Ike means business
It’s not too often that the National Weather Service uses the word “death.”
From the current hurricane warning at Galveston:
NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THE STORM SURGE…AND POSSIBLY ENTIRE COASTAL COMMUNITIES…WILL BE INUNDATED DURING THE PERIOD OF PEAK STORM TIDE. PERSONS NOT HEEDING EVACUATION ORDERS IN SINGLE FAMILY ONE OR TWO STORY HOMES FACE THE POSSIBILITY OF DEATH. MANY RESIDENCES OF AVERAGE CONSTRUCTION DIRECTLY ON THE COAST WILL BE DESTROYED. WIDESPREAD AND DEVASTATING PERSONAL PROPERTY DAMAGE IS LIKELY ELSEWHERE. VEHICLES LEFT BEHIND WILL LIKELY BE SWEPT AWAY. NUMEROUS ROADS WILL BE SWAMPED…SOME MAY BE WASHED AWAY BY THE WATER. ENTIRE FLOOD PRONE COASTAL COMMUNITIES WILL BE CUTOFF. WATER LEVELS MAY EXCEED 9 FEET FOR MORE THAN A MILE INLAND. COASTAL RESIDENTS IN MULTI-STORY FACILITIES RISK BEING CUTOFF. CONDITIONS WILL BE WORSENED BY BATTERING WAVES CLOSER TO THE COAST. SUCH WAVES WILL EXACERBATE PROPERTY DAMAGE…WITH MASSIVE DESTRUCTION OF HOMES…INCLUDING THOSE OF BLOCK CONSTRUCTION. DAMAGE FROM BEACH EROSION COULD TAKE YEARS TO REPAIR.
Over in the Forecast Discussion, they’re saying this:
THE STORM SURGE WITH THIS STORM IS CONSIDERABLY HIGHER THAN A STORM OF THIS MAGNITUDE SHOULD PRODUCE. THIS IS A DANGEROUS AND A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING WEATHER EVENT.
Say a prayer for the folks on the coast, and let’s hope they get out of there in time.
fillyjonk said:
12 September 2008 @ 12:04 pm
when I heard the “facing certain death” thing, I assumed it was typical news-speak* hyperbole. But if the NWS is saying it, well, holy crap then.
(*to differentiate from Newspeak, which is a different (but not entirely) thing)
McGehee said:
12 September 2008 @ 12:47 pm
Back when they issued something similar for Katrina, I thought it was a hoax because it sounded too hysterical. I soon learned they’d adopted a policy to use strong language because people were too prone to ignoring, or at least underestimating the potential danger of, warnings that merely described impending conditions.
Then again, they didn’t need to sound hysterical to get people to leave New Orleans for Gustav. I wonder why?
CGHill said:
12 September 2008 @ 1:37 pm
Once drowned, twice shy?