Open mike on Ike

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• We have Ike tracking maps here, here, and here – and a link to bulletins from the National Hurricane Center at the top of the left side bar (below calendar)

• .Search box at top right of the page, type in Ike to find related posts, check Gustav, too, as Ike is dumping water on top of flooding from Gustav.

Ike Updates

Most recent update at top of the list

• Rescuers said Sunday they had saved nearly 2,000 people from the waterlogged streets and splintered houses left behind by Hurricane Ike. Glass-strewn Houston was placed under a weeklong curfew, and millions of people in the storm’s path remained in the dark.

• NEW post: Get off high horse about “those people” who didn’t evacuate.

• This just in from WWL talk radio:

“Terrebone Parish President Michel Claudet says at least 13,000 structures have flooded in lower Terrebone Parish. About 6,000 of those were residential homes.”The conditions continue to deteriorate,” Claudet said. “We have people going up and down the bayou pulling people out.”

He said that the helicopters used for closing levee breaks have be retasked to help rescue people who did not heed the earlier call to evacuate.

“Until the winds come from the north and draw the water out of the parish, we’ll face some challenges,” he said. “Right now, we’ve gotten almost the same surge that we got with Hurricane Rita years ago.”

• Galveston…The tide levels appear slightly lower than forecast and underscore the fact that a strike on Galveston Island’s east end produced a lower overall surge across the island. Forecasters now say the maximum tide in Galveston Island was probably 15 feet or less.

• The Jackson area can expect to feel the effects of Hurricane Ike this weekend in the form of heavy showers, thunderstorms and gusty winds.

• Floyd LeBlanc of CenterPoint Energy Inc. said 1.8 million of the power company’s customers — or more than 4 million people — in metro Houston are without electricity as high winds and heavy rains downed power lines. LeBlanc said 2 million customers represent about 4.5 million people.

• Galveston getting inundated from all sides 4:30am CT…

Galveston County is experiencing widespread damage, according to initial reports from the state Emergency Operations Center in Austin. The east and west ends of Galveston Island are under water, and water is pouring over the seawall. Power and utilities are out. There are multiple fires; rain is helping extinguishing some.Galveston County’s …Infrastructure is heavily damaged, although the condition of area refineries is still unknown. Land phone lines and radio communication is stable, but cell phone service is <!–[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]–>intermittent.

• It’s 4 a.m. and Ike’s hurricane force winds are battering downtown, together with driving rain. Restaurant awnings and other debris are being blown down the streets…Trees are down, windows have been blown out of the Chase Tower. (Houston taking the brunt now)

• More than 1,000 search and rescue teams are at Reliant Center and other locations waiting for the winds to subside enough to begin work on what is expected to be one of the largest rescue efforts in Texas history.

• Ike makes landfall…stranded Galveston residents call in vain for help in vain. Houston Chronicle 2:1am CT

• 1.3 million without power…Brennan’s, a popular restaurant in downtown Houston for almost four decades, burned down Friday night as Ike battered the city – and in Louisiana 1,800 homes and businesses were flooded by storm surge in Cameron Parish, Louisiana…and six feet of flood water rushed into the town of Lafitte in Louisiana’s Jefferson Parish…more here.

• Ike has Cat 4 winds at building height! (CNN reports at 12:09amCST)

• Flooding in Louisiana – this update from the Ladder

People in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana are beginning to feel the effects of Hurricane Ike. This is a dangerous situation, as most residents are without power and do not realize the current situation…There is only the local channel, HTV in Houma, which is covering the situation in real time…Commentator: This is a sad,sad day for Terrebonne Parish. It looks like Niagra Falls. Please leave. Please leave.  This is the day we feared.

• Nearly $1T of insured property in Ike’s path