Stranded Galveston residents call in vain for rescues; Nearly 510,000 customers without electricity in Houston area; Hurricane Ike packs 110 mph winds as it comes ashore; Storm about 600 miles across
Texans begin to flee low-lying areas; Galveston mayor urges evacuation of Isle’s western end; Evacuations ordered; Hurricane watch issued for Texas Coast; Hurricane Ike may hit Texas with 15-foot storm surge
Landfall expected Friday night into Saturday morning along Texas Coast between Houston and Corpus Christi as a Category 3 hurricane … Ike is expected to move into Central and then North Texas
AT 400 AM CDT…0900Z…THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM EDOUARD WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 29.3 NORTH…LONGITUDE 93.4 WEST OR ABOUT 50 MILES… 80 KM…SOUTHEAST OF PORT ARTHUR TEXAS AND ABOUT 85 MILES …135 KM…EAST OF GALVESTON TEXAS.
EDOUARD IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH…19 KM/HR …AND THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK…THE CENTER OF EDOUARD IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR OR OVER THE UPPER TEXAS OR SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA COASTS BY MIDDAY TODAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 65 MPH…100 KM/HR…WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE PRIOR TO LANDFALL AND EDOUARD COULD APPROACH HURRICANE STRENGTH BY THE TIME ITS CENTER CROSSES THE COAST.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 70 MILES…110 KM FROM THE CENTER.
AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT REPORTED A MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 997 MB…29.44 INCHES.
A STORM SURGE OF 2 TO 4 FT ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA IN AREAS OF ONSHORE WINDS.
EDOUARD IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES IN SOME SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA COASTAL PARISHES AND SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS. ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 10 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS.
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA AND SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS TODAY.
Tropical Storm Edouard expected to make landfall with near-hurricane strength winds Tuesday afternoon near Galveston; Severe thunderstorms, tornadoes possible overnight in Indiana, Ohio
A STORM SURGE OF 2 TO 4 FT ABOVE NORMAL TIDE LEVELS CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE WARNING AREA IN AREAS OF ONSHORE WINDS.
EDOUARD IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES IN SOME LOUISIANA COASTAL PARISHES. ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES…WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 10 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS.
ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN LOUISIANA AND THE UPPER TEXAS COAST TONIGHT AND TUESDAY.
REPEATING THE 1000 PM CDT POSITION…28.7 N…92.2 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD…WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…60 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…999 MB.