Tropical Storm Laura

At 0900 UTC the centre of sub-tropical storm Laura was located about 1015 miles west of Fayal Island in the western Azores.



Laura is not forecast to affect any land and is only a threat to shipping interests in the north Atlantic Ocean.



The storm is moving west-northwest at close to 8 mph. A gradual turn towards northwest, then north, will an increase in forward speed is expected tomorrow.



Maximum sustained winds are near to 60 mph, with higher gusts, but strengthening is expected and Laura could make the transition to a tropical cyclone today and become a hurricane by tomorrow.



Winds of 40 mph extend outwards to 310 miles from the centre. Minimum central pressure is estimated to be 993 mb.



-------------------------------



Subtropical storm Laura forms over the north central Atlantic...



at 500 am AST...0900z...the center of subtropical storm Laura was located near latitude 37.2 north...longitude 47.3 west or about 1015 miles...1635 km...west of Fayal island in the western Azores.



The storm is moving toward the west-northwest near 8 mph. A gradual turn toward the northwest and north accompanied by an increase in forward speed is expected on Tuesday. Laura is not forecast to affect any land areas...and the system is only a threat to shipping interests over the far North Atlantic ocean.



Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph...95 km/hr...with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 24 hours... and Laura could transition into a tropical cyclone later today and possibly become a hurricane by Tuesday.



Winds of 40 mph extend outward up to 310 miles...500 km from the center.



The estimated minimum central pressure is 993 mb...29.32 inches.



Repeating the 500 am AST position...37.2 N...47.3 W. Movement toward...west-northwest near 8 mph. Maximum sustained winds...60 mph. Minimum central pressure...993 mb.



The next advisory will be issued by the National Hurricane Center at 1100 am AST.



See All NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER ADVISORIES Below



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2008 Tropical Storms and Hurricanes - Atlantic

1. Tropical Storm Arthur formed quickly on May 31 off Belize, lost tropical storm strength in fewer than 24 hours, and brought punishing rains of 10-15 inches to parts of the Yucatán Peninsula, including Mexico and Guatemala.

2. Hurricane Bertha formed as a tropical storm July 3 in the far eastern Atlantic, then debuted as the Atlantic's first hurricane July 7 and quickly grew to major hurricane status. By the time it affected land, July 14 in Bermuda, it was a strong tropical storm, causing rough surf and 3-5 inches of rain. It broke the record for longest-lived July storm and on July 18 reformed into a hurricane.

3. Tropical Storm Cristobal formed on July 19 off the coast of the Carolinas. The first named storm to threaten the U.S. coast, Cristobal threatened 3-5 inches of rain and strong storm surges across South and North Carolina.

4. Hurricane Dolly reached Category 2 strength in the Gulf of Mexico before making landfall near the Texas-Mexico border July 23, 2008. Heavy rains and wind led to at least one death, flooding and damage in Texas and in neighboring states that may exceed $1 billion.

5. Tropical Storm Edouard formed August 3 in the Gulf of Mexico and though forecasters predicted strengthening and it passed by critical oil infrastructure, it was largely welcomed for relieving drought conditions in some parts of Texas and Louisiana.

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6. Tropical Storm Fay formed August 15 off the coast of the Dominican Republic and killed 35 people there and in Haiti before making a record five landfalls in Florida, where it killed 11 before moving on as a tropical depression, killing at least one in Georgia.

7. Hurricane Gustav formed August 25 off the coast of Haiti and reached hurricane strength Aug. 26 before making landfall there. It has been blamed for dozens of deaths in the Caribbean, making it the deadliest tropical storm of 2008 in the Atlantic to date, even before it reached the Gulf Coast, where 2 million evacuated in preparation.

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8. Hurricane Hanna formed August 28 in the Central Atlantic and briefly attained hurricane strength Sept. 1. The storm was blamed for at least 163 deaths, and possibly more than 500, in Haiti. As a tropical storm, Hanna drenched the U.S. East Coast.

9. Hurricane Ike formed September 1 and reached major Category 4 hurricane status Sept. 3. After losing some strength, Ike regained Category 4 hurricane status as it made landfall in the Bahamas Sept. 7. It has been blamed for dozens of deaths in Haiti. It devastated homes and infrastructure in Cuba, and led to more than two dozen deaths in the U.S., after it hit Texas as a Category 2 hurricane and continued through the Midwest as a large tropical depression.

10. Tropical Storm Josephine formed Sept. 2, with both Hanna and Ike also active in the Atlantic, but dissipated before affecting land.

11. Hurricane Kyle formed Sept. 25 and hit the Canadian Maritime provinces Sept. 28.

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12. Subtropical Storm Laura formed Sept. 29 and forecasters said it could reach hurricane strength in the Northern Atlantic.

Remaining 2008 Tropical Storm and Hurricane Names - Atlantic

Laura - Marco - Nana - Omar - Paloma - Rene - Sally - Teddy - Vicky - Wilfred

Remnants of HURRICANE IKE Hit OHIO and Move Across Great Lakes

Hurricane-like winds left about 1 million households and businesses without electricity Monday as schools closed and rush-hour commuters faced obstacle courses of fallen trees and intersections without working traffic signals.

Sunday's wind storm caused by remnants of Hurricane Ike killed at least three people who were hit by toppled trees, authorities said. It could take a week for power to be restored in some areas.

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Winds gusting up to 78 mph ripped roofs from buildings and blocked roadways across the state, with southwest and central Ohio bearing the brunt of the storm's force, according to the National Weather Service.

"What we experienced was a hurricane-force wind gust," said meteorologist Myron Padgett at the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

A falling tree killed two motorcyclists in Hueston Woods State Park in southwest Ohio, and a woman died in the Cincinnati suburb of Mt. Healthy when a tree fell through the roof of her home.

As of 8 a.m. Monday, 575,000 Duke Energy customers in southwest Ohio and northern Kentucky still had no power, out of 867,000 who had lost service since the storm began to hit the region late Sunday morning. It was the biggest outage in the company's history, said Duke Energy spokeswoman Kathy Meinke.

American Electric Power said on its Web site Monday that about 539,000 of its Ohio customers, or 37 percent, were out, including 273,000 in Franklin County, which includes Columbus.

"This is an unprecedented event for this time of year," AEP spokesman Jeff Rennie said. "We've never seen anything like this in early fall."

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Both Duke and AEP said it could take more than a week to restore power to some hard-hit areas. AEP is recalling crews that had been dispatched to southern states hit by the hurricane.

About 310,000 Ohio Edison customers were in the dark in northeast Ohio, said spokeswoman Robin Patton.

South Central Power Co. reported Monday morning that more than 28,000 customers were out in central, southern and eastern Ohio.

The damage was widespread. High winds tore off part of the roof at Blacklick Elementary School in Gahanna, a Columbus suburb, Gahanna Superintendent Gregg Morris said.

Airport officials evacuated the control tower and canceled about 40 flights at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport before resuming air traffic Sunday evening, said airport spokesman Ted Bushelman. He said winds gusted up to 74 mph, ripping off part of the roof from a Delta Airlines hangar and damaging another airport building.

The Findlay Market in Cincinnati — the state's oldest public marketplace — and several adjacent buildings caught on fire. Maintenance crews on Monday cleared garbage, branches, parking signs and other windblown debris from the city's downtown sidewalks. People on their way to work helped out, moving cardboard, construction materials and even a chunk of siding out of the way.

The winds sparked at least eight fires in southwest Ohio's Warren County, including one at a power substation in Hamilton Township that was later extinguished, said Frank Young, the county's director of emergency services. About half of the county's residents were without power.

In Cincinnati, Findlay Market — the state's oldest public marketplace — and several adjacent buildings caught on fire.

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Downed trees and branches covered the roads in Columbus' downtown German Village neighborhood on Sunday night. Residents who had lost electricity gathered in the streets to assess the damage. Others congregated at local restaurants and bars like High Beck Tavern, where the bartender, Wayne Lewis, said business was three times busier than a typical Sunday.

Jeff Reznor, 63, made his way over to High Beck after his four-unit apartment building lost power and shingles were blown off the roof.

"We've had some pretty good soaking rain from storms, but not wind damage," said Reznor, who has lived in Columbus since 1965.

STORM IKE EFFECTS CINCINNATI

The remnants of Hurricane Ike brought wind, not rain to the Tri-State Sunday, causing widespread damage and power outages.

At one point about 90 percent of Duke Energy Corp.’s 800,000 local customers were without power, according to WCPO-TV. Duke said it might take a week to get everyone’s lights back on. Power is on in downtown Cincinnati, however.

Winds of 55 miles per hour – reportedly gusting over 70 mph – toppled trees, tore siding from houses and spread debris widely over a three-to-four-hour period Sunday afternoon. Most schools closed on Monday.

Three people – two in Oxford and one in Mount Healthy – were killed by falling trees. Damage ranged from blown-off roofs and toppled chimneys, to fallen trees and snapped power lines.

IKE MOVES ON TO DAYTON OHIO

Hundreds of thousands are without power after high winds blow across the Miami Valley. More than 100000 Dayton Power and Light. As of 2 pm Sunday afternoon, nearly 20000 people in the Dayton Metro Area were without power according to Dayton Power & Light.

HURRICANE IKE DAMAGE - IKE KILLED Several STRANDED THOUSANDS Full DAMAGE not determined

Rescue crews canvassed neighborhoods inundated by Ike's storm surge early Sunday morning, racing against time to save those who spent a second harrowing night trapped amid flattened houses, strewn debris and downed power lines.

One team of paramedics, rescue dogs and structural engineers fanned out under a nearly full moon on a finger of land in Galveston Bay. To the northeast, Coast Guard crews also worked into early Sunday morning, pulling a half dozen people out of Bridge City before rescue missions were suspended for the night.

Authorities hoped to spare thousands of Texans — 140,000 by some estimates who ignored orders to flee ahead of Hurricane Ike — from another night among the destruction. Some had been rescued, but unknown thousands remained stranded.

HURRICANE IKE DEATH TOLL at 4

Only four deaths had been blamed on Ike so far: two in Texas and two in Louisiana.

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HURRICANE IKE CAUSES MASSIVE FLOODING

Along the southeast Texas coast Sunday, the weather wasn't cooperating. Showers dropped heavy rain on areas already flooded by Ike, and forecasters said there was a chance thunderstorms could continue into the evening.

In Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city, a weeklong curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. was announced because most of the city was still without power.

"In the interest of safety, we're asking people to not be out in the streets in their vehicles or on foot," Chief Harold Hurtt said.

President Bush planned to travel to Texas on Tuesday to express sympathy and lend support to the storm's victims. He asked people who evacuated before the hurricane to listen to local authorities before trying to return home.

Roads blocked by waist-deep water and downed trees kept many rescuers at bay as they struggled through the largest search-and-rescue effort in state history, just a day after the Category 2 storm crashed into Texas with 110 mph winds.

Five-year-old Jack King escaped serious injury when storm surge sent a rush of water that washed out the first floor of his family's Galveston home just two blocks from the bay.

"I falled in the attic," Jack told paramedic Stanley Hempstead of his 10-foot tumble through the attic and onto the garage floor. Jack and his family had taken refuge in the room, loaded with blankets and other supplies. As the Texas Task Force 1 Search and Rescue crew arrived, Jack gazed at a TV aglow with "The Simpsons." as Homer said "Why do things that happen to stupid people happen to me?" The only evidence of his fall was a Band-Aid plastered to his closely-cropped hair, covering a gash.

THOSE WHO REFUSED TO FOLLOW EVACUATION ORDERS GET HIT BY IKE

"We just didn't think it was going to come up like this," said the boy's father, Lee King. "I'm from New Orleans, I know better. I just didn't think it was going to happen."

The Kings had hoped that a family member would pick them up, but a paramedic told him the road inland wouldn't be open for days. Lee King thought they could survive another night, but then their generator died. He ultimately decided the family was ready to leave.

Hempstead and other team members sailed through flooded streets Saturday, evoking thoughts of another disastrous storm that kept him working for 31 days.

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"This brings back memories of Katrina — a lot of torn up homes and flooded stuff," he said of the hurricane that struck New Orleans three years ago.

On one side of the Galveston peninsula, a couple of barges had broken loose and smashed into homes. Everything from red vinyl barstools to clay roof tiles littered the landscape. Some homes were "pancaked," the second floor sitting where the first had been before Ike's surge washed it out. Only the stud frames remained below the roofs of many houses, opening a clear view from front yard to back.

Gov. Rick Perry's office said 940 people had been saved by nightfall Saturday, but that thousands had made distress calls the night before. Another 600 were rescued from flooding in neighboring Louisiana.

"What's really frustrating is that we can't get to them," Galveston police officer Tommie Mafrei said. "It's jeopardizing our safety when we try to tell them eight hours before to leave. They are naive about it, thinking it's not going to be that bad."

Some coastal residents waded through chest-deep water with their belongings and children in their arms to get to safety Saturday. Military helicopters loaded others carrying plastic bags and pets in their arms and brought them to dry ground.

Big-wheeled dump trucks, boats and helicopters were at the ready to continue searching hard-hit Galveston and Orange County at daybreak Sunday.

The water had reached 3 feet deep in Jeffrey Jordan's Galveston living room by the time police arrived to save him and his family. Like many who were rescued in the hours after the storm, he was escorted to a shelter.

"They sent a dump truck to get us," Jordan said. "We shouldn't have been there because the water was rising something like a foot every five minutes."

Orange Mayor Brown Claybar estimated about a third of the city of 19,000 people was flooded, anywhere from six inches to six feet. He said about 375 people who stayed behind during the storm began to emerge, some needing food, water and medical care.

"These people got out with the wet shirts on their back," said Claybar, who had no idea of how many people were still stranded. Claybar was optimistic that the foot-and-a-half of water over the levee had receded overnight. If so, the city could begin pumping the water out, Claybar said. He didn't know exactly how long it would take to drain the city.

"I would say at least a couple of days," Claybar said.

In downtown Houston, winds shattered the windows of gleaming skyscrapers, sleeting glass onto the streets below. Police used bullhorns to order people back into their homes. Furniture littered the streets, and business documents stamped "classified" had been carried by the wind through shattered office windows.

The storm weakened to a tropical depression early Sunday morning, but was still packing winds up to 35 mph as it dumped rain over Arkansas and traveled across Missouri. Tornado warning sirens sounded Saturday in parts of Arkansas, and the still-potent storm downed trees and knocked out power to thousands there.

Ike was the first major storm to directly hit a major U.S. metropolitan area since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005.

More than 3 million were without power in Texas at the height of the storm, and it could be weeks before it is fully restored. Utilities made some progress by late Saturday, and lights returned to parts of Houston. In Louisiana, battered by both Ike and Labor Day's Hurricane Gustav, 180,000 homes and businesses were without power.

HURRICANE IKE KNOCKS OUT POWER TO THOUSANDS OF HOME IN TEXAS AND LOUISIANA

Storm surge that crawled some 30 miles inland in Louisiana flooded tens of thousands of homes. A levee broke and some 13,000 buildings flooded in Terrebonne Parish, 200 miles from Texas. More than 160 people had to be saved from floodwaters near Lake Charles.
Though emergency crews were frustrated by those who stayed behind, weary residents of East Texas' swamplands and Big Piney Woods were beginning to feel that whatever decision they make about a Gulf hurricane is wrong.

In 2005, they were battered by Hurricane Rita, a powerful September storm that ripped pine trees from their roots, smashed trailer- and wood-frame homes and left them in what has become a perpetual state of disrepair with the trademark FEMA blue tarps still visible over some.

Wary of another such disaster, they listened when authorities told them to get out of Gustav's way last week. They spent days in north Texas shelters or doled out precious dollars on hotels and gas while their homes received nothing more than a mild shower.

HURRICANE IKE STORM SURGES BURST THROUGH LOUISIANA LEVEE's

This time around, thousands ignored the mandatory evacuation order and were sucker-punched by the stronger side of Ike.

Those who did leave were glad they heeded orders, despite the inconvenience. Retired nurse Ida Mayfield said that because Gustav hit Louisiana and not Beaumont two weeks ago, many decided not to evacuate ahead of Ike. She was warm and dry at a church-turned shelter in Tyler, along with thousands of her neighbors.

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"Two o'clock this morning made a believer out of all of them," said the 52-year-old Mayfield, adding that she spoke to a friend Saturday who was on a roof waiting for help after calling 911. "They're scared now."

HURRICANE IKE UPDATE - MORE TO COME

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
HURRICANE IKE LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX
1128 AM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008

...IKE MOVING INLAND AND SLOWLY WEAKENING...

.AT 1000 AM CDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IKE WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 31.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 95.3 WEST OR NEAR TRINITY
TEXAS. THIS POSITION IS ALSO ABOUT 20 MILES NORTH-NORTHEAST OF
HUNTSVILLE TEXAS...AND ABOUT 35 MILES WEST-SOUTHWEST OF LUFKIN
TEXAS.

IKE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH NEAR 16 MPH. A TURN TOWARD THE
NORTH-NORTHEAST IS EXPECTED LATER TODAY...WITH A TURN TOWARD THE
NORTHEAST AND AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED EXPECTED TONIGHT AND
SUNDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF IKE IS FORECAST TO
MOVE THROUGH EASTERN AND NORTHEASTERN TEXAS TODAY...AND INTO
WESTERN ARKANSAS TONIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 80 MPH...WITH
HIGHER GUSTS. IKE IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-
SIMPSON SCALE. ADDITIONAL WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AS THE CENTER
MOVES FARTHER INLAND. HOWEVER...IKE COULD REMAIN A HURRICANE INTO
THIS AFTERNOON.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 45 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 230
MILES...370 KM. A WIND GUST TO 56 MPH WAS REPORTED DURING THE PAST
HOUR IN LUFKIN TEXAS.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 964 MB...28.47 INCHES.
DURING THE PAST HOUR...A PRESSURE VALUE OF 968.5 MB...
28.60 INCHES...WAS REPORTED AT HUNTSVILLE TEXAS TO THE WEST OF
THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IKE.

Remaining LIVE WEB CAMS show Damage in HURRICANE IKE Ravaged HOUSTON TEXAS

With Most of the HOUSTON and GALVESTON TEXAS Region without power, surveying 
the DAMAGE with WEB CAMS is rater difficult as without POWER, one cannot see WEB
CAMERA's Even if the WEB CAMERA's have Back up power, the issiue lies in the
internet service to the area. With poles down everywhere due to the high winds,
active WEB CAMERA's in the HOUSTON TEXAS and GALVESTON TEXAS area a pretty much
dead. Particularly when you get closer to the GULF OF MEXICO Coastline.

MORE TEXAS COAST WEB CAMERA'S BELOW

	Not to worry though, HTBW Has once again scoured the internet to find a few live web camera's in the HOUSTON TEXAS region. Although these camera's are in the less damaged area's you can definately see the damage of hanging traffic lights and fallen poles. Your Ad Here
The eye of the hurricane missed the center of Houston, as well as the largest concentrations of oil and gas refineries, Johnson said. The storm surge and rainfall in Galveston, Texas, were also weaker than predicted. Galveston, however, remains flooded and refineries as far east as Louisiana have been affected. While preliminary estimates put the damage at $8 billion or more, the storm isn't over.
	Retail gasoline prices jumped Saturday based on Ike's collision with refinery rich regions of Texas and Louisiana, threatening to shut down a variety of energy complexes in the Gulf of Mexico for days. Some refineries may remain shut-in for days, even if there was no serious wind damage or flooding. Gas prices nationwide rose nearly 6 cents a gallon to $3.733, according to industry data. Service stations around Texas and elsewhere raised prices sharply even before the storm hit, and lines to fill up could be seen as far away as Dallas. NOTE: Except for the top live player, these camera's are updated snapshots. To see the latest Camera View, refresh your Browser Page
	MORE HOUSTON WEB CAM's show the DAMAGE of HURRICANE IKE  Your Ad Here
Ike was about twice the size of Hurrcane Gustav, which rammed into the Louisiana shore two weeks ago. While the storm surge was less severe than what had been predicted, National Weather Service officials said a the highest — a surge of about 13.5 feet — was seen at Sabine Pass in Texas. NOTE: Except for the top live player, these camera's are updated snapshots. To see the latest Camera View, refresh your Browser Page
	NOTE: Except for the top live player, these camera's are updated snapshots. To see the latest Camera View, refresh your Browser Page
	Your Ad Here NOTE: Except for the top live player, these camera's are updated snapshots. To see the latest Camera View, refresh your Browser Page
	Windows were ripped out of office buildings in downtown Houston. At the 75-story JPMorganChase tower, the tallest building in Texas, curtains could be seen flapping in the breeze and glass shards littered the streets below. Power was out in much of Houston, although the lights stayed on in the city's huge medical center, a sprawling complex with about a dozen hospitals that attract patients from around the world.

UPDATE - GALVESTON TEXAS in the EYE OF THE HURRICANE as HURRICANE IKE Moves to HOUSTON TEXAS

HURRICANE IKE INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 48A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL092008
1200 AM CDT SAT SEP 13 2008

...EYE OF IKE APPROACHING GALVESTON ISLAND...LANDFALL EXPECTED IN
THE NEXT FEW HOURS...

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MORGAN CITY LOUISIANA TO
NORTH OF PORT ARANSAS TEXAS. HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO
REACH THE COAST IN THE WARNING AREA LATER TODAY.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM PORT ARANSAS TO
PORT MANSFIELD TEXAS. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT
FROM EAST OF MORGAN CITY TO THE MISSISSIPPI-ALABAMA BORDER...
INCLUDING THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 1200 AM CDT...0500Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IKE WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 28.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 94.5 WEST OR ABOUT 35 MILES...
55 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF GALVESTON TEXAS AND ABOUT 80 MILES...130
KM...SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF PORT ARTHUR TEXAS.

IKE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH...19 KM/HR. A
NORTHWEST TO NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD MOTION IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE
TONIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING...WITH A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH
EXPECTED SATURDAY AFTERNOON. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF
IKE WILL BE VERY NEAR GALVESTON ISLAND AND THE UPPER TEXAS COAST BY
EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.

DATA FROM NOAA DOPPLER WEATHER RADARS AND RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT
INDICATE MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 110 MPH...175 KM/HR...
WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IKE IS A STRONG CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE AND COULD REACH THE TEXAS COAST AS A CATEGORY
THREE...MAJOR HURRICANE...JUST BEFORE LANDFALL. STRONGER WINDS...
AS MUCH AS 30 MPH HIGHER THAN AT THE SURFACE...COULD OCCUR ON HIGH
RISE BUILDINGS.

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IKE REMAINS A VERY LARGE HURRICANE AND HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND
OUTWARD UP TO 120 MILES...195 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL
STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 275 MILES...445 KM. DURING
THE PAST HOUR...HURRICANE FORCE WIND GUSTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED ON
GALVESTON ISLAND AND REPORTS FROM NOAA AND AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE
AIRCRAFT INDICATE SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE JUST OFFSHORE
GALVESTON ISLAND.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 952 MB...28.11 INCHES.

COASTAL STORM SURGE FLOODING OF UP TO 20 FEET...WITH NEAR 25 FEET
IN SOME AREAS...ABOVE NORMAL TIDES ALONG WITH LARGE AND DANGEROUS
BATTERING WAVES...CAN BE EXPECTED NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE
CENTER OF IKE MAKES LANDFALL. THE SURGE EXTENDS A GREATER THAN
USUAL DISTANCE FROM THE CENTER DUE TO THE LARGE SIZE OF THE
CYCLONE. WATER LEVELS HAVE ALREADY INCREASED TO 9 TO 12 FEET ABOVE
NORMAL ALONG MUCH OF THE NORTHWESTERN GULF COAST.

DO NOT VENTURE OUTSIDE IN THE EYE. THE STRONGEST WINDS AND HIGHEST
SURGE WILL LIKELY OCCUR NEAR OR JUST AFTER THE EYE MAKES LANDFALL.

IKE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 5 TO 10 INCHES OVER
EASTERN TEXAS AND EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA...WITH ISOLATED
AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES POSSIBLE.

ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND SATURDAY OVER PORTIONS
OF EASTERN AND SOUTHEASTERN TEXAS...AND SOUTHERN AND WESTERN
LOUISIANA.

REPEATING THE 1200 AM CDT POSITION...28.9 N...94.5 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 12 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...110 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...952 MB.

AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 200 AM CDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT
COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 400 AM CDT.


Stay tuned to this blog for LIVE WEB CAM's FROM HOUSTON TEXAS TO SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA and OKLAHOMA as HURRICANE IKE leaves it's mark for WEB CAM's to see

WEB CAM's - HOUSTON TEXAS Next on UPDATED PATH of HURRICANE IKE

HOUSTON TEXAS HURRICANE IKE WEB CAMERA'S


GALVESTON ISLAND TEXAS is still being battered by HURRICANE IKE - See GALVESTON TEXAS WEB CAM'S HERE



HTBW Has scoured the Internet for the best WEBCAM views of HOUSTON TEXAS.
HURRICANE IKE struck the GALVESTON COAST earlier on saturday morning. GALVESTON
is still being hit heavy by HURRICANE IKE and several WEB CAM's from

GALVESTON TEXAS are available HERE.

We have Posted several WEB CAM's from
HOUSTON TEXAS which is now on the PATH OF HURRICANE IKE.

HURRICANE IKE is expected to Cross the Texas OKLAHOMA boarder later on
Sunday. Whether the HURRICANE STATUS will change to severe TORNADO's for
OKALHOMA has yet to be seen. If this does happen, stay tuned to

http://hurricane-tropical-storm-tracker.blogspot.com for LIVE WEB CAM's from
the OKLAHOMA IKE Region

MORE HOUSTON TEXAS COAST WEB CAMERA'S BELOW

	HURRICANE IKE Has touched the Mainland at GALVESTON TEXAS. Several WEBCAMS of GALVESTON TEXAS are available HERE  Below are more HURRICANE IKE HOUSTON TEXAS WEB CAMERA'S Your Ad Here
HOUSTON TEXAS airports will be closed to commercial flights today and Saturday as Southern Texas braces for Hurricane Ike, a Category 2 storm that’s already churning up huge waves that are slamming into the Galveston sea wall and the Bolivar Peninsula. The eye of the storm is expected to hit this evening along the Texas Gulf Coast, where mandatory evacuations have been in effect.
	Commercial flights into Houston will be suspended at 2 p.m. Central time, according to the Houston Airport System’s website. Airport officials recommend that only ticket holders who have confirmed with their airline that their flight is going should proceed to the airports — George Bush Intercontinental (IAH) and William P. Hobby (HOU) — before the shutdown. NOTE: Except for the top live player, these camera's are updated snapshots. To see the latest Camera View, refresh your Browser Page
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Here Are Various HOUSTON TEXAS TRAFFIC and WEATHER Web Camera Views from the EAST COAST OF TEXAS FACING THE GULF OF MEXICO. Around Galviston and HOUSTON NOTE: Except for the top live player, these camera's are updated snapshots. To see the latest Camera View, refresh your Browser Page
	NOTE: Except for the top live player, these camera's are updated snapshots. To see the latest Camera View, refresh your Browser Page
	Your Ad Here NOTE: Except for the top live player, these camera's are updated snapshots. To see the latest Camera View, refresh your Browser Page
	HURRICANE IKE WEB CAMS HOUSTON TEXAS GETS HIT HARD BY HURRICANE IKE

FOR MORE WEB CAMERA's FROM the GALVESTON TEXAS REGION

HURRICANE IKE UPDATE - GALVESTON EVACUATED - Those who say "Face Certain Death" According to HURRICANE WARNING

Hurricane Ike bore down on Texas, heading for landfall as early as today in Galveston, where forecasters warned residents of ``certain death'' if they ignore a mandatory evacuation order.

The warning from the National Hurricane Center also applies to coastal areas around Galveston, southeast of Houston, where highways were jammed yesterday as thousands fled inland. Galveston Bay will be pounded by an ocean surge as high as 25 feet (7.6 meters), with water levels a mile in from the coast possibly exceeding 9 feet, the center said on its Web site.

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``All neighborhoods and possibly entire coastal communities will be inundated during the period of peak storm tide,'' the center said. ``Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single family, one- or two-story homes may face certain death.''

Several WEB CAMERA'S OF THE GALVESTON TEXAS AREA Including GALVESTON BEACH are available on this site. The URL for these WEB CAMERA's in GALVESTON ISLAND TEXAS is http://hurricane-tropical-storm-tracker.blogspot.com/2008/09/hurricane-ike-update-gulf-of-mexico.html
This wishing to see the Most UPDATED and COMPLETE website of WEB CAMERA's IN GALVESTON TEXAS Should check out the link.
Ike, which tripled in size in the Gulf of Mexico in the past two days, was a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 105 miles per hour (169 kph), the center said just before 7 a.m. Houston time today. Ike is following a track similar to the 1900 Galveston hurricane that killed 8,000 people, the deadliest storm in U.S. history.

Ernest Baddeaux, a 66-year-old welder living a half-block from Galveston Bay in La Porte, said he was going to stay put.

``The officials and media tell you to evacuate but they don't necessarily tell you where or how you're going to pay for it,'' he said as he hammered plywood over his windows.

Food for Weeks

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Baddeaux said he was reasonably confident his house, one of the few in the neighborhood raised on piers, would protect him. Hurricane Alicia, which hit the Houston area in 1983, brought a 12-foot storm surge that didn't reach his property.

``I think one other family on the street is staying, too,'' he said, adding that he has an electric generator, a supply of gasoline and enough food and water to last for weeks.

Ike's projected path would make it the first storm to hit a major U.S. metropolitan area since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005. Ike has the potential to cost insurers $25 billion, ranking it behind Katrina as the second-most expensive storm in U.S. history, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu estimated.

Ike was approaching the upper Texas coast, with the eye 230 miles southeast of Galveston, the center said. The system was moving west-northwest at 13 mph. Because of its wide diameter, Ike's hurricane-force winds will be felt along the Texas coast long before landfall, which is forecast for near Galveston late today or early tomorrow.

Local officials issued a mandatory evacuation order as of noon yesterday for areas including Galveston and communities south of Houston and near the coast.

`A Little Late'

``I think the call for evacuation came a little late,'' Jamie Ybarra, a 32-year-old safety coordinator in La Porte, said yesterday as he packed up and prepared to leave with his wife, April, their two children, two dogs and cat. ``You hear the roads are crowded. You hear people are losing their cool.''

Storm-force winds may reach the coast by 8 a.m. local time today and hit Houston around 11 a.m. The hurricane winds may reach coastal counties in the early evening and Houston between 9 and 11 p.m. Those winds may last 10 to 12 hours.

``The wind field surrounding Ike is unusually large,'' the hurricane center said.

The storm left more than 70 people dead in Haiti and killed four in Cuba as it swept through the Caribbean earlier this week.

Category 3

The U.S. weather center's forecasters said Ike may strengthen to at least Category 3 intensity, meaning sustained winds of at least 111 mph, before the eye crosses the coast. Other forecasters predict Ike may become a Category 4 storm, with sustained winds of at least 131 mph, the second-strongest on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale.

Hurricane-force winds extended 120 miles from Ike's center, while tropical-storm force winds of at least 39 mph extended out 275 miles, according to the hurricane center.

Ike's winds cover an area larger than that of Katrina, said Jeff Masters, director of meteorology at private forecaster Weather Underground Inc.

President George W. Bush declared an emergency for Texas, his home state. As many as 7,500 Texas National Guard members are on standby.

Houston's population is 2.2 million, making it the fourth- biggest U.S. city, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and its metropolitan area, with a population of 5.6 million, is the sixth-largest in the U.S.

NFL Game Postponed

Ike forced the Houston Texans to push back their National Football League home-opener against the Baltimore Ravens by a day to Sept. 15. The Houston Astros postponed two baseball games against the Chicago Cubs that were scheduled for today and tomorrow.

Oil prices rose on concern that Ike will crimp production. Crude oil for October delivery rose $0.78, or 0.8 percent, to $101.65 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, after touching the lowest since April yesterday.

About 19 percent of U.S. refining capacity was shut in preparation for Ike's arrival. The Gulf Coast is home to 26 percent of U.S. oil production.

The storm has shut 97 percent of Gulf oil production and 93 percent of natural gas output, the Minerals Management Service said yesterday.


FOR LIVE VIEWS OF GALVESTON ISLAND VIA THE LARGEST ONLINE COLLECTION OF GALVESTON and TEXAS GULF COAST HURRICANE IKE WEB CAMERA'S CLICK HERE

HURRICANE IKE UPDATE - Sept 12 - IKE HEADS TOWARDS GALVESTON TEXAS - RADAR

SEPTEMBER 12th 2008 HURRICANE IKE RADAR GULF OF MEXICO
At 4 a.m. the center of Hurricane Ike was near 26.7 north and 91.6 west, or about 365 miles east of Corpus Christi.

Ike was moving west-northwest near 13 mph. A turn toward the northwest is expected later today, with a turn toward the north on Saturday.

Based upon this projected track, the center of Ike will move ashore near Galveston early Saturday morning.

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The maximum sustained winds were 105 mph, which makes Ike a Category 2 hurricane. The latest minimum central pressure was 953 millibars, or 28.14 inches.

Ike is expected to become a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall. A hurricane wind warning remains in effect for Victoria, Bee and Goliad counties. Tropical storm force winds will be possible after 6 p.m. across the area.

Hurricane force wind gusts will be possible from midnight through Saturday morning.

For some incredible LIVE WEB CAM shots of HURRICANE IKE As it Looms over the GULF OF MEXICO Heading towards GALVESTON Check out these LIVE WEB CAMERA's from GALVESTON TEXAS and CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS

HURRICANE IKE UPDATE - IKE TRIPLES in Size as it HEADS on PATH TO GALVESTON TEXAS

FOR LIVE WEBCAMS OF GALVESTON TEXAS CLICK HERE


Hurricane Ike tripled in size in the central Gulf of Mexico as it churned on a weekend collision course with the 5.6 million residents of the Houston area, where coastal communities prepared to evacuate.

The system's strongest winds extend as far as 115 miles (185 kilometers) from the eye, up from 35 miles yesterday, the Miami- based National Hurricane Center said today. Ike's wind field is now larger than that of Katrina, the storm that devastated New Orleans in 2005, said Jeff Masters, the director of meteorology at private forecaster Weather Underground Inc.

``The total amount of energy is more powerful than Katrina, so we could be seeing a storm surge that could rival Katrina,'' Masters said. The storm is so large ``the location doesn't matter much; it is going to inundate a huge part of the Texas coast.''

Galveston, parts of southern Houston and areas south of the city and near the Texas coast were under a mandatory evacuation order starting at noon today, local officials said at a press conference. The coast may see a storm surge of as much as 20 feet (6 meters). Ike is following a track similar to the 1900 Galveston hurricane that killed 8,000 people.

Felt Before Landfall

Ike was a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 100 mph, up from 80 mph yesterday, the center said in an advisory at 10 a.m. Houston time. Its central pressure is more like that associated with a Category 3 or 4 storm, Masters said.

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The storm is moving west-northwest at 10 mph, with landfall south of Galveston on Sept. 13. Because of its size, Ike will be felt along the Texas coast long before its eye makes landfall.

The center's forecasters said Ike may strengthen to at least a major hurricane with Category 3 intensity, meaning sustained winds of at least 111 mph, before landfall. Other forecasters predict Ike may become a Category 4 storm, the second-strongest on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, packing winds from 131 to 155 mph.

Below is a recent picture (2 mintes ago) from the GALVESTON TEXAS COASTLINE. in it you can see the WAVES GROWING as HURRICANE IKE APPROACHED. For the LIVE CAMERA VIEW of this GALVESTON TEXAS WEB CAMERA as well as MANY OTHER HURRICANE WEB WEATHER CAMERA'S CLICK HERE

The storm is forecast to sweep through the center of the Gulf, missing the offshore Louisiana oil and natural gas fields. The Gulf is home to about a quarter of U.S. oil production. Many rigs and platforms shut more than a week ago as Hurricane Gustav passed through the Gulf remained closed.

Oil Production

About 96 percent of all oil production in the Gulf has been shut in along with 73.1 percent of natural gas facilities, according to the Minerals Management Service, a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

President George W. Bush declared an emergency for Texas, his home state, and Governor Rick Perry readied 1,350 buses to evacuate residents in preparation for Ike's landfall. As many as 7,500 Texas National Guard members are on standby.

Houston's population is 2.2 million, making it the fourth- biggest U.S. city, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and its metropolitan area, with a population of 5.6 million, is the sixth-largest in the U.S.

Jim Rouiller, a meteorologist with Planalytics Inc. in Wayne, Pennsylvania, said he's particularly worried about storm surge damage around Galveston Bay, on the coast southeast of Houston, which may be in the top right quadrant of the storm field where rains and winds are most powerful. Some parts of the Texas-Louisiana coast may get as much as 15 inches of rain, the hurricane center said.

Biological Lab

The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, home of one of the most secure biological labs in the U.S., has begun evacuating its 260 patients to Austin and San Antonio, spokeswoman Kristen Hensley said by telephone.

The school, with about 3,500 students and faculty, will close its 84-acre campus at noon. Its biological labs include a level-4 bio-safety facility, which is also in the process of shutting down, Hensley said.

``It's in the strongest and most heavily reinforced building on campus; it can withstand severe wind and storm surges,'' Hensley said. ``We have secured all the pathogens and decontaminated all the lab work surfaces.''

The lab's systems are backed up with emergency generators to provide electricity in case power goes out, she said.

NASA's Johnson Space Center heeded the evacuation order, preparing to shut its 1,600-acre facility in Houston that houses Mission Control and the training ground for astronauts.

New Orleans

Some 15,000 people work at the space center. It sits across the street from an arm of Galveston Bay.

``Our buildings can withstand a hurricane, but there's some concern about the expected tidal surge,'' said John Ira Petty, a spokesman at Johnson.

Flight engineers left for Austin a few days ago. They will manage the International Space Station from temporary facilities there, Petty said.

The New Orleans area, including Lake Pontchartrain, was under a tropical-storm warning for Ike. That means such conditions, with sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph, are expected within 24 hours. The warning stretches along the coast from Cameron, Louisiana, east to the Mississippi-Alabama border.

New Orleans was spared the worst of Hurricane Gustav when it struck the state last week. Gustav killed 25 people in Louisiana.

A hurricane watch was in place from Cameron, Louisiana, west to Port Mansfield, Texas. The watch means hurricane conditions, with sustained winds of at least 74 mph, are possible within 36 hours.

Hurricane Dolly

In July, Hurricane Dolly, with winds of 100 mph, struck the Texas coast at South Padre Island, about 35 miles northeast of Brownsville.

The potential for destruction from Hurricane Ike has caused oil refiners to begin shutting plants near Houston and producers to evacuate platforms in the Gulf.

Exxon Mobil Corp.'s Baytown facility, 17 miles east of Houston, is the country's biggest, with a capacity of 586,000 barrels a day. The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, which is the largest U.S. oil-import terminal and handles 13 percent of imports, said it closed marine operations because of Ike.

Crude oil for October delivery fell $1.61, or 1.6 percent, to $100.97 a barrel at 11:27 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures touched $100.10, the lowest since April 2. Prices are up 29 percent from a year ago

HURRICANE IKE UPDATE - THE GULF OF MEXICO COAST OF TEXAS is now in the PATH OF HURRICANE IKE - VIEW WEB CAMERA'S OF THE TEXAS COAST HERE

HTBW Has scoured the Internet for the best WEBCAM views of the TEXAS GULF OF MEXICO COASTLINE.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE LIVE CAMERA VIEWS FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO COAST OF TEXAS. You will find some great beach and wave shots to watch HURRICANE IKE from the comfort of your own home.

HOUSTON TEXAS NEXT on HURRICANE IKE's PATH - View HOUSTON TEXAS HURRICANE IKE WEB CAMERA'S HERE








Why search the internet for the information you need, just book-mark any HTBW Blog and you will be sure to get the most recent updates on what you are looking for.

Below you can see a selection of LIVE WEB CAMERA's from CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS. Further down the page we have posted several camera's from the GALVESTON and HOUSTON TEXAS coastal region. Whereever HURRICANE IKE STRIKES ON THE TEXAS COAST you will find the camera's showing it here.

MORE TEXAS COAST WEB CAMERA'S BELOW
Please SCROLL DOWN

NOTE: Due to the large number of Image requests, some of these Galveston Texas Web cams will not load right away. If you get a black screen, just hit refresh and the Galveston Texas Web Cam should pop up.

	It appears IKE is making its' way across the gulf and wreaking havoc everywhere it passes. Keep tuned to this page for a growing list of HURRICANE IKE CAMERA'S. Your Ad Here
Just to show how unpredictable HURRICANE IKE is becoming, it was earlier estimated that HURRICANE IKE would batter the FLORIDA KEYS. As it turns out, Florida lucked out as HURRICANE IKE grazed past its' shores. Unfortunately for those on the GULF COAST of TEXAS, HURRICANE IKE is headed straight for them. HURRICANE IKE Battered its' way through Cuba and The British Islands of Turks and Caicos During the weekend and early this week. It is hard to tell where HURRICANE IKE will be heading next. Experts and satellite imagery have HURRICANE IKE heading though the Gulf of Mexico again. How this rash of HURRICANES in the GULF OF MEXICO will effect the oil rigs and energy pricing has yet to be determined. What we do know, is HURRICANE IKE and its' predecessors, HANNA and GUSTAV have caused many deaths and a vast amount of property damage.
	CUBA has been especially hard hit by both GUSTAV and now IKE. The country and its' people are in dire need, however the US Embargo on trade continues and there is no sign of relief for the suffering in HURRICANE Ravaged CUBA.   With HURRICANE IKE Making its' way through Cuba right now, many people are trying to find WEB CAM's in CUBA. This seems like a pointless effort, so here are some Camera's in preparation for HURRICANE IKE's unwelcome visit to TEXAS later this week. NOTE: Except for the top live player, these camera's are updated snapshots. To see the latest Camera View, refresh your Browser Page
	GALVESTON HARBOUR LIVE WEB CAMERA Your Ad Here
Here Are Various Web Camera Views from the EAST COAST OF TEXAS FACING THE GULF OF MEXICO. Around Galviston and Houston Texas NOTE: Except for the top live player, these camera's are updated snapshots. To see the latest Camera View, refresh your Browser Page
	NOTE: Except for the top live player, these camera's are updated snapshots. To see the latest Camera View, refresh your Browser Page
	Your Ad Here NOTE: Except for the top live player, these camera's are updated snapshots. To see the latest Camera View, refresh your Browser Page
	This traffic Camera is looking right at the GULF OF MEXICO in GALVESTON Bay