Printable ProductProvided by - NWS Southern Region HQ - Print 000 WTUS84 KHGX 101738 HLSHGX URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED HURRICANE IKE LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 1238 PM CDT WED SEP 10 2008 ...EVACUATIONS INITIATED FOR PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS COASTAL COUNTIES... .AT 1100 AM EDT...1500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IKE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 85.3 WEST OR ABOUT 225 MILES... 365 KM...WEST-SOUTHWEST OF KEY WEST FLORIDA AND ABOUT 430 MILES... 690 KM...SOUTHEAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. ALTHOUGH THE CENTER OF IKE MOVED LITTLE OVER THE PAST FEW HOURS... THE HURRICANE IS GENERALLY MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH...13 KM/HR. A WEST-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...WHICH WOULD TAKE IKE THROUGH THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NOW NEAR 90 MPH...150 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IKE IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR- SIMPSON SCALE. ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS EXPECTED AND IKE COULD BE A MAJOR HURRICANE TOMORROW. IKE IS A LARGE TROPICAL CYCLONE. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 80 MILES... 130 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 205 MILES...335 KM. THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE REPORTED FROM A NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT WAS 957 MB...28.26 INCHES. COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING ALONG THE COASTS OF CUBA AND IN THE FLORIDA KEYS SHOULD SUBSIDE TODAY. ABOVE NORMAL TIDES OF 2 TO 4 FEET ARE ALREADY OCCURRING ALONG MUCH OF THE NORTH COAST OF THE GULF OF MEXICO. IKE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES OVER WESTERN CUBA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF UP TO 20 INCHES POSSIBLE. THESE RAINS ARE LIKELY TO CAUSE LIFE- THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF AN INCH OR SO ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA AND THE FLORIDA KEYS THROUGH THIS EVENING. TXZ200-213-214-235>238-111745- /O.NEW.KHGX.HU.S.0002.080910T1738Z-000000T0000Z/ BRAZORIA-CHAMBERS-GALVESTON-HARRIS-JACKSON-LIBERTY-MATAGORDA- 1238 PM CDT WED SEP 10 2008 ...EVACUATIONS INITIATED FOR PORTIONS OF THE SOUTHEAST TEXAS COASTAL COUNTIES... ...NEW INFORMATION... NEW EVACUATION INFORMATION FOR COASTAL COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS. ...AREAS AFFECTED... THIS STATEMENT RECOMMENDS ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY PERSONS IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OR MARINE AREAS: BRAZORIA...CHAMBERS...GALVESTON...HARRIS...JACKSON...LIBERTY... MATAGORDA. ...WATCHES/WARNINGS... NO ADDITIONAL HAZARDS ARE IN EFFECT. ...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... CURRENT EVACUATION INFORMATION: BRAZORIA COUNTY: A MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN ORDERED FOR ZIP ZONE 77541. A SPECIAL NEEDS EVACUATION ORDER IS IN PLACE FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY. A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION IS IN PLACE FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY. RESIDENTS IN THE COASTAL AREAS AND THOSE REQUIRING TRANSPORTATION FROM BRAZORIA COUNTY TO BELL COUNTY MUST RUSH THEIR PREPARATIONS TO COMPLETION. GALVESTON COUNTY: A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION WILL BEGIN THIS AFTERNOON FOR BOLIVAR PENINSULA...THE WEST END OF GALVESTON ISLAND INCLUDING JAMAICA BEACH...SAN LEON...BACLIFF...BAYOU VISTA...OMEGA BAY...TIKI ISLAND...DICKINSON...KEMAH...AND CLEAR LAKE SHORES. CITIZENS MAY ALSO CONSIDER EVACUATING IF THEY LIVE IN LOW-LYING AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING OR IN MOBILE HOMES. IF YOU DECIDE TO EVACUATE...PLEASE REMEMBER TO PACK YOUR DISASTER KIT AND IMPORTANT PAPERS. THE GALVESTON-BOLIVAR FERRY WILL LIKELY CEASE OPERATIONS AT 11 PM THURSDAY NIGHT. JACKSON COUNTY: A VOLUNTARY EVACUATION HAS BEEN INITIATED FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY. MATAGORDA COUNTY: A MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN ORDERED FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 35. THIS MANDATORY EVACUATION INCLUDES THE COMMUNITIES OF PALACIOS...ASHBY-BUCKEYE...EL MATON...COLLEGEPORT... MATAGORDA...WADSWORTH...SARGENT...CEDAR LANE...CHINQUAPIN...TRES PALACIOS OAKS...AND TIDEWATER OAKS. BLESSING IS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE MANDATORY EVACUATION EVEN THOUGH IT IS NORTH OF HIGHWAY 35. THE MANDATORY EVACUATION DOES NOT INCLUDE BAY CITY OR VAN VLECK. 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. 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. RESIDENTS OF MATAGORDA COUNTY WHO NEED SHELTER CAN EVACUATE TO THE SHELTER HUB IN AUSTIN. SIGNS IN AUSTIN WILL DIRECT EVACUEES TO OPEN SHELTERS. VEHICLES SUCH AS BOATS...18 WHEELERS...TRAILERS...OR SECOND CARS CAN BE PARKED AT THE MATAGORDA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS. IF YOU PARK YOUR PROPERTY THERE...PLEASE BE AWARE IT IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. THE SWING BRIDGES AT MATAGORDA AND SARGENT WILL BE PERMANENTLY CLOSED AT 6 PM THURSDAY WHICH MEANS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PASS OVER THE BRIDGES PAST THAT TIME. THE EVACUATIONS IN MATAGORDA COUNTY MUST BE COMPLETED BY 6 PM THURSDAY. PUBLIC SERVICES WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE IN THESE AREAS AFTER THIS TIME FOR THE DURATION OF THE EVENT. PERSONS WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EVACUATION CAN CALL 979-244-5318. ...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE... THE FOLLOWING TIDE LEVELS ARE BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK AND FORECAST INTENSITY FOR HURRICANE IKE. THE LEVELS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON ANY FUTURE CHANGES IN THE FORECAST. IF THE TRACK SHIFTS EASTWARD...THEN THESE LEVELS MAY BE INCREASED. TIDE LEVELS WILL EXCEED 4 FEET ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER ALONG THE UPPER TEXAS COAST BEGINNING FRIDAY MORNING. MAXIMUM TIDE LEVELS WILL OCCUR FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. MAXIMUM WATER LEVELS FORECAST: SHORELINE OF MATAGORDA BAY - 12 TO 18 FEET COASTAL AREAS FROM MATAGORDA TO SAN LUIS PASS - 7 TO 10 FEET COASTAL AREAS OF GALVESTON AND CHAMBERS COUNTIES - 4 TO 8 FEET SHORELINE OF GALVESTON BAY - 4 TO 8 FEET ...WINDS... NORTHEAST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 20 MPH INLAND...25 TO 35 MPH COAST BEGINNING LATE THURSDAY NIGHT. TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL REACH THE UPPER TEXAS COAST FRIDAY MORNING. ...NEXT UPDATE... THE NEXT HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 6 PM CDT. $$