Hurricane Ike Makes Landfall, Should Remain Hurricane Through Most of Saturday

From the National Hurricane Center (www.nhc.noaa.gov):

AT 400 AM CDT THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IKE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 29.7 NORTH…LONGITUDE 95.0 WEST OR NEAR BAYTOWN TEXAS. THIS POSITION IS ABOUT 30 MILES NORTH-NORTHWEST OF
GALVESTON TEXAS AND ABOUT 25 MILES EAST OF HOUSTON TEXAS.

IKE IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 13 MPH.  A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH 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 WILL MOVE THROUGH SOUTHEASTERN AND EASTERN TEXAS TODAY…AND INTO WESTERN ARKANSAS TONIGHT.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 110 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  IKE IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE. WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AS THE CENTER MOVES FARTHER INLAND. ALTHOUGH IKE IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A HURRICANE THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 125 MILES FROM THE CENTER…AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 260 MILES.  HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS ARE LIKELY TO OCCUR WELL INLAND NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER.  PORT ARTHUR TEXAS RECENTLY REPORTED A WIND GUST OF 96 MPH.