Models Doing Their Job - And Sooooooo Close!

HURRICANE AND WEATHER
Very close now...Centerpoint reporting 97% have power...66,000 still waiting. I remember when a big storm would blow through and we would be concerned if 10,000 people were waiting.

Looking back on all of this now and reading some of the personal accounts, I think wow! Too bad some of these folks who died in the storm surge (or almost died) hadn't read Through the Night of Terrors or some of the other books about what can happen. Now these survivors will write their own books.

Anyway, getting back to the weather of the day...Tropical Storm Laura (but it won't be tropical much longer as it is affected by the cool waters in its way) may bring 50 mph winds to the British Isles in about 6 days. Stay tuned!

Ah ha!!! Some models have been suggesting that something would develop in the Western Caribbean and sure enough, there is an area of disturbed weather. Will watch this for signs of development.

Next cold front arrives a week from today. You'll notice increased humidity and temperatures starting Saturday. There could be a shower or two with the most likely time being on Tuesday.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY

No doubt the 3% still without power are filled with anticipation or expectativa, pronounced aches-spak-tah-tee-vah. There were filled with expectativa thinking of all the normal things they couldn't wait to do again, once the power returned.

Research shows there is a correlation between being bilingual and having higher verbal and spatial ability.

The...study investigated the develpment of verbal and spatial abilities over time within a group of Spanish (L1)-English (L2) bilingual children currently attending Kindergarten and First-grade bilingual education programs...The results firmly supported the claim that bilingualism fosters the development of verbal and spatial abilities.

This is from Diaz, R.M. (1982). The Impact of Second-Language Learning on the Development of Verbal and Spatial Abilities. (PhD, Yale University).

Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco, our award winning DVD is going on the road next week!!! Patti Lozano of Dolo Publications is taking it with her to a conference. Have a safe trip Patti. Dolo Publications is in the process of adding us to their web site and they will do so very soon. I'll give you the link, once they are ready!!!

And the timing could not be better...how easy is this? You have a bunch of little ones on your Christmas shopping list but you don't want to get them some plastic toy. Why not purchase a DVD which has been recognized by Dr. Toy as a Top 10 Educational Product of 2008? You'll help them and make them happy at the same time!!! Order through http://www.frankandpaco.com/, Ventura's Educational Supply, Dolo Publications, Carlex Inc., The Curious Mind Store, amazon.com, bestbuy.com, and barnesandnoble.com.

AND MORE
Have you heard of Longeberger products? I hadn't until my dear friend Kim Matthews started selling them. Well guess what? I am going to have a party at my home on Friday, November 14th. I will be happy to send you an invitation. Just send me an email to cecilia_sinclair@yahoo.com. I'll also give any party attendee a reduced price for our award winning DVD. This is so ideal as the timing before the holidays could not be better. So, mark your calendars!!!

I have to tell you that I am so grateful to the wonderful, dedicated people in the world of education. I met with Sarah's school occupational therapist for 45 minutes today. She wanted to give me suggestions on things to work on with Sarah. Keep in mind that she has 50 kids she keeps track of. Wow! And everyone I have worked with at Sarah's school has been equally dedicated. I appreciate this more than I can possibly say.

Be safe everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Power Return After Ike --- Almost There--Almost!!!

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Hurricane Kyle is history...after hitting Nova Scotia last night and moving northward and weakening. Early today, subtropical storm Laura formed in the north-central Atlantic and the 5 day forecast takes it toward the British Isles with 60 mph winds...interesting.

Our weather is just so pleasant and willl continue to be so...cool mornings and warm afternoons with low humidity...no big changes but the humidity will increase Saturday and Sunday and there could be a shower or two both days.

Centerpoint's 9 pm report this evening...95% have power and 5% do not (down to 114,000 without power). There are lot of people filled with joy this evening.


SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY

And so, joy is our Spanish word of the day...in Spanish it is alegría--pronounce ah-lay-gree-ah. We were filled with alegría when our power returned.

Speaking of joy, bring joy to the little ones you love by giving them a gift of education which is also entertaining. Our DVD called Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Volume 1 has been recognized as a Top 10 Educational Product for 2008 by Dr. Toy!!! You can order through http://www.frankandpaco.com/, Ventura's Educational Supply, Dolo Publications, Carlex Inc., The Curious Mind Store, amazon.com, bestbuy.com, and barnesandnoble.com.

AND MORE
Crews were picking up tree debris all over the place today, including our neighborhood. Walking along the Oyster Creek trail this morning, we noticed that the decaying trees were really starting to stink, especially around Oyster Creek. What a smelly job crews have ahead...and that is a really trouble spot because there are snakes and even alligators. But the trees will have to be moved because they are going to clog the creek with the next big rain. I'm sure other area creeks and bayous are in the same boat.

The Baines Middle School resource class is still ready, willing and able to do the laundry for anyone who needs it. Please contact Ms. Mitchell.

Thanks to all the folks working so hard!!!

Be safe!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Kyle Close to Landfall & Finding Heroes

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Hurricane Kyle will make landfall this evening on the western end of Nova Scotia. It's movement now to the north-northeast...moving eastward enough that the Hurricane Watch was dropped for Maine.

Low pressure over Yucatan could become a rain maker for Florida by mid-week as it moves north-northeastward. Probably won't have time to become a tropical depression. We shall see.

Elsewhere, close to home...no tropical weather...just the influence of high pressure...pleasantly cool morning and warm, dry afternoons. No big changes for the week ahead. Lows will be in the 50s and 60s (depending on the day and location) and highs will be in the middle to upper 80s (a few 90s are possible). Enjoy!!!

SPANISH WORD FOR THE DAY
I am choosing hero or héroe, pronounced ay-row-ay. I will explain why I chose this word in my AND MORE section. Sometimes, you find an héroe in the most unlikely place.

Learning more than one language has been shown to improve memory. Here's one research study that proved it.
In this study, 60...bilingual and 60...monolingual children in three age groups...were compared on episodic memory and semantic memory tasks...and verbal tasks...Positive effects of bilingulism were found on both episodic memory and semantic memory at all age levels.

This came from: Kormi-Nouri, R., Moniri, S., & Nilsson, L. (2003). Episodic and semantic memory in bilingual and monolingual children. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 44(1), 47-54. from PsycINFO database.

And it doesn't have to be a chore to reap the rewards of language learning. In fact, it can be a gift in the form of a fun and entertaining DVD called Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Volume 1. This is the DVD I produced and created, and it has been recognized as a Top 10 Educational Product for 2008 by Dr. Toy!!! You can order through http://www.frankandpaco.com/, Ventura's Educational Supply, Dolo Publications, Carlex Inc., The Curious Mind Store, amazon.com, bestbuy.com, and barnesandnoble.com.

AND MORE
Trucks were picking up branches on Austin Parkway near Highway 6 this morning. They were using a small crane looking contraption to grab bunches and put them in the back of the truck. So, hang in there everyone...the branches are slowly starting to disappear.

Latest Centerpoint numbers...89% have power (2.0 million). This means 11% still do not.

And sometimes, getting power back doesn't mean you will keep it. Last night, we had the honor of meeting one of these unfortunate individuals. Barbara and her husband were at Dairy Queen, having a quiet dinner and looking for a power outlet. Their power had just returned the day before, only to be lost again. I found out that Barbara was trying to get some work done, because she had already reported back to work as a school teacher. And she still had 10 family members from Galveston crammed into her 1700 square foot home (and don't forget, they brought their dog too). She said it has been so hard trying to get food cooked outside before it gets completely dark. She said it really messes with you psychologically, especially getting the power back and then losing it. When she told me about her job as a teacher, her eyes lit up and she said, I just love it. And I'm so glad to be back as of last Monday. The kids were ready too!!! Well, Barbara is my hero! She keeps on going even in the face of great personal adversity and sacrifice. She is taking care of a lot of people (family and students)!

Have a good week everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Kyle and Happy Birthday in Spanish

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Ooohh aahhh....so nice outside. And, there will be no big changes through the end of the coming week...lows will be in the 50s and 60s. Highs will be in the middle to upper 80s.

Kyle is now a hurricane...it will make landfall late Sunday near extreme eastern Maine. Not much more strengthening is likely as it raises northward.

Disturbed area that was in the southern Gulf Friday is now over the Yucatan. There are also 2 disturbed areas in the Atlantic...which are of no immediate consequence to any land area.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Since today is Sarah's 7th birthday, I thought it would be nice to learn how to say Happy Birthday in Spanish -- Feliz Cumpleaños - pronounced fay-leez coom-plee-ah-nyos. Feliz Cumpleaños to our dear Sarah. And thanks to big sister Megan for helping to her birthday so nice! You are the best Megan!!!

Another advantage of learning more than one language is improved grammar. Check out this research:

This study aimed to validate the effects of second language learning on children's linguistic awareness...The results showed an advantage for the children who attended bilingual classes since kindergarten: they were better at grammatical judgment and correction tasks and word recognition.

This came from Demont, E. (2001) Contribution of early 2nd-language learning to the development of linguistic awareness and learning to read...International Journal of Psychology, 36(4), 274-285. from PsycINFO datebase.

Heres's a way to expose children to more than one language. Purchase our award winning children's DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Volume 1. It has been recognized as a Top 10 Educational Product for 2008 by Dr. Toy!!! You can order through http://www.frankandpaco.com/, Ventura's Educational Supply, Dolo Publications, Carlex Inc., The Curious Mind Store, amazon.com, bestbuy.com, and barnesandnoble.com. THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT EVERYONE!

AND MORE
We are now beginning the 3rd week with no power. Centerpoint reports that 85% of power has been restored (to 1.91 million)...leaving 15% still without power...no refrigerated/frozen groceries, no in-house laundry service, no lights, no a/c and possibly no fans, possibly no phone service, no ability to easily charge cell phones, no ability to easily access the internet, no ability to use any appliance that accesses electricity, sometimes no school to attend, sometimes no work place to go to. Imagine that for more than 2 weeks...no fun at all. We haven't forgotten those of you who are doing without so much.

Coming soon...our own Disney store...it's official. Sarah has more Hannah Montana stuff than any girl in the world. Just ask her Dad.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

New Tropical Storm Kyle - Weekend Looks Great!

HURRICANES AND MORE
Well, there are 3 areas of interest in the tropics today. The good news is none of them will be a direct player in our weather.

Tropical Storm Kyle formed on Thursday and is moving northward in the western Atlantic. Model forecasts are tightly clustered sending it toward Maine/Canada. It will probably be a rain maker for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. It looks like it will miss Bermuda. The winds are up to 60 mph. So, it might just become a hurricane...but there has been enough wind shear to make its intensification a struggle.

In the southern Gulf of Mexico, there is an area of disturbed weather. This should move over the Yucatan peninsula over the weekend.

There is another area of disturbed weather in the eastern Atlantic...this may not hold together.

Our weather will be very pleasant this weekend...sunshine with lows in the 50s and 60s and highs in the 80s...humidity will be very comfortable. A few rain showers are possible late in the coming week as the winds switch back around to come from the south.

It has been such a break that Mother Nature has not brought us any big downpours since the Sunday after Ike. No doubt this is helping with recovery efforts. Centerpoint reports 81% (1.83 million with power as of 5 am today). For those 19% still waiting, it is very frustrating. Hang in there everyone!!! I am hoping the Pareto principle does not apply here...my feared application being that I fear it will take 80% of total time to finish returning power to the last 20%.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Let us not forget those who are struggling to recover and those waiting for power to return. There remains much frustration due to the physical and financial hardship. So, frustration is the word for the day...not much different from the look of its Spanish counterpart, frustación--pronounced, froo-stah-see-own. Hopefully, the frustación will be relieved soon!

Knowing more than one language is well established in the research as an advantage in several major ways. Check out this research:

...use of 2 or more languages endows the language users with special awareness of objective properties of language and enables them to analyze linguistic input more effectively. A series of studies compared unilingual and balanced bilingual...children...These studies show that the bilinguals outperform the unilinguals on a number of cognitive, linguistic, and metalinguistic tasks, even when the differences in intelligence are controlled.

This comes from Mohanty, A.K. (1992). Bilingualism and cognitive development of Kond tribal children: Studies on metalinguistic hypothesis. Pharmacopsychoecologia. Special Issue: Environmental Toxicology an Social Ecology, 5(12), 57-66 from PsycINFO database.

We are continuing to move forward with our Frank & Paco series. Volume 2 to teach Spanish to English speakers is in editing. And, we have recently ordered our English teaching version of Volume 1 for Spanish speakers.

In the meantime, you, your friends and family can purchase our award winning children's DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Volume 1. It has been recognized as a Top 10 Educational Product for 2008 by Dr. Toy!!! You can order through http://www.frankandpaco.com/, Ventura's Educational Supply, Dolo Publications, Carlex Inc., The Curious Mind Store, amazon.com, bestbuy.com, and barnesandnoble.com. THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT EVERYONE!

AND MORE
A very special Happy Birthday to our daughter Sarah, who is turning 7 on Saturday!!! We love you Sarah.

School is out in Fort Bend ISD because of the Fort Bend County Fair. There are lots of special activities for the kids today.

Ms. Mitchell at Baines Middle School is turning lemons into lemonade. She has posted a flyer inviting those without power to bring their dirty laundry for special laundering by the special resources class as part of their life skill work. But before you bring in your weekend's dirty clothes, make sure you check with Ms. Mitchell first. Go to the Fort Bend ISD web site and look up the contact phone number for Baines Middle School. http://www.fortbend.k12.tx.us/

P.S. If you automatically received this post halfway done, it is because Sarah published it while I was answering the door to get an estimate from another fence contractor. Ooops!

Have a great weekend everyone! Be safe!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

3 Months Until Christmas and Post Ike Return To Normalcy

HURRICANES AND MORE
Well, first of all, there are still many without power--22% for Centerpoint Energy Customers. 78% do have power--1.76 million. For those who are continuing to wait...I am so sorry and if Gordy and I can help you, let us know. The weather is much more pleasant now--the dry air has arrived. Look for lows in the 60s and highs in the middle to upper 80s for the next several days. We did get a little shower early evening on Wednesday. That was the frontal boundary pushing through. I hope it didn't cause any problems for any one with a damaged roof.

My stepdaughter showed up with a bag of laundry last night. Her Mom's house in the Memorial area still has no power...but their tree branches have been picked up in the neighborhood. In our neighborhood, the branches are waiting and killing the grass. I know...not a big problem compared to others.

I am continuing to watch an area of disturbed weather over the Bahamas. It should move northward and it is looking more likely that it will miss the U.S. We'll see if it is a factor for Bermuda. Meanwhile, that other low off the eastern seaboard is not tropical yet, but regardless, it is going cause some rain squalls and heavy surf.

Today is 3 months until Christmas...the average high and low for that day is 59.9 and 39.4 (Fahrenheit) respectively. We're thinking cool thoughts. I am posted the 3 month outlook for October/November/December from the Climate Prediction Center. It shows likelihood of slightly above normal temperatures for that time period.


SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
With some things getting better...like power returning and gas being available, you might just feel happy or feliz, pronounced fay-leez. Hopefully, everyone will be feliz again.

Research shows that early language learning is very beneficial to children. Check out these research results:
The study included 67 sixth-grade students who were divided into four groups that differed by lengths of time in the foreign language program. ...analysis showed that the groups who received foreign language instructions scored significantly higher in three areas...than the control group [no language instruction]. ...the students who had received foreign language instruction scored higher on tasks involving evaluation which is the highest cognitive skill...

This research come from: Foster, K.M., & Reeves, C.K. (1989). Foreign Language in the Elementary (FLES) improves cognitive skills. FLES News, 2(3), 4.

So, with it being only 3 months until Christmas, you'll want to get several copies of our children's DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Volume 1. It has been recognized as a Top 10 Educational Product for 2008 by Dr. Toy!!! You can order through http://www.frankandpaco.com, Ventura's Educational Supply, Dolo Publications, Carlex Inc., The Curious Mind Store, amazon.com, bestbuy.com, and barnesandnoble.com. THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT EVERYONE!

By the way, I just ordered our new English teaching version of Volume 1 for Spanish speakers: Aprendamos Inglés con Frank y Paco. We should have it in 2 to 3 weeks. Please spread the word...this is a very unique product and we are super excited about it.

AND MORE
Well, I had better get going--I am going to visit participants in the Air Conditioning Council of Houston (ACCA) golf tournament--Longwood Golf Course. My friend, Phil Free invited me. ACCA is a group of Contractors recognized for providing high quality service and A/C installations for residential and commercial customers. The Air Conditioning Council became Air Conditioning Contractors of Houston. "ACCA Greater Houston", a division of Air Contractors of America. They provide training classes, teaching members better business practices and service techniques. There are about one hundred forty members and forty five associate wholesale supply members. No doubt they could use this break. I'm sure they have been extra busy!!!

We have come so far in a week. Last week at this time, I was shopping at Target with my little one. I asked the clerk at the Starbuck's how things had been. He said they had been open the day before and he could only serve coffee as he didn't have any milk products. He said people got so mad. Yep...we're pretty spoiled.

Try to be grateful, be safe, and have a great day!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Ike - Now you are really hurting me!!!

HURRICANES AND MORE
Getting very busy getting back to "normal". Removing the Centerpoint graphic but you can always check the graphics by going to: http://www.centerpointenergy.com/staticfiles/ike/ike.html

Power has been returned to 76% or 172 million. Keep up the good work crews. We know you are working very hard and we really appreciate it!!! Hang in there all of you who still don't have power.

In the tropics...some interesting developments...still have that disturbed area over the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico with no big changes to previous discussions. But now that area that was supposed to develop a non-tropical low off the eastern seaboard...something tropical is developing. Will the two merge...no...check out my discussion on the Fujiwhara Effect about 2 weeks ago.

Our weather looks better than ever. Some drier air is arriving over the next 2 days, and it is going to be more pleasant through the weekend with lows in the 50s and 60s and highs in the middle 80s. Enjoy!

SPANISH WORD FOR THE DAY
Now that we are in the Fall season and will soon be enjoying more fall like weather, I thought I would do autumn or otoño, pronounced oh-toe-nyo. I think this is my favorite time of the year. And celebrate my wedding anniversary during otoño. By the way, that little squiggly thing is called a tilde, but in other parts of the world, this can also be called an accent--not to be confused with what we consider the usual accent mark over a vowel. Also ñ is a distinct letter of the Spanish alphabet.

Now that the weather is turning more pleasant, you might be thinking about the holidays. What could be a better gift than something that improves cognitive development and brain development in children. You can do that by purchasing our children's DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Volume 1, which has been recognized as a Top 10 Educational Product for 2008 by Dr. Toy. Don't forget to tell your friends and family that they can buy it at: http://www.frankandpaco.com, Ventura's Educational Supply, Dolo Publications, Carlex Inc., The Curious Mind Store, amazon.com, bestbuy.com, and barnesandnoble.com. THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT EVERYONE!

AND MORE

Some new developments in Fort Bend ISD. Note: Christa McAuliffe has sustained serious damage which will require the students to attendc another campus for a while. Also, don't forget that everyone in FBISD is off Friday for the Fort Bend County fair.

Update about Hodges Bend Middle School, Sept. 24, 7:15 amStudents should report to class at Hodges Bend Middle School today, Wed., Sept. 24. Update about Ridgegate Elementary and Briargate Elementary Schools, Sept. 23, 2:00 pmBoth Ridgegate and Briargate Elementary Schools have power. Students should report to class tomorrow, Sept. 24, at the regular time.Update- Sept. 23, 2:00 pm Fort Bend ISD plans to submit a waiver request to the Texas Education Agency to excuse lost instructional days due to Hurricane IkeAt the September 22 business meeting of the Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees, Dr. Timothy Jenney, superintendent, recommended, and the Board concurred, that the district not make up the six official days when the district was forced to be closed due to Hurricane Ike. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is not requiring districts to make up those days, and is leaving the decision up to each individual school district as to how it will proceed. The recommendation will be formally acted upon at the October 13th Board Meeting. A formal waiver request will then be submitted to the TEA.

Update about Willowridge High School and Christa McAuliffe Middle SchoolWillowridge High School (WHS) has regained power and will reopen at its normal time for classes on Tues, Sept. 23. Due to extensive damage to the Christa McAuliffe Middle School (CMMS) campus, those students will now attend classes at WHS, and should report to that campus (WHS) in the morning, Sept. 23, at their regular time. Students who may arrive at CMMS in the morning will be transported by school bus to the WHS campus. The attached parent letter explains a new schedule of how CMMS students will report to WHS beginning Wednesday, Sept. 24. (Please scroll down below to read the parent letter.)

Well, we got our first fence repair estimate yesterday...and we know that our insurance will only pay 2% of home value for wind damage. Ouch! I know we are the lucky ones...but this really hurts the ole' pocketbook. How do you feel about the expenses incurred by Ike? Leave me a comment.

Be safe everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Ike - We're Making Progress...Really!

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Drier air arrives on Wednesday...some relief for those still waiting for power. Lows will be in the upper 50s to low 60s and highs will be in the mid to upper 80s through the weekend.

Speaking of relief, Centerpoint now has returned power to 73% of the customers (1.64 million). Hang in there other 27%.

Disturbed area in the vicinity of Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico really hasn't budged. Puerto Rico and extreme eastern Dominican Republic have had heavy rain (really catastrophic in Puerto Rico). Still should move north...whether it threatens U.S. remains to be seen.

SPANISH WORD OF THE DAY
Today's word is progress or in Spanish, progreso--pronounced pro-gray-sew. Yes, indeed, we are making slow (frustratingly slow for many) but steady progreso.

Research shows that learning other languages is very beneficial...Here's another excerpt from research:

Effect of Spanish immersion on children's native English vocabulary were studied. ...30 5th and 6th grade immersion students and 30 English monolinguals did 60 consecutive Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) items....Findings support the idea that Spanish immersion has English-language benefits and that positive transfer (cross linguistic influence) occurs from Spanish as foreign language to native english receptive vocabulary.

This is from Cunningham, T.H., & Graham, C.R. (2000). Increasing native english vocabulary recognition through Spanish immersion: cognate transfer from foreign to first language. Journal of Educational Psychology, 92(1), 37-49. from PsycINFO database.

Our children's DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Volume 1 has been recognized as a Top 10 Educational Product for 2008 by Dr. Toy. Don't forget to tell your friends and family to check out my award winning DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco from http://www.frankandpaco.com, Ventura's Educational Supply, Dolo Publications, Carlex Inc., The Curious Mind Store, amazon.com, bestbuy.com, and barnesandnoble.com. THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT EVERYONE!

AND MORE
Sarah's teacher who lives in Quail Valley got her power back...yay!!!

Gordy and I took a walk along the Oyster Creek Trail...wow, what a mess. But the bunny rabbits didn't seem to care one little bit!

Be safe everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Ike Aftermath - Fluctuations in Power...arrrghh!!!

HURRICANES AND WEATHER

Happy First Day of Fall...It is the autumnal equinox and according to the U.S. Naval Observatory, the official start is at 9:44 am this morning. This is the date in the Northern Hemisphere when the length of night and day are approximately the same (12 hours). The length of daylight will now be less than the length of night and will continue to decrease.

Just when Briargate Elementary attendees were getting ready to go back to school, rats!...the power went out again. Here is the latest update from the Fort Bend ISD web site:

Update about Briargate Elementary--Overnight there was a power outage at Briargate Elementary and classes are canceled at Briargate on Monday, Sept. 22. All Fort Bend ISD campuses will open for classes at their normal time on Monday, Sept. 22., except for the five campuses listed below with no power. The status of these campuses will be updated on Monday.Campuses with NO POWER are: Briargate Elementary and Ridgegate Elementary Schools; also Quail Valley Middle, and Christa McAuliffe Middle Schools; also Willowridge High School.

A big improvement to the Centerpoint numbers!!!...66% now have power (which means 34% do not). I am changing the Centerpoint map at right...I like the color coded to indicate percentage of those without power. The dark red indicates those with more than 80% without power. My daughter's 1st grade teacher in Quail Valley told me this a.m. that they still do not have power! To see all the latest outage maps and updates, go to http://www.centerpointenergy.com/staticfiles/ike/ike.html.

Getting lots of interesting emails from blog followers. Charlie Richards sent me this link to NASA satellite imagery following Ike.

http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/ike/IKE0000.HTM

There are lots and lots of spots you can check out! Thanks Charlie!

Peyton Cascarelli sent me the new photo posted to the left...a metal pole stuck through a tree trunk (which as you can see has been cut to a more manageable size). Anyway, you have probably seen some of the tornado related photos of straw through trees etc. One theory is that when the wind is blowing hard and bending trunks, cracks open which allow flying debris to penetrate and then when the trunk straightens back up, the object is lodged inside. Maybe that is what happened here. Thanks Peyton!

Invest 93 has brought torrential rain to Puerto Rico and more is likely. The eastern Dominican Republic will also have to deal with dangerously large amounts of rain. Here is part of the National Hurricane Center advisory.
INTERESTS IN PUERTO RICO...THE VIRGIN ISLANDS...HISPANIOLA...THE TURKS ANDCAICOS ISLANDS...AND THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS SYSTEM.
Also, it is moving west-northwesterly now, it should start moving northward soon. A non-tropical low will be forming off the eastern seaboard...models have been showing that feature for days. Will be interesting to see how it all plays out. Folks along the east coast should also monitor developments. It may be a problem from eastern North Carolina and possibly anywhere from New Jersey to southern New England.

Locally, just warm (mid to upper 80s for highs) and humid with a slight dip in humidity starting Thursday. The next noticeable cold front arrives a week from Tuesday. Looks dry (little to no rain through the next 9 days or so).

SPANISH WORD FOR THE DAY
For those with power, things are starting to feel more routine. We are so much more comfortable when we can keep our regular routine or in Spanish rutina, pronounced roo-tee-nah. With Sarah back at school, we are back to our normal rutina.

Our children's DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco Volume 1 has been recognized as a Top 10 Educational Product for 2008 by Dr. Toy. Now that you have your power back, get a jump on the holidays by buying the perfect children's gift...my award winning DVD, Let's Learn Spanish with Frank & Paco from http://www.frankandpaco.com, Ventura's Educational Supply, Dolo Publications, Carlex Inc., The Curious Mind Store, amazon.com, bestbuy.com, and barnesandnoble.com.

AND MORE
The First Colony Library of the Fort Bend Library system has water and roof damage and is closed indefinitely. I have been following this closely as I had a book due back. It was originally due back on the 11th but there was a message posted that for any of the Fort Bend libraries, there will be no fines for books due from the 10th through the 22nd. Also, there are some extensions being allowed as well. As far as returning books that would have gone back to the First Colony Library, they can be returned to another Fort Bend Library location. For details, go to http://www.fortbend.lib.tx.us/.

On Wednesday, the 10th of September, I had the privilege to speak to a local Mocha Moms group. It was just so timely. As you know, I am selling a DVD which teaches Spanish to children. So, I give talks about the benefits of early language learning. I did an abbreviated version of that, but I lengthened the hurricane preparation part of my talk because of Ike. Some of the moms were recently moved into the area and had no idea what to expect from a hurricane. I was so glad to be able to give them instructions on what to do that very afternoon! Unfortunately, I was also scheduled to speak to the Mom's Club of Clear Lake on Monday, 9/15. I have yet to be able to reach my contact with the group. I was so sad that I had not had the chance to give these ladies vital hurricane preparation information. Now, they could probably teach me a thing or two about dealing with storms!!!

By the way, if you know anyone who would be interested in an early language and/or hurricane preparation and/or other weather topic talk, please have them contact me at 713-823-4401 or cecilia_sinclair@yahoo.com.

Have a good day everyone and praying for the return of everyone's electricity.
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

And Yet Even More FBISD Schools Will Open Monday!!!

Three more schools now have power and will be open on Monday 9/22.

Update: Sun., Sept. 21, at 6:45p.m. As of 6:30 p.m. today, Missouri City Middle School, Briargate Elementary and E.A. Jones Elementary have regained power and will be open for students in the morning. Please see below for other campuses that regained power today to be able to reopen on Monday, Sept. 22.

More FBISD Schools Have Power--To Open on Monday 9/22!

5:52 pm - Even more FBISD schools will be open on Monday!!!

Update: Sun., Sept. 21, at 5:15 p.m.As of 5:00 pm today, the following campuses have regained power today and will be open for students in the morning: Dulles High, Hightower High, Progressive High, the Technical Education Center; also Dulles Middle and First Colony Middle; and Dulles Elem. and Lexington Creek Elem.

A Few More Schools Open in Fort Bend ISD

Here is the message per the Ft. Bend web site as of 4:42 pm on Sunday. I will check back later this afternoon to see if any other campuses have regained power.

Update: Sun., Sept. 21, at 11:00 a.m.Three more campuses have regained power and will be open for classes in the morning, Sept. 22. Students should report to class at: Sugar Land Middle, Arizona Fleming Elem., and Lantern Lane Elem. Other campuses are expected to regain power later today. Please check the website late this afternoon to see if your campus regains power and will be open for class tomorrow. All district campuses with power will open for classes at their normal time on Monday, Sept. 22. If your campus is not on the “no power” list (scroll down to see below), then your campus has power and you should report to school on Monday. Campuses with NO POWER are: Briargate, Dulles, E.A. Jones, Lexington Creek, and Ridgegate Elementary Schools; also Quail Valley Middle, Missouri City Middle, Christa McAuliffe Middle, First Colony Middle, and Dulles Middle Schools; also Dulles High, Hightower High, Progressive High, and Willowridge High Schools.

Hurricane Ike Recovery - Getting Tedious and Hot

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
First of all, how about some good news for us? That area of disturbed weather in the eastern Caribbean is moving to the north-northwest and all indications (models/steering environment) strongly suggest that the system will move over Puerto Rico and toward the Bahamas...very likely even missing the east coast. It is getting better organized and will probably become a tropical depression today.

Other than that, nice and quiet in the tropics!

Still, it is warm/hot and muggy again. And now, the return to power has slowed because the work is becoming more small scale as power is returned block by block. As I write this, the Sunday report is not yet available. The latest report from Centerpoint Energy is that as of noon Saturday, 54% have power.

Here is the link:
http://www.centerpointenergy.com/staticfiles/ike/outages.html

Here is some more good news...looks like that back door cold front may arrive a few days early...around mid-week. Don't get too excited...it just looks like we'll have a slight dip in humidity. But hey, that's better than no dip. Also, I don't think it will be quite so hot. Sunday through Tuesday will be the warmest days of the week. Today's highs will make it to 90 in spots.

SPANISH WORD FOR THE DAY
Today's word is air conditioning -- aire acondicionado pronounced eye-ray ah-cone-dih-see-oh-nah-doe. Oh, I love that term...just rolls off the tongue.

AND MORE
BIG UPDATE FOR SCHOOLS IN FORT BEND ISD

Several campuses still have no power as of 12:30 pm on Saturday. So the plan is NO SCHOOL for these sites. But you never know if there could be a change today, so be sure to check the Fort Bend ISD web site: http://www.fortbendisd.com/

Here is the list of schools which will NOT be open on Monday.

Campuses with NO POWER are: Arizona Fleming, Briargate, Dulles, E.A. Jones, Lantern Lane, Lexington Creek, and Ridgegate Elementary; also Sugar Land Middle, Quail Valley Middle, Missouri City Middle, Christa McAuliffe Middle, First Colony Middle, and Dulles Middle; also Dulles High, Hightower High, Progressive High, and Willowridge High Schools.

For Galveston, the phased return plan has been scrapped. Now residents will be allowed to come back on Wednesday. Starting on Wednesday at 6 am, those whose homes are "habitable" can come back to stay. Others can return, but they will have to leave.

Well stay cool everyone and be safe!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Post Hurricane Damage and Other Developments

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
I am posting the latest Centerpoint Outage map as usual...this one as of 8 am Saturday, showing 47% without power (which means 53% have power). So, more than half have power!!! We have passed the halfway mark! The new color coded map is great, showing by zip code, when power should return to a majority of residents in that zip code.

Here is the link so you can check it all out in detail.
http://www.centerpointenergy.com/staticfiles/ike/outages.html

What I noticed from a quick review of the zip code map is that every zip code within Beltway 8 should have power by Thursday, September 25th, except for the zip code 77027 which will take longer. Again, these are projections from Centerpoint. And, the majority of the Sugar Land/Galveston area will be up by Monday, 9/22. That is when school starts in FBISD. Remember that Centerpoint is only 1 of 4 companies supplying power in the area. I hope you will forgive me for not talking about the others. I focus on Centerpoint as it affects the largest population.

There are some interesting before/after Ike aerial photos for Galveston, Bolivar Peninsula and High Island available through the USGS web site. I am including a 2 locations at right with the map showing the path of Ike. For Bolivar, I am showing the picture from point #2 (on the map) and for Galveston I ams showing the picture from point #5 (on the map). I believe that Galveston photo is showing the Balinese room--a structure of historical interest which has had to be rebuilt before. The after photo shows no structure at all, but you can make out the remains of the pier. See the hotel on shore? I think that is the Galvez. If this is wrong, please let me now. See the link below for more photos:

http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/ike/photo-comparisons/bolivar.html

Weather will be hot (according to whether you have electricity) and humid for the weekend and coming week. Everyone needs to slow down and drink lots and lots of water. Please take someone in who does not have electricity. We might get a weak push of drier air through a backdoor cold front toward the early part of the coming week...around the 28th or 29th but even this does not look very promising.

The area of disturbed weather in the eastern Caribbean is getting slightly better organized. Steering environment looks like it will push it toward Florida or the Bahamas. This could become a tropical depression in a day or so.

SPANISH WORD FOR THE DAY
As I spoke to one friend in Sugar Land who is still without power, he said his irritability is directly correlated with the length of time without power. It is extremely hard to be patient especially as it gets hotter. So patience is our word for today...in Spanish it is paciencia, pronounced pah-see-ane-see-ah. We need lots of paciencia right now!

AND MORE
HISD is now planning to phase in the return to school according to which schools have power. They may use generators in some capacity for the others, if the return to power takes too long. They are thinking about having 7 days of makeup and/or possibly making the kids go an extra hour each day for a while. Of course, there are criticisms and concerns. So, we shall see what they ultimately decide.

I know that the requirement to make up days can be waived if there were fewer than 2 weeks missed. But after 2 weeks of missed school, some days have to be made up. It is at the discretion of the school districts to decide if they want to use the waiver or not.

I hope that those of you who have a broken weatherhead on your home (that is where the line drop brings power into the house) know that you have to have a the weatherhead fixed before power can be returned. The power companies can not do this for you. In fact, usually a permit is required to make the fix. But that requirement has been waived in Houston. You will need a certified electrician to come out and fix it.

Galveston is considering allowing a phased in return to the island. But there are huge concerns about health issues as water, power, sewage are nearly nonexistent. If the phase-in is implemented, residents will be allowed to return to the least affected areas first. Stay tuned for more developments on that.

I hope that everyone who has lost power has cleaned out their refrigerators. Phillip Free suggests you put a layer of foil with about 20 pieces of charcoal in the fridge. He did that before he left town. He wasn't sure if this would help get rid of odors after the stink sets in. But he said it would be worth a try. I would suggest that if you left food in your fridge/freezer and you are still out of town and you know there is no power, you have someone clean it out for you and put in some charcoal no matter what.

Be safe everyone!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Watching Tropics after Hurricane Ike and Pondering

HURRICANES AND WEATHER

First of all let me tell you that the area of disturbed weather in the eastern Caribbean is slightly more active. Right now, there is enough shear to keep it from developing but in a couple days, that will not be the case as it moves generally westward. Early model runs show a variety of paths but it is too soon to guess what the ultimate destination will be.

46% of the Centerpoint customers are still without power. This is a huge concern as our nice break from the humidity is almost gone. It will be warm and muggy especially starting Saturday and continuing through the upcoming week. If you know someone without power, take them in! Highs will reach 90 in some places as early as Sunday. Rain chances are slim. And now it doesn't look like a cold front will reach us at the end of the coming week. So warm and muggy will be the story for a while.

Fort Bend schools are set to open on Monday, even with about half of the area still without power. To the right you will see the outage map I have been showing, but I am also putting up the figure which shows outage percentage by zip code map. Of course it is quite tiny. So here is the link, so you can make it big enough to read. I know HISD has had to postpone plans to reopen their schools. Less than half of the schools have power so far.

http://www.centerpointenergy.com/staticfiles/ike/outages.html

And if you want to see the projected timeline for returning to almost full power, see the following list (which is also on the web site).

CenterPoint Energy announced today that based on damage assessment data obtained over the last few days, the company projects the following timeline, indicating approximately 80 percent restoration per region:
The following zip codes are estimated to have substantial power restoration by the end of day on Friday, September 19:
77065, 77094, 77095, 77354, 77355, 77356, 77362, 77375, 77377, 77382, 77384, 77418, 77420, 77423, 77429, 77430, 77433, 77434, 77435, 77441, 77444, 77445, 77447, 77449, 77450, 77461, 77468, 77469, 77471, 77474, 77479, 77482, 77484, 77486, 77488, 77493, 77494
The following zip codes are estimated to have substantial power restoration by the end of day on Monday, September 22:
77024, 77031, 77032, 77039, 77041, 77042, 77043, 77050, 77055, 77072, 77077, 77079, 77080, 77082, 77083, 77084, 77092, 77099, 77336, 77338, 77339, 77346, 77357, 77365, 77373, 77386, 77396, 77459, 77477, 77478, 77479, 77511, 77515, 77534, 77577, 77583
The following zip codes have sustained extensive damage, and will therefore have a restoration timeline that extends beyond Monday, September 22:
77002, 77003, 77004, 77005, 77006, 77007, 77008, 77009, 77010, 77011, 77012, 77013, 77014, 77015, 77016, 77017, 77018, 77019, 77020, 77021, 77022, 77023, 77025, 77026, 77027, 77028, 77029, 77030, 77033, 77034, 77035, 77036, 77037, 77038, 77040, 77044, 77045, 77046, 77047, 77048, 77049, 77051, 77053, 77054, 77056, 77057, 77058, 77059, 77060, 77061, 77062, 77063, 77064, 77066, 77067, 77068, 77069, 77070, 77071, 77073, 77074, 77075, 77076, 77078, 77081, 77085, 77086, 77087, 77088, 77089, 77090, 77091, 77093, 77096, 77098, 77379, 77380, 77386, 77388, 77389, 77401, 77422, 77459, 77489, 77502, 77503, 77504, 77505, 77506, 77507, 77510, 77515, 77517, 77518, 77520, 77521, 77530, 77531, 77532, 77534, 77535, 77536, 77539, 77541, 77545, 77546, 77547, 77550, 77551, 77554, 77562, 77563, 77565, 77566, 77568, 77571, 77573, 77578, 77581, 77583, 77584, 77586, 77587, 77590, 77591, 77598

SPANISH WORD FOR THE DAY

I thought that since school begins Monday for FBISD, we could learn the Spanish word for school--la escuela, pronounced lah s-quell-ah. Thank goodness, the kids will return soon to la escuela.

AND MORE
Headed to HEB at Austin Parkway and Highway 6. They had almost everything, except ice cream and stick butter. The produce was fully stocked...very nice. I haven't checked out gas stations but I suspect that is somewhat better as I didn't see long lines at the HEB gas station. Target on Highway 6 in Missouri City was open last night. But they had almost no produce, meat. They had no dairy and only a few sparse frozen goods.

I've been thinking a lot about this whole experience...I know, so are you. Are we meteorologists now superfluous? For years, we've been telling you about what to expect with a hurricane. Now you know first hand.

And yet, it would have been worse (beyond the storm surge area) had the storm been stronger...which it could have been. Winds could have been higher and we would have had much more structural damage. The storm surge could have been worse, although the size of this storm made the surge as bad as a Category 3 or 4. But another 5 feet of water over the Galveston sea wall and I doubt many structures would be left. Still, is it a moot point as the mold will require most of them to be destroyed any way? If the storm had come inland more to the west, there also would have been more damage. More people would have left after the storm. And with such a huge population leaving, it would be a huge strain on other cities. Texas and Louisiana would be tremendously burdened. As it is, with most structures still good enough to shelter people, there is a willingness to return, even without power.

Next time, will more people run from the wind (when the advice is still to hide from the wind when you are beyond the storm surge threat)? Don't believe that it can't happen again. In the 1940s, there were 11 storms which hit the upper Texas in a span of 10 years. I will admit only a couple where strong hurricanes.

Well, we need to focus on what we have right here and now, which is enough...to recover and to help each other recover.

Be safe everyone.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Our Tenuous Situation After Hurricane Ike

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Centerpoint is reporting 43% with power as of noon today (the 18th). Their target for "substantial" return of power was today at 2 pm. They are making slow but steady progress...yesterday the number was 39%. I also have noticed that other power suppliers in southeast Texas are making progress as well.

In my area, the subdivision across the street and up a ways is still without power. As I drove down Highway 6 last night (looking for gas for my husband's car), I could see that several subdivisions and strip centers still had no power. Meanwhile, being able to get gas has been touch and go. As reported yesterday, I was able to get gas somewhat easily yesterday morning. But I went to 7 places last night trying to do the same for our other car. I had told my husband to take my car to work as it uses less gas and had a full tank. I went to many of the same places, but all were without gas. Finally, a little after 10 pm, I found one place that still had gas and wasn't dealing with severely long lines.

Grocery supplies are a little bit better here in the suburbs. In Houston, options are still very limited. I am warning my friends to stock up before getting home. I also told them to try to come into town with as full a tank of gas as possible.

Humidity is increasing. But there has been a merciful cloud cover on and off today. Did some more babysitting and we had a nice time at the park. I am concerned as there will be more humidity and higher temperatures in the days to come. Over the weekend, it will hit 90 in a few places. Although there could be a hit or miss shower, the next best shot at rain doesn't come until the end of next week as the next front approaches. That weekend should be pleasant.

In the eastern Caribbean (over the Lesser Antilles), there is an area of disturbed weather which has the potential to organize when it gets into the central Caribbean in a couple days. This one could become a depression. Of course, I'll keep an eye it for you. Maybe this will be Kyle. Checking out the long range steering environment, I am hopeful that it will be forced to move to another location besides here.

SPANISH WORD FOR THE DAY
Because the humidity is increasing, I thought we could do the word humid -- húmedo pronounced oo-may-dough. It sure is húmedo outside.

AND MORE
The mayor of Houston says residents no longer need to boil their water. And the Starbucks at Dulles and Highway 6 is open...my stepdaughter was so happy about that. If you had Starbucks withdrawal, raise your hand. I hope no one minds my silliness sometimes. There is just so much bad news...we need to remember normal things which made us happy.

Take care everyone and be safe.
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Ike Recovery Continues

HURRICANES AND WEATHER
Slowly things are getting better in our part of the world. And, our friends who stayed with us, now have power in Bellaire. Centerpoint reports as of noon today, 39% now have power. See figure at right.

The store which sold me only 1 gallon of milk 2 days ago, now will let you have 2 gallons. But my friend from Bellaire was forced to shop out here (Sugarland/Missouri City area), because there were no stores open around Bellaire.

I would estimate that about 1/3 of gas stations have no gas. Those on the main drives...like on Highway 6 have long lines. But, I found some more off the beaten path which only had a 1 to 2 car wait. Tensions are high but generally, everyone is behaving (from what I could see). Many locations have police keeping things congenial.

It is a tricky deal...with more people returning to the most populated areas, getting supplies will be touch and go. Think carefully before returning. Call your friends and neighbors and get details so you'll know what to expect. If you have little ones, this can be very stressful.

Humidity was up just a bit today. I could feel it...although I am mega-sensitive. There will be a slow but steady increase in the humidity over the next few days. And, it will get warmer with highs climbing into the middle and upper 80s this weekend. There could be a few showers.

So, please help out your friends and neighbors any way you can. I read about one neighborhood where one side of the street had power and the other didn't. The powered side ran electric cords over to the non-powered side. That is just terrific!!! Just make sure you don't cause a fire. If your power returned and you have a generator, maybe loan it out.

Galveston, Bolivar Peninsula, Winnie (and Chambers County), and Orange County are a mess. The Galveston mayor has asked everyone to leave. And they are not allowing any more driving in to check on belongings. It is becoming a health hazard there without widespread electricity, water and supplies. They need our prayers and support. Please support The American Red Cross and Catholic Charities in their relief efforts.

SPANISH WORD FOR THE DAY
I would like to think the folks working so hard to store electricity. They are the most important part of our recovery (this is the word for today) -- recuperacíon pronounced ray-coo-purr-rah-see-own. Thanks to the power company workers from all over the country and even Canada, the recuperacíon continues.

AND MORE
There is a lot of attention (of course) to the coastal situation, but folks in our wooded areas sure have a mess to clean up. Check out these photos at right from my friend Peyton Cascarelli in The Woodlands. Thanks Peyton.

On the subject of nutrition, I found out the hard way during Rita that you can't live on just carbs (breads, crackers, cookies) for very long without feeling just awful/dead tired. Everyone needs to get protein--peanut butter (lots of it), canned chicken, canned tuna, beans, nuts. Make sure you eat these things if you are in an area without electricity. And if you don't have them, ask around until you find them. This is no time for foolish pride.

Be safe and be kind.
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

35% have power back after Hurricane Ike

Hurricanes and Weather

This is taking a long time! The good news is that more help for the electric folks is arriving every day. Now, the outage percentage is 65%. See the latest graphic to the right. Maybe someone could shed some light on this...is it a linear relationship or does it get become exponentially more difficult to restore energy as you get into more populated areas? Just wondering.

The weather sure was pleasant today. We had some friends (without electricity) stay overnight and watched their kids all day while they did some work at their home. We had such a great time at the park and hanging out with the neighbor's kids outside. We even opened our windows even though we are lucky enough to have power.

Groceries are still sometimes hard to come by. We go through milk like water. So my neighbor volunteered to pick us up a gallon...no luck where they tried. Gas lines are long in most places. Everyone should try to conserve.

Another pleasant day on the way for Wednesday. Checked on this morning's lows...Huntsville had 56 and Sugar Land had 62. But I couldn't check too many spots because many of the weather stations were knocked out of commission by Ike.

Humidity levels begin rising on Thursday. Please try to help out a neighbor or friend by offering your home for a/c and power. We all need to reach out to help each other right now.

SPANISH FOR THE DAY
Let's do electricity...electricidad -- pronounced eh-lehc-tree-see-dahd. I can't wait for the return of the electricidad.

AND MORE
Round of appreciative applause for the garbage collection folks...they looked like they were running half staff and picking up 3 to 4 times as much trash. I gave our's a big thank you today!!!

Be safe and hang in there everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Recovering from Hurricane Ike

HURRICANES AND WEATHER

Been busy all day just trying to get back to normal. On the right, you'll see the 12 pm 9/15 restoration graphic from Centerpoint. The red is where there are still outages. As of 12 pm, 27% of customers had had power restored. I am also posting a couple pictures of my husband and neighbor trying to fix the fence. And, a view of my neighbors yard and some of our garbage. I am really impressed at how quickly folks in our neighborhood have been cleaning up.

Needless to say folks, if you are waiting to come back in, you might want to wait a little longer. You can't buy groceries if the grocery stores don't have power.

Here in the Sugar Land/Missouri City area, there are still many neighborhoods without power. Went to the store and there was a limit of 1 gallon of milk per family. I thought they had run out, but a worker was handing out 1/2 gallons from a box. There were no eggs left. There was butter. There was some large volume packages of meat and cold cuts, but no hamburger. There were a few packages of hot dogs. There was some produce and bread, but in limited quantities. Potatoes were available but just as individual potatoes.

Hey, here's a bright note, Starbuck's was open in the store.

Also, gas lines are long. So gas up before you get back into town. And if you're already here, try to conserve gas.

Ice was going fast as many still without power. Thank goodness it is cooler and less humid.

More restaurants opened today.

The forecast for the next few days...pleasant, cool mornings in the low 60s (some upper 50s outlying areas) and highs in the low to middle 80s...lots of sunshine. More humidity returns on the weekend with a few showers.

In the tropics, nice and quiet.

SPANISH WORD(S) FOR THE DAY
I thought it would be helpful to have these 2 words (well one is a short sentence)...to help which is ayudar (pronounced eye-you-dar) and help me which is ayúdame (pronounced ah-ju-dah-may). It is kind of hard to explain but the y has kind of a soft j sound. We should try to help (ayudar) each other and when we need help, we should say help me (ayúdame).

AND MORE
I am really impressed at how quickly folks in our neighborhood have been cleaning up. And for the most part, everyone is being very nice and very patient.

Be kind and be safe.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Some relief in the wake of Hurricane Ike

Hello all -
The cold front has arrived and it is a pleasant night in the Houston area. This week's drier weather will surely help the crews who are working so hard to restore power. It will also help rescuers who still hope to find people okay. And it will help with the cleanup.

Things are a mess...it get's worse as you go east and toward the coast.

Here in the Sugar Land/Missouri City/Stafford area, things are slowly improving. There are still many neighborhoods without power. A few grocery stores, restaurants and gas stations are open. If you are heading in, I would suggest filling up about an hour or so outside of town. And, maybe pick up some groceries at that distance as well...there are slim pickings here. I tried to get some eggs tonight, but there weren't any. Keep in mind, that it is going to take some time for things to get back to normal.

It's interesting how things look on the other side of a storm's impact. You realize just how many creature comforts we enjoy and how painful it is not to have them.

I hope everyone is safe. I am grateful to all the heroes: the utility workers, the insurance adjusters, the weather folks, the media--on air and behind the scenes, the emergency management people, law enforcement, fire personnel, paramedics, doctors, nurses, medical assistants, restaurant workers (who are in many places already back in place), grocery workers, convenience store workers. And I'm sure I've missed some. But, if you have worked hard and extra during all of this...thank you so much!!! Your efforts are not in vain.

Goodnight...tomorrow I'll be back with my old format.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Aftermath Ike Rain - River Flooding

We have numerous rivers/creeks/bayous still under flood warnings. Here is the latest summary from the National Weather Service.

A RIVER FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR BUFFALO BAYOU...CYPRESS CREEK...GREENS BAYOU...LUCE BAYOU...PEACH CREEK...SAN JACINTO RIVER...SPRING CREEK...WEST FORK SAN JACINTO...WHITE OAK BAYOU.PERSONS ARE URGED TO STAY AWAY FROM THE RIVER UNTIL WATER LEVELS RECEDE.MOTORISTS SHOULD AVOID ANY WATER COVERED ROADS AND FIND AN ALTERNATE ROUTE.LIVESTOCK AND EQUIPMENT SHOULD REMAIN OUT OF THE FLOOD PLAIN FOR THE NEXT FEWDAYS.

I went throught the entire list from the National Weather Service and by the way, here is the link so you can read the entire report yourself: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/productview.php?pil=HGXFLSHGX

Although some levels are still expected to rise, I didn't not see any forecast levels high enough for homes to flood. I'm not sure the extent of flooding around the Heights, but I wanted to include the statement for that location as it looks very serious from this discussion and I want to make sure that you can see that the water will start to recede some time this afternoon.

..FLOOD WARNING EXTENDED UNTIL LATE TONIGHT...THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR WHITE OAK BAYOU IN HEIGHTS BOULEVARD* UNTIL LATE TONIGHT...OR UNTIL THE WARNING IS CANCELLED.* AT 8 AM SUNDAY THE STAGE WAS 43.3 FEET* MAJOR FLOODING IS OCCURRING AND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE.* FLOOD STAGE IS 32.0 FEET.* FORECAST...THE RIVER WILL CONTINUE RISING TO NEAR 45.1 FEET BY LATE THIS MORNING. THE RIVER WILL FALL BELOW FLOOD STAGE LATE THIS AFTERNOON.

Please stay away from the water everyone. Remember, also that there will be many displaced snakes. Please be careful. Keep your kids away from storm drains too!

Be safe!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Dangerous Flooding with Ike aftermath rain

Good morning all -
While the remains of Ike are up in the midwest, a trail of storms extends all the way into southeast Texas...this line of storms is also preceding the approaching cold front. Heavy rain is pounding southeast Texas this am. Here is the latest Flash Flood Warning from the National Weather Service:

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1130 AM CDT FOR... SOUTHEASTERN AUSTIN COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS... BRAZORIA COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS... CHAMBERS COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS... FORT BEND COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS... GALVESTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS... HARRIS COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS... JACKSON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS... LIBERTY COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS... MATAGORDA COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS... SOUTHEASTERN MONTGOMERY COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS... WHARTON COUNTY IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS...*

The good news is that in a few hours, this rain will begin to move out as the cold front arrives. This will bring drier and much more pleasant weather (before the sun comes out and has a chance to heat everything up!). I'm sure the rain is hampering the efforts to return everyone to power. I know everyone is trying to be patient.

Remember to never cross a flooded roadway on foot or in a car. One foot (sometimes as little as 6 inches) can sweep a person off their feet. Two feet can sweep away a car. Just always remember, TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN.

Be safe!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Weather after Ike - Cooler Temperatures on the Way

Cold front arrives during the day on Sunday...won't feel the real difference until overnight Sunday when conditions will become much more pleasant. Morning lows will be in the 60s with highs in the low to middle 80s through Thursday...and the humidity will be low.

So just get through Sunday and things are going to feel much better!

Hang in there everyone!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Ike Aftermath - May take 4 weeks to return all power

Here is the direct link to reports on restoring power. Note that they said it may take up to 4 weeks to restore all power. I'm assuming that is for the worst areas mainly south and east of Houston. Here is the link:
http://www.centerpointenergy.com/newsroom/stormcenter/ike/

And here is the statement from Centerpoint:
As Hurricane Ike approached Galveston Island on Friday, Sept. 12, CenterPoint Energy’s customers began to experience power outages. As of 11 a.m., on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2.1 million of CenterPoint Energy’s 2.26 million customers were without power. Most of this widespread damage was caused by intense wind that blew toppled trees, broken branches and fallen debris onto power lines.
CenterPoint Energy knows the location of the power outages and requests customers call only to report safety concerns, such as downed power lines or natural gas leaks. CenterPoint Energy crews are ready to respond to any gas emergencies resulting from Hurricane Ike.
“The impact of Hurricane Ike on our service territory has been extensive and widespread, affecting more than 90 percent of our customers, which is the largest power outage event in our company’s more than 130-year history,” said Kenny Mercado, division senior vice president of CenterPoint Energy’s Electric Operations. “While service remains available to the Texas Medical Center, downtown Houston and Bush Intercontinental Airport, most of the rest of our service territory is currently without power.
“As the storm leaves our territory, we are beginning to assess the damage to our transmission and distribution systems, and more than 7,000 mutual assistance skilled personnel will begin arriving Sunday to help. However, we anticipate it will take four weeks or longer for restoration to be complete, and we may need to request additional assistance from other utilities,” Mercado added.
Watch here for the latest news and outage maps. For information on hurricane safety tips you can follow before, during and after a storm visit our Storm Center.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Ike Now a Tropical Storm

The center is close to Tyler, Texas and while the storm is moving away, some high water lingers. This is the latest report from the National Weather Service.


TIDE LEVELS REPORTED BETWEEN 1230 AND 130 PM SATURDAY:HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL/MANCHESTER - 11.9 FEETKEMAH - 11 FEETEAGLE POINT - 8.0 FEETPIER 21 - 5.5 FEETPLEASURE PIER - 4.4 FEETFREEPORT - 2.5 FEETSEVERE STORM SURGE FLOODING PERSISTS ALONG THE SHORE OF GALVESTONBAY AND ON THE BOLIVAR PENINSULA. THIS INCLUDES THE COMMUNITIES OFSMITH POINT...LA PORTE...SEABROOK...KEMAH...BACLIFF...SANLEON...AND SURROUNDING AREAS. TIDE LEVELS RANGE FROM 8 TO 13 FEETIN THESE AREAS. BOLIVAR PENINSULA IS COVERED WITH WATER. THE COASTGUARD IS PERFORMING RESCUES IN SAN LEON WHERE RESIDENTS ARETRAPPED ON THEIR ROOFTOPS. RAINFALL-INDUCED FLOODING OVER THELAND AND IN CREEKS AND BAYOUS MUST DRAIN OUT INTO GALVESTON BAYWHICH WILL KEEP WATER LEVELS ON THE BAY ABOVE NORMAL FOR ANEXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. TIDE LEVELS WILL ONLY SLOWLY SUBSIDE INTHESE AREAS THROUGH THIS EVENING...AND WILL NOT RECOVER TO NEARNORMAL LEVELS UNTIL LATE TONIGHT.

More to come.
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Recent Wind Reports from Hurricane Ike

The National Weather Service just issued their newest Hurricane Local Statement. Look at that peak gust of 112 mph!!!

WIND SPEEDS REPORTED 730-830 AM CDT SATURDAY:

FREEPORT - SUSTAINED 32 KNOTS GUST TO 40 KNOTS
EAGLE POINT - 39 KNOTS GUST TO 51 KNOTS

PEARLAND AIRPORT - MISSING
HOUSTON HOBBY - PEAK GUST OF 92 MPH
HOUSTON BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL - SUSTAINED 45 MPH GUST TO 66 MPH
SUGARLAND AIRPORT - MISSING
WESTPARK AND HILLCROFT IN HOUSTON - PEAK GUST OF 112 MPH

BRAZORIA NWR - SUSTAINED 22 MPH GUST TO 40 MPH
SAN BERNARD NWR - SUSTAINED 24 MPH GUST TO 42 MPH

SUSTAINED TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS OF 40 TO 60 MPH WILL CONTINUE
FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. HURRICANE FORCE WIND GUSTS OF 75 TO 90
MPH WILL AFFECT HARRIS...LIBERTY...GALVESTON...AND CHAMBERS COUNTIES
FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. WIND GUSTS OF AT LEAST TROPICAL STORM
FORCE WILL LAST THROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON.

Be safe!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Ike Weakening, Accelerating and Other Good New

As of 8 am, Hurricane Ike now downgraded to Category 1 hurricane with 90 mph winds. It is also moving fast, getting away from Houston. Lufkin area, it will be to you soon...so brace yourselves.

Still a lot of wind in the area...so try to patient and stay indoors. Don't want anyone getting injured by flying debris.

Still a lot of heavy rain in the area and several bayous and creeks are flooding. Here is the link to get all the reports:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/productview.php?pil=HGXHLSHGX

Also, Harris County is about to get 911 service back! Yay!

Be safe everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Ike - Helping Houston Water Stay Safe to Drink

Mayor Bill White is asking people in Houston not to turn on their tap water. They are trying to maintain water pressure so the cleanliness of the public water supply is not compromised.

He also suggested that you should drink your water stored in pots and pans first rather than the bottled water. The bottled water will be good drink indefinitely whereas the water in the pots and pans has a limited life of being drinkable.

More to come.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Ike Eye is NNE of Houston

First of all, just head 7:20 am that Harris County suspended 911 service as they can't get to the emergencies. This is temporary until they can get back out safely.

Also, to report downed power lines, call 713-207-2222. DON'T CALL FOR JUST POWER OUTAGES. They know about those. But your call about dangerous downed power lines will help them figure out exactly where to go.

Checked out rain totals throughout Harris County through the Office of Emergency Management rain gauge network...see my links. There are some erroneous numbers which are way to high on the northwest side...probably due to damage of the rain gauges. But there were some 9 and 10 inch totals southeast of Houston/Clear Lake area. Of course, the rain continues. Please do not go out on the roads...DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS. Besides there is still a lot of wind.

It will take about 4 to 6 hours (depending on where you are) before the wind will let up appreciably. Please stay inside if you can. Conditions will be particularly rough Kingwood, Atascocita, Humble and northeast communities for the new few hours.

There is a strong north flow over Galveston Bay and some new high tides will happen this am. So more storm surge flooding is possible.

Be safe everyone.
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

2 am Hurricane Ike Eye Moving On Shore

But because the eye is so wide, official landfall won't be for an hour or two.

Winds are still 110 mph...so still not considered a major hurricane.

Here's a fun site to check out while you are waiting for the storm to pass:http://houstonhidefromthewind.org/.

Be safe.
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Ike about to Officially Make Landfall

This just came from The National Hurricane Center. Folks in the Houston area have not seen the worst of the wind yet.

AT 1 AM CDT...0600Z...THE CENTER OF LARGE HURRICANE IKE WASESTIMATED BY NOAA DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR TO BE NEAR LATITUDE 29.0NORTH...LONGITUDE 94.7 WEST OR ABOUT 20 MILES...35 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF GALVESTON TEXAS. THE NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF THEEYE SHOULD BE MOVING OVER THE GALVESTON AREA IN THE NEXT HOUR ORTWO.THE NATIONAL OCEAN SURFACE STATION AT THE GALVESTON PLEASURE PIERRECENTLY REPORTED A WIND GUST OF 85 MPH...137 KM/HR.

Be safe everyone.
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Tornadoes with Hurricane Ike

A Tornado Watch is in effect until 10 am Saturday. They may be extended as needed.

The watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes to develop.

Tornadoes can happen before, during and after a tropical depression, tropical storm, or hurricane move through an area. The tornadoes are generally generated in the bands as they move over land...because of the friction caused by the storm bands being over land.

Some of the outer bands moved through Louisiana today. There were 4 tornadoes reported.

Even after Ike passes, be on the lookout for tornadoes from any bands rotating around the remains of the storm. It was on this day in 1961 that bands rotating around what was left of Hurricane Carla, spawned a tornado that hit Galveston and killed 5 people (according to most reports I've read...that was the number). Carla had made landfall 100 miles south of Galveston (at Port O'Connor) on September 11th. It was a large storm like Ike...but it was a Category 4!!!

So, keep your eyes and ears open!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Ike Winds Over Next 10 Hours

The following information was just released from the National Weather Service:

SUSTAINED HURRICANE FORCE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 74 MPH WILL REACH THECOASTAL COUNTIES IN THE NEXT 1 TO 3 HOURS. THESE WINDS WILL SPREADINLAND THROUGH THE HOUSTON METRO AREA AROUND MIDNIGHT. HURRICANEFORCE WIND GUSTS ARE EXPECTED TO LAST 7 TO 10 HOURS.PEAK WIND GUSTS OF 90 TO 110 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSSHARRIS...LIBERTY...BRAZORIA...GALVESTON...AND CHAMBERS COUNTIES.WIND GUSTS NEAR 115 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE NEAR WHERE THE CENTER OFTHE STORM COMES ONSHORE.

Remember to stay away from doors and windows. Put as many walls between you and the outside as possible.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Ike Better Organized - It has an eye!

Yes...there is an eye...I think the strange configuration with the highest winds well away from the center was beginning last night at this time. The eye is huge...almost 50 miles across. Remember that the winds will die down considerably in the eye. Be very careful not to be caught in the eye as the other half of the storm arrives. This can be extremely dangerous!

Those of you in high rises...take note. Winds are about 30 mph stronger just a few hundred feet above the surface. You may need want to go down to the 1st level for your safety!

The storm eye is just hours away from landfall. Ike could make it to major status yet. Winds are at 110 mph (just 1 mph shy of being a Category 3).

God bless everyone!!!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Use text messaging for Hurricane Ike communication

Even if your cell phone stops working, try texting. And cell phone companies are asking people to do this anyway as it frees up important communications resources for emergency management.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Ike Flooding Latest

There are several creeks and bayous at bankfull or just over the banks and a River Flood Warning has been issued for the West Fork of the San Jacinto. Here are some of the latest wind speed reports.

WIND SPEEDS REPORTED AT 730 TO 800 PM:MORGANS POINT - SUSTAINED 26 KNOTS GUSTS TO 39 KNOTSNORTH JETTY - SUSTAINED 48 KNOTS GUSTS TO 60 KNOTSFREEPORT - SUSTAINED 36 KNOTS GUSTS TO 49 KNOTSPEARLAND AIRPORT - SUSTAINED 33 MPH GUSTS TO 45 MPHHOUSTON HOBBY - SUSTAINED 33 MPH GUSTS TO 52 MPHHOUSTON BUSH INTERCONTINENTAL - SUSTAINED 43 MPH GUSTS TO 59 MPHSUGARLAND AIRPORT - SUSTAINED 29 GUSTS TO 41 MPHPALACIOS - SUSTAINED 26 MPH GUSTS TO 49 MPHBAY CITY - SUSTAINED 30 MPH GUSTS TO 44 MPHSMITH POINT - SUSTAINED 42 MPH GUSTS TO 52 MPHANAHUAC - SUSTAINED 25 MPH GUSTS TO 36 MPHANAHUAC NWR - SUSTAINED 30 MPH GUSTS TO 49 MPHCOTTON BAYOU AT I-10 - SUSTAINED 22 MPH GUSTS TO 32 MPHBRAZORIA NWR - SUSTAINED 26 MPH GUSTS TO 48 MPHTHE WIND FIELD SURROUNDING IKE IS UNUSUALLY LARGE. TROPICAL STORMFORCE WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 39 MPH HAVE ALREADY SPREAD ACROSSTHE AREA. WINDS OF AT LEAST TROPICAL STORM FORCE WILL LASTUP TO 24 HOURS.HURRICANE FORCE WINDS IN EXCESS OF 74 MPH WILL REACH THE COASTALCOUNTIES IN THE NEXT 2 TO 4 HOURS. THESE WINDS WILL SPREAD INLAND THROUGHTHE HOUSTON METRO AREA AROUND MIDNIGHT. HURRICANE FORCE WIND GUSTSARE EXPECTED TO LAST 7 TO 10 HOURS.

More to come!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

The Deal on Shelters for Hurricane Ike

Hello everyone -
Just so you know, some municipal shelters of last resort are opening. These are very bare bone...pack up some essentials if you plan to go...but do not expect any luxuries. In fact, I would recommend that you bring food, a few changes of clothing, sleeping bags/cots, blankets, pillows, toilet paper, medicines, diapers, special needs items, games, books. And if you are going, go asap. Conditions are going downhill fast!

After the storm has passed, the American Red Cross will move in and start opening shelters. They are currently positioned outside the danger zone. These shelters are slightly better equipped, but remember to bring all the things I just listed.

If you have pets, most shelters WILL NOT allow them.

Cecilia Sinclair
Weather Wonder Woman

Dangers After Hurricane Ike

Hello all -
Since you will lose power soon, I thought I would go over some after storm safety information:

1. If you left, do not return until officials say it is safe to return.
2. Watch out for downed power lines--they could still be live
3. Do not drink the tap water until you have been told that it is safe to drink
4. If you suspect a gas leak, leave your location
5. Do not drive or walk through flood waters as they may be electrified by downed power lines.
6. Have your bug spray close by...mosquitoes will become a big problem.
7. Be careful to watch out for falling tree limbs or damaged parts of structures
8. Do not go into a damaged structure until it has been checked by an engineer for structural safety
9. Watch out for snakes that have been pushed out of their normal locations...this was a big problem after Hurricane Carla
10. Watch out for animals which may have been traumatized by the storm...they may be unpredictable and dangerous

That's all for now!

Be safe!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Using your generator correctly for Hurricane Ike

Hello all -
No big changes as far as the storm is concerned. Remember that the winds will be picking up quite a bit in a few hours because of the high winds being so far from the center. So as you hear the distance of the center...subtract off about 50 to 60 miles...and that effectively is where the really strong winds are. So, hurricane force winds could arrive on the coast by 6 pm and in Houston by 9 pm.

Some of you have generators...that's great. But please don't operate these during the storm (unless you have a built-in with special set up to ventilate the storm). Run them after the storm is over. Put them in a well ventilated place...not in your attached garage. Outside is the best spot.

The hurricane force winds could last 10 to 14 hours (once they start). So, everyone please try to patient.

I will blog during the height of the storm as I have power, but I understand many of you will be without power. So, I'll see you on the other side.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Ike Holding Course...Galveston Landfall

Hurricane Ike 10 am report...winds still 105 mph.

Hurricane force winds out 120 miles from the center. Tropical Storm Force winds out 275 miles from the center.

100 plus winds will hit the coast by midnight.

All main models tightly clustered Galveston landfall or just west.

Very high storm surges likely especially upper reaches of Galveston Bay.

109 mph winds measured at a buoy in the Gulf.

Now that you are hunkering down...some additional things to do. Make sure flashlights and radios loaded with batteries. Try not to use candles. Have battery replacements close at hand. Make as much ice as possible and store in coolers. Fill as many containers as possible with water. Make sure you have photos of all belongings...try uploading and mailing copies of photos to location outside the danger zone. Put all valuable documents in waterproof containers. Pick up loose objects in the house that might become flying objects if you windows break. Store them in pantries and closets. If the power starts fluctuating, you might want to turn off power at the main switch to keep large appliances from being damaged. Have 2 more hot meals before the power goes out. Once power goes out, keep the fridger and freeze closed...food in the freezer can stay cold for 24 hours without power. Have your prescriptions close by, preferably in a purse or pocket or container where they can't be blown around.

You want to be on the first floor unless the water rises.

When the winds start to get strong...try to be on the side of the house that is most protected by walls (interior room, closet, bathroom are ideal)...sometimes you might have to go to the side of the house being least buffeted by the wind. Stay away from windows, even if covered.

Stay safe everyone.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Ike Projections Wobbling a Bit

But, it doesn't really matter if the "center" wobbles because the storm is so big.
Be sure to check out the last Hurricane Local Statement (from this link). It just came out within the last half hour. There is lots of information about storm surge levels, high tide times, all evacuations (with the zip codes if needed) and bus pickup points.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/productview.php?pil=HGXHLSHGX

The storm now has maximum winds only 55 to 65 miles from the center (remember last night it was 75 to 85). The maximum was on the north side. So, the Hurricane Center raised the wind to 105 mph. If it gets to 111, it will officially be a major hurricane. And that could still happen.

There is some evidence of shear...but the storm has actually strengthened. Also, just looking at the satellite image...it looks to me like an eye is trying to form. But, I'm also noticing some dry slots in the banding.

Nevertheless, wow!...this storm is a monster.

Center landfall looks like it will be around midnight tonight. But the hurricane force winds will start arriving early evening on the coast.

Storm surge is already arriving with tides reported 3 feet up already.

Galveston Island sea wall is 17 feet on the ocean side (this is on the east side of the island). Remember, there is no sea wall on the west side. And also remember that there is no sea wall on the inland side of the island. During Hurricane Carla back in 1961, Galveston had 6 feet of water that came in on the inland side. But it was more gentle than having the angry ocean coming in.

More to come.

One more thing, the models are slightly back to the west...none of the better ones showing center landfall east of Galveston.

Be safe everyone!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

The Uniqueness of Hurricane Ike

Where is the center dad gummit...well, Hurricane Recon. says that the "eye" doesn't have that strong of winds and the strongest winds are 75 to 85 miles from the center. What in the world?

So, for the worst wind, if this organization remains unchanged for 24 hours, we should look up and down the coast from landfall (about 75 to 85 miles each way) for the worst winds. This storm really is different!!!

By the way, speaking of the large high wind field, tropical storm force winds now extend outward 275 miles from the center.

Hurricane Center really didn't change the track much...only a slight shift to the west from points after landfall.

Be safe everyone.
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Hurricane Ike - New Model Runs Slightly More to the Right

There has been a slight shift with the most recent runs...now the average position is right over Galveston. Will see what the Hurricane Center thinks of that.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

New Hurricane Local Statement for Hurricane Ike

Here are just a few of the main points of interest, but you can see the full content at the following link.

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/productview.php?pil=HGXHLSHGX

ALL NEIGHBORHOODS...AND POSSIBLY ENTIRE COASTAL COMMUNITIES...WILL BE INUNDATED DURING THE PERIOD OF PEAK STORM TIDE. PERSONSNOT HEEDING EVACUATION ORDERS IN SINGLE FAMILY ONE OR TWO STORYHOMES WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH. MANY RESIDENCES OF AVERAGECONSTRUCTION DIRECTLY ON THE COAST WILL BE DESTROYED. WIDESPREADAND DEVASTATING PERSONAL PROPERTY DAMAGE IS LIKELY ELSEWHERE.VEHICLES LEFT BEHIND WILL LIKELY BE SWEPT AWAY. NUMEROUS ROADSWILL BE SWAMPED...SOME MAY BE WASHED AWAY BY THE WATER. ENTIREFLOOD PRONE COASTAL COMMUNITIES WILL BE CUTOFF. WATER LEVELS MAYEXCEED 9 FEET FOR MORE THAN A MILE INLAND. COASTAL RESIDENTS INMULTI-STORY FACILITIES RISK BEING CUTOFF. CONDITIONS WILL BEWORSENED BY BATTERING WAVES. SUCH WAVES WILL EXACERBATE PROPERTYDAMAGE...WITH MASSIVE DESTRUCTION OF HOMES...INCLUDING THOSE OFBLOCK CONSTRUCTION. DAMAGE FROM BEACH EROSION COULD TAKE YEARS TOREPAIR.HIGH TIDE TIMES:MORGANS POINT... FRI 2:52 PM. SAT 2:59 PM.
CLEAR LAKE ENTRANCE... FRI 10:36 AM. SAT 10:43 AM.
EAGLE POINT... FRI 8:25 AM. SAT 8:32 AM.
PORT BOLIVAR... FRI 4:45 AM. FRI 1:52 PM. SAT 4:52 AM. SAT 3:00 PM.
GALVESTON CHANNEL... FRI 4:31 AM. FRI 1:38 PM. SAT 4:38 AM. SAT 2:46 PM.
GALVESTON PLEASURE PIER... FRI 3:25 AM. FRI 12:32 PM. SAT 3:32 AM. SAT 1:40 PM.
JAMAICA BEACH... FRI 7:09 AM. FRI 4:16 PM. SAT 7:16 AM. SAT 5:24 PM.
SAN LUIS PASS... FRI 4:22 AM. FRI 1:29 PM. SAT 4:29 AM. SAT 2:37 PM.
FREEPORT... FRI 3:47 AM. FRI 12:54 PM. SAT 3:54 AM. SAT 2:02 PM.
PORT O CONNOR... FRI 10:15 AM. SAT 2:01 PM.

Also, A MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN ORDERED FOR ZIP CODE 77507 IN THE PASADENA AREA. This is not the only zip code...click on the link (above) to see the full report.

More to come!
Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Don't Turn Off Gas At the Meter -- Hurricane Ike

This applies to all hurricanes and the information was provided by Centerpoint Energy.


CenterPoint Energy strongly advises you to leave natural gas service connected during a storm. Doing so will maintain proper pressure in the gas piping in the house to prevent water from entering the lines if flooding occurs.
While we don't recommend disconnecting your gas service at the meter, you may turn off the gas at each appliance. To restore gas flow to each appliance, you must relight the pilot flame by following the instructions on the appliance. If you can't find the instructions, call a qualified plumber or appliance technician.
Although gas lines are buried underground and are not usually affected by strong winds, high water or other severe weather, our crews are prepared to respond quickly to any emergency.

Hurricane Wind Map for Hurricane Ike

The wind map figure on the right is courtesy of the Weather Research Center forecast office. For more weather information, go to:
http://www.wxresearch.org/

Please note the 64 kt winds are hurricane force winds (75 mph). Notice the large area including Harris County with projected hurricane force winds. Hurricane force winds will begin moving into the area starting Thursday afternoon.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

How to Make Water Potable

This is handy info...make sure you use PLAIN bleach!!! Got this from U.S. EPA web site.

Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water
USE ONLY WATER THAT HAS BEEN PROPERLY DISINFECTED FOR DRINKING, COOKING, MAKING ANY PREPARED DRINK, OR FOR BRUSHING TEETH
Use bottled water that has not been exposed to flood waters if it is available.
If you don't have bottled water, you should boil water to make it safe. Boiling water will kill most types of disease-causing organisms that may be present. If the water is cloudy, filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle, and draw off the clear water for boiling. Boil the water for one minute, let it cool, and store it in clean containers with covers.
If you can't boil water, you can disinfect it using household bleach. Bleach will kill some, but not all, types of disease-causing organisms that may be in the water. If the water is cloudy, filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle, and draw off the clear water for disinfection. Add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of water, stir it well and let it stand for 30 minutes before you use it. Store disinfected water in clean containers with covers.
If you have a well that has been flooded, the water should be tested and disinfected after flood waters recede. If you suspect that your well may be contaminated, contact your local or state health department or agriculture extension agent for specific advice.
(U.S. federal agencies and the Red Cross recommend these same four steps to disinfect drinking water in an emergency. Please, read the text below for important details about disinfection.
More information about disinfection
Choose a disinfection method
Summary and illustration of key points
More information about disinfection
In times of crisis, follow advice from local officials. Local health departments or public water systems may urge consumers to use more caution or to follow additional measures than the information provided here.
Look for other sources of potable water in and around your home. When your home water supply is interrupted by natural or other forms of disaster, you can obtain limited amounts of water by draining your hot water tank or melting ice cubes. In most cases, well water is the preferred source of drinking water. If it is not available and river or lake water must be used, avoid sources containing floating material and water with a dark color or an odor. Generally, flowing water is better quality than stagnant water.
Examine the physical condition of the water. When emergency disinfection is necessary, disinfectants are less effective in cloudy, murky or colored water. Filter murky or colored water through clean cloths or allow it to settle. It is better to both settle and filter. After filtering until it is clear, or allowing all dirt and other particles to settle, draw off the clean and clear water for disinfection. Water prepared for disinfection should be stored only in clean, tightly covered, containers, not subject to corrosion.
Choose a disinfection method.
Boiling and chemical treatment are two general methods used to effectively disinfect small quantities of filtered and settled water.
Boiling
Boiling is the surest method to make water safe to drink and kill disease-causing microorganisms like Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium, which are frequently found in rivers and lakes. These disease-causing organisms are less likely to occur in well water (as long as it has not been affected by flood waters). If not treated properly and neutralized, Giardia may cause diarrhea, fatigue, and cramps after ingestion. Cryptosporidium is highly resistant to disinfection. It may cause diarrhea, nausea and/or stomach cramps. People with severely weakened immune systems are likely to have more severe and more persistent symptoms than healthy individuals. Boil filtered and settled water vigorously for one minute (at altitudes above one mile, boil for three minutes). To improve the flat taste of boiled water, aerate it by pouring it back and forth from one container to another and allow it to stand for a few hours, or add a pinch of salt for each quart or liter of water boiled.
If boiling is not possible, chemical disinfection of filtered and settled water collected from a well, spring, river, or other surface water body will still provide some health benefits and is better than no treatment at all.
Chemical Treatment
When boiling is not practical, certain chemicals will kill most harmful or disease-causing organisms. For chemical disinfection to be effective, the water must be filtered and settled first.Chlorine and iodine are the two chemicals commonly used to treat water. They are somewhat effective in protecting against exposure toGiardia, but may not be effective in controlling more resistant organisms like Cryptosporidium. Chlorine is generally more effective than iodine in controlling Giardia, and both disinfectants work much better in warm water.
You can use a non-scented, household chlorine bleach that contains a chlorine compound to disinfect water. Do not use non-chlorine bleach to disinfect water. Typically, household chlorine bleaches will be 5.25% available chlorine. Follow the procedure written on the label. When the necessary procedure is not given, find the percentage of available chlorine on the label and use the information in the following table as a guide. (Remember, 1/8 teaspoon and 8 drops are about the same quantity.)
Available Chlorine
Drops per Quart/Gallon of Clear Water
Drops per Liter of Clear Water
1%
10 per Quart - 40 per Gallon
10 per Liter
4-6%
2 per Quart - 8 per Gallon (1/8 teaspoon)
2 per Liter
7-10%
1 per Quart - 4 per Gallon
1 per Liter
(If the strength of the bleach is unknown, add ten drops per quart or liter of filtered and settled water. Double the amount of chlorine for cloudy, murky or colored water or water that is extremely cold.)
Mix the treated water thoroughly and allow it to stand, preferably covered, for 30 minutes. The water should have a slight chlorine odor. If not, repeat the dosage and allow the water to stand for an additional 15 minutes. If the treated water has too strong a chlorine taste, allow the water to stand exposed to the air for a few hours or pour it from one clean container to another several times.

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman

Mostly bad news with Hurricane Ike

The only good things I can say are that the winds are still 100 mph and the central pressure rose slightly. This does not mean that there won't be strengthening before landfall (of the center) very late Friday night or very early Saturday morning. Error for landfall location is now down to plus or minus 80 miles.

I suspect that the storm is trying to develop a bigger eye wall...but will there be enough time? Regardless, this storm is large--so much so that a huge area will be impacted by hurricane force winds and a bigger storm surge than what you would expect with a 100 mph hurricane.

Hurricane force winds now extend out 115 mph and tropical storm force winds extend out 275 miles. The actual center is 400 miles ESE of Galveston.

Houston Hobby will stop flights beginning 9 am Friday.

People in all of Harris County in mobile homes and high rises should consider evacuating!

To see all of the discussion for southeast Texas (the Hurricane Local Statement), go to http://www.srh.noaa.gov/productview.php?pil=HGXHLSHGX.

More to come!

Cecilia Sinclair
Wonder Weather Woman