spun as a major success--with Bush and Perry posing in front of ominously lit churches
to demonstrate their effectiveness and patriotism.

:eyes:

I wouldn't put it past him...:eyes:

be overwashed by tidal storm surge. Direct hit on Houston expected with winds at 100mph. There will be stuff, including things like campers and roofs and signs, flying all over the place.

GET OUT OF THERE NOW!

there will be glass flying everywhere too. There will probably major problems with toxins and sewage along the lines of what we saw in New Orleans. Sounds like a terribly dangerous situation.

is the storm surge is where all the energy is going much more so than the winds or rain.

I guess that is where the concern is coming from. Wow, this is terrible, I hope they get everyone in the path out...:wow:

Can't say anything else.

It sounds like Ike will, too. :(

One reason why people stay is that they don't understand how water could destroy even concrete homes. Aside from the sheer force of the water, one reason is that everything floats, from cars to refrigerators to solid oak bureau sets. Those floating items become battering rams in the frenzied, unrelenting waves, and an hour or five of a car floating in your living room will knock down even the strongest walls.

I'm sending prayers to the Texas Coast that all may be able to evacuate safely--especially the elderly and people with their pets.

I hope it won't be too horrible out there. We are northwest Houston, so we don't have to worry about the surge. I'll have some of my family members with me, so we'll be praying together for this thing to hurry and go away.