Hurricane Ike laying claim on Gulf of Mexico

It is still there!

Hurricane Ike didn't disappear last night.

In fact, it start spinning up the Gulf of Mexico and claiming it as its own.

I start the day out with a new graphic -- looks familiar doesn't it? The difference is there is no track down the center. I'm wondering if this is not a more accurate representation of what we know. Hurricanes rarely follow the line down the middle, but they do often stay within the cone of uncertainty. This gives a better picture to me of who ought to be taking serious preparations at this time.

Just a thought.

Click on the graphic above from the National Hurricane Center to get all the coordinates and such. A couple of things caught my attention:

• the storm turned to a NW heading over night -- which if it holds up will take it more into the center of the Gulf
• the storm has slowed down to 8 mph. Seems to me, the faster it moves, that harder it is for it to take sharp turns.
• Winds are picking up -- 85 mph now.

You want to see how big this thing is getting, view this NOAA hi-res shot.

You can still see the storm pretty good on the Casablanca, Cuba radar, which to me is amazing considering the hit the upper end of Cuba took and continues to take.

--steve buser

Hurricane Ike seems to like lower Texas coast

The New Orleans Region is out!

The new model runs set the sites of Hurricane Ike on the lower Texas coast and Louisiana's coast line including the New Orleans region is no longer in the cone of uncertainty.

The storm is having a tough time with the Cuban coastline as it pushes its way through the Golfo de Matamano.

It is aiming over the Sierra de la Guira -- a favorite bird watching area and preserve with pine, cedar and mahogany forests. It will apparently pass almost directly over San Diego de la Banos.

You can watch its progress on this radar on the Isle of Pines, just across the bay from the center of the storm. Or from Casblanca, Cuba radar which shows the lower Florida coast which is getting bands from the storm as it passes by.

Of course, the National Weather Service radar in Miami gives the same view from the U.S. side.

--steve buser

Quick Hurricane Ike update.

Key West Radar is starting to pick up the outer bands of Hurricane Ike.


Here is the latest wave height predictions that show the path of Hurricane Ike through the Gulf of Mexico.

--steve buser

Hurricane Ike slides back into hot water

Hurricane Ike has been holding steady at about the 2.1 latitude mark for the past 24 hours. For that matter it is has basically been on that track for several days. That is a direct west heading.

The forecast calls for a turn slightly to the north to follow Cuba. It is not out of the realm now that it will go along Cuba's south shore over the water. It went in a straight diagonal path west across Cuba, hitting the third largest city Camaguey, a large dairy center , where the radar is now out of service.

It has emerged into a shallow coastal bay that is protected by barrier islands. The latest National Hurricane Center Advisory still has it as a category 2 storm with 100 miles per hour winds and heading due west at 14 mph. It expects it to slide up the Cuba, now though, much of that sliding may be over open water (of sorts).

Though, Camaguey radar is out, you can still track the storm with the Pico de San Juan radar from Cuba.

You can now watch the storm approaching (in about 36 hours) from a Key West, Florida beach cam. And this cam at Mallory Square

Governor Bobby Jindal declares emergency for Louisiana as Ike approaches


Here's NOAA's latest high resolution picture of Ike just crossing Cuba

Hurricane Ike sweeps across lower Cuba

Hurricane Ike appears ready to emerge back over water after cutting across the middle third of Cuba during the night.

Wide satellite imagery shows outflow bands from Hurricane Ike beginning to sweep across southern Florida.

The 7 am CDT advisory from the National Hurricane center puts the center of Hurricane Ike at Latitude 21.1 North and Longitude 77.9 West -- 20 miles directly south of Camaquey, Cuba's third largest city. It is moving west near 14 mph and a west to west-northwest motion is expected over the next day or two. "

"On this track the center of Ike will move over or very near central Cuba today ... and
emerge into the Southeastern Gulf of Mexico by late Tuesday."

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 100 MPH...155
KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  IKE IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE
SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. ADDITIONAL WEAKENING IS FORECAST AS IKE MOVES
OVER CENTRAL CUBA TODAY.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES...95 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 200
MILES...325 KM. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 960 MB...28.35 INCHES.