Galveston County Office of Emergency Management

SITUATION REPORT #2

SUBJECT: Hurricane Ike

DATE AND TIME COVERED: Monday, September 8, 2008 0800 through Tuesday, September 9, 2008

● CURRENT SITUATION:

The forecast track for Hurricane Ike shifted overnight but still places most of the Texas Gulf Coast in the forecast cone.  The Galveston County Office of Emergency Managment is currently monitoring the situation with activation of limited staff beginning as early as Monday morning.  At 7:00 am local time, the center of Hurricane Ike was located near latitude 22.4 N and longitude 82.4 W or about 40 miles south of Havana Cuba.  Ike is moving toward the west near 13 mph.  The center of Ike should emerge into the Gulf of Mexico late this afternoon or evening.  Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 80 mph with higher gusts. Ike is a Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.  Strengthening is anticipated once Ike is again over warm water.  The Galveston County Emergency Operations Center is operating at a Readiness Condition 3. 

The Office of Emergency Management participated in a State Conference Calls at 10:30 am and 4:30 pm on Monday and a National Weather Service Conference Call at 10:00 am on Monday. These calls will continue to be held as needed throughout the event.

 All Galveston County Departments and Employees are advised to monitor this situation closely.

● AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS EVENT:  Galveston County and surrounding counties

● RESPONDING OFFICES/DEPARTMENTS, RESOURCES COMMITTED: GCOEM 

● CASUALTIES:  None.

● DAMAGES:   None reported at this time.

● EVACUATION:  None at this time. 

● SHELTER:   None at this time.

● ROADS CURRENTLY CLOSED/IMPACTED:  None at this time.

● CURRENT UTILITY OUTAGES:  None at this time.

● COMMENTS:
 
The Emergency Management Division is closely monitoring this situation.  Conference calls are being conducted with the Local Jurisdictions, National Weather Service, State of Texas Operations Center and our regional partners.  This Office and the Emergency Operations Center are on Level 3 with Core Staff monitoring the situation in order to prepare.

  The four (4) levels of EOC activation are:

   Level 1 (Emergency Conditions)
   Level 2 (Escalated Response Conditions)
   Level 3 (Increased Readiness Conditions)
   Level 4 (Normal Conditions)

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