Ike heading near Galveston

The storm track for Hurricane Ike continues to shift to the north. Ike now appears to be headed for landfall somewhere between matagorda Bay and Galveston. This places extreamly heavy winds and rain going right over the I-45 corridor. Galveston, Texas City, League City, Houston and many towns in between will be hit hard with the "dirty" side of the storm.

A hurricane watch extends from Port Mansfield, Texas, to Cameron, La., as Hurricane Ike churns through the Gulf of Mexico. The storm will pose a serious threat to lives and property as it blasts onshore in between Matagorda and Galveston Friday night.

Harris County: Evacuation order issued for parts of county (KHOU)

Mandatory evacuation for some in Harris County (KHOU)

Residents in zip code zones A and B are being ordered to evacuate beginning noon today (Thursday).

Currently Ike is a Category 2 storm with 100 MPH winds. The problem is that the central pressure is being measured very low - around 950 mbar and slowly dropping. This pressure is more in line with a Category 3 storm and the concern is that Ike will tighten up as he approaches land. AccuWeather meteorologist Joe Bastardi is comparing the conditions that we are seeign with Ike to thiose observed with both Hugo in 1989 and Carla in 1969. Weather Channel meteorologist Jim Cantore also compared the current storm intensity and track with Carla and also the great storm of 1900 in which Galveston was essentially wiped out.

Galveston Evacuation News Conference (KHOU) (Sept 10, 2008) Audio is soft

Hurricane force winds are expected to reach Galveston and Houston by late Friday night and early Saturday morning. Water levels will begin increasing Thursday before the rain from the outer band arrive.

Anyone who has not left before Friday morning needs to shelter in place. Secure any loose articles outside. Find an inside room with no windows to stay in while the storm passes and remian there until the storm is completely past. Do not let the relative calm of the eye trick you into thinking that it all clear. At 7 mph forward speed, Ike is a slow moving storm that will take quite a while before it passes any given area.