MIAMI, Florida, November 28, 2008 (ENS) – The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season officially closes on Sunday, with a warning from Florida Governor Charlie Crist and state emergency officials to begin planning year-round for emergencies and natural disasters, especially hurricanes.

“We welcome the close of this busy season that has touched the lives of so many Floridians, as well as our neighbors to the south, north and west,” said Governor Crist. “We are fortunate that our beautiful state did not receive a major hurricane impact, but storms such as Fay remind us to never underestimate the power of tropical systems.”

Tropical Storm Fay is the only storm on record to make landfall four times in the state of Florida, and to prompt tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings for the state’s entire coastline at various times during its August lifespan.

“The 2008 season was the most active and deadly since 2005. The Caribbean nations just to our south and the United States saw nearly 900 fatalities from these storms,” said Florida State Meteorologist Ben Nelson. “Although much of our state was flooded by Fay, Floridians were fortunate that steering currents narrowly diverted hurricane activity away from the Sunshine State.”

The 2008 season produced a record number of consecutive storms to strike the United States and ranks as one of the more active seasons in the 64 years since comprehensive records began.

Tracks of the 16 named storms of the
2008 Atlantic hurricane season (Map
courtesy NOAA)

A total of 16 named storms formed this season, based on an operational estimate by NOAA’s National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The storms included eight hurricanes, five of which were major hurricanes at Category 3 strength or higher.

These numbers fall within the ranges predicted in NOAA’s pre- and mid-season outlooks issued in May and August. The August outlook called for 14 to 18 named storms, seven to 10 hurricanes and three to six major hurricanes. An average season has 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes.

“This year’s hurricane season continues the current active hurricane era and is the tenth season to produce above-normal activity in the past 14 years,” said Gerry Bell, PhD, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.

Overall, the season is tied as the fourth most active in terms of named storms (16) and major hurricanes (five), and is tied as the fifth most active in terms of hurricanes (eight) since 1944, which was the first year aircraft missions flew into tropical storms and hurricanes.

For the first time on record, six consecutive tropical cyclones (Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike) made landfall on the U.S. mainland and a record three major hurricanes (Gustav, Ike and Paloma) struck Cuba. This is also the first Atlantic season to have a major hurricane (Category 3) form in five consecutive months (July: Bertha, August: Gustav, September: Ike, October: Omar, November: Paloma).

Bell attributes this year’s above-normal season to conditions that include a combination of ocean and atmospheric conditions has spawned increased hurricane activity since 1995.

He also blames warmer tropical Atlantic Ocean temperatures – about 1.0 degree Fahrenheit above normal during the peak of the season – and the lingering effects of a La Niña cool surface water temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

“The information we’ll gain by assessing the events from the 2008 hurricane season will help us do an even better job in the future,” said Bill Read, director of NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. “With this season behind us, it’s time to prepare for the one that lies ahead.”

“Floridians should remember that hazardous weather happens 365 days a year,” said Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Craig Fugate. “Preparedness does not end with the hurricane season. Now is an excellent time to review, update your plans, take inventory of disaster supplies, and recycle goods and batteries.”

NOAA will issue its initial 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Outlook in May, prior to the official start of the season on June 1.

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AUSTIN, Texas, September 10, 2008 (ENS) – Early this morning, the center of Hurricane Ike was located about 125 miles north-northeast of Cabo San Antonio on the western tip of Cuba. More than one million Cubans evacuated and the storm claimed four lives as 20 inches of rain and 100 mph winds swept across the island. More than 600 people died as Ike blasted across Haiti last week.

Ike currently is moving toward the west-northwest near eight mph and this motion is expected to continue for the next day or so, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Maximum sustained winds are near 85 mph with higher gusts, which makes Ike a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

Once the storm reaches the warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico, it is expected to strengthen, and the National Weather Service is forecasting Ike will intensify to a Category 3 hurricane in the central Gulf.

Estimated landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast will be 85 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, Texas on Saturday, September 13 at about 5 am local time.

Forecasters say hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 175 miles. The outer bands of the storm brushed Florida last night, flooding low-lying areas of Key West.

In view of the hurricane’s deadly threat, Texas Governor Rick Perry Tuesday ordered the pre-deployment of state resources to prepare for evacuation of coastal areas as the storm tracks toward Texas. Evacuations could begin as early as today.

Hurricane Ike wheels into the Gulf of
Mexico (Image courtesy NOAA)

The governor issued a disaster declaration for 88 counties on Monday, which readies the state to provide assistance to local officials.

“We continue to closely monitor this storm and are preparing accordingly for its potential impact to our communities,” said Governor Perry. “Hurricane Ike is making its way to the Gulf as we speak, and it is imperative that residents pay attention to this storm, heed warnings from their local leaders, and take the steps necessary to protect their families, homes and businesses.”

In anticipation of Ike’s landfall, up to 1,350 buses are available to support potential evacuations, with more than 800 en route today to pre-stage in San Antonio and 150 heading to Bee County.

Up to 7,500 guardsmen are on standby for rapid deployment as needed. Six UH-60 helicopters are stationed in Austin and four in San Antonio, and five C-130 aircraft are on standby in Fort Worth.

Two task forces from the Texas Engineering Extension Service are on standby if search and rescue capabilities are needed.

The Texas Department of Transportation has put up message signs urging residents along the coast to fuel up their vehicles to be ready for possible evacuation orders. The state’s Fuel Team is working to ensure adequate fuel supplies along potential evacuation routes and monitoring demand increases. People who are unable to evacuate themselves can let responders know who and where they are before an emergency or evacuation takes place by calling 2-1-1.

Commercial vehicle enforcement troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety are inspecting buses in San Antonio that may be needed for evacuations.

More than 100 troopers across Texas are pre-staging in Corpus Christi, and the regional DPS Disaster District operations centers have been activated in San Antonio, Corpus Christi and McAllen.

The Texas Department of State Health Services is making plans for air and ground evacuation of hospital patients as needed along the Texas coast from Corpus Christi southward. Five federal medical stations are being set up to receive medical special needs evacuees.

The state’s 2-1-1 information and referral network has answered thousands of calls related to Ike since midnight Monday.

Nursing homes and other licensed facilities in coastal regions are being contacted to make sure their emergency plans are up-to-date. Staff are closely monitoring conditions to ensure the safety of those at the Corpus Christi State School.

The Department of Family and Protective Services is instructing foster parents and other caregivers how to report the whereabouts of children in foster care if they evacuate.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice today took the precaution of moving 12 female dialysis patients from the Carole S. Young Medical Facility Complex in Dickinson to the Estelle Unit in Huntsville. The agency is staging nearly 60 inmate transport buses in the Beeville area should the evacuation of South Texas prison facilities become necessary.

The Texas Department of Agriculture is prepared to distribute food commodities and will coordinate distribution efforts with the Salvation Army and American Red Cross. Plans are underway to protect livestock in the Texas Department of Agriculture’s export pens in the path of Ike.

Public Utility Commission is asking electricity providers and telecommunications companies along the Gulf Coast to begin emergency preparations, such as reviewing emergency operations plans, updating critical care customer lists, checking inventories, and alerting crews.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has requested an extended authorization for the fuel waivers from Hurricane Gustav earlier this month and is prepared to respond to impacts from Hurricane Ike. A strike team capable of handling hazardous materials assembled in Austin today. The TCEQ is working with local agencies preparing to address any environmental impact issues that may result from Ike.

Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs is making hurricane housing resources for communities available on the agency’s website http://www.tdhca.state.tx.us. The department will contact community action agencies in the projected path of the storm and advise them that they may be called upon to serve more people.

Texas Animal Health Commission is coordinating with its member agencies and encouraging residents to call 2-1-1 for the latest shelter information for pets and livestock.

The Emergency Management Council and State Operations Center are fully activated. The State Operations Center is closely monitoring Hurricane Ike, and holding twice daily conference calls with federal, state and local officials, private industry partners, volunteer organizations, and the National Weather Service.

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MIAMI, Florida, September 8, 2008 (ENS) – The state of Florida has received an emergency declaration to assist Monroe County which is currently evacuating residents from the Florida Keys in advance of Hurricane Ike, Governor Charlie Crist announced today.

“Florida is facing a dangerous threat from Hurricane Ike,” said Governor Crist. “We remain grateful to the president and our federal partners for this vital assistance to our local and state responders.”

The declaration provides for financial assistance for emergency protective measures that Monroe County and state agencies have taken to ensure the public health and safety and property of Keys residents during this storm.

Sunday’s mandatory resident evacuation order for Hurricane Ike, set to expire at noon today, will not be extended, Keys officials said this morning. A steady stream of cars left the Keys over the weekend, but many people stayed put, suffering from hurricane fatigue after three previous storms in the past month – Fay, Gustav, and Hanna.

Monroe, Florida residents arrive at a
Red Cross shelter in preparation for
Hurricane Ike. (Photo by Cynthia
Gutierrez-White courtesy American
Red Cross)

The current track of Hurricane Ike takes the core of the storm well south and west of the Keys and sustained hurricane force winds should miss the island chain, meteorologists at the National Weather Service Key West office said.

“It is still much too soon to know what portions of the Gulf Coast could be impacted by Ike,” according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Still, on Sunday Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal issued a declaration of a state of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Ike.

“Hurricane Ike may impact the coastal parishes of Louisiana with hurricane strength winds, wave surges, high tides, torrential rain and tornado activity,” the governor declared.

“The storm may make landfall on the Louisiana coast on or about September 13, 2008, with the expectation that hurricane force winds will reach the Louisiana coast prior to landfall,” he declared.

A hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning continues for the entire Florida Keys, from Ocean Reef through the Dry Tortugas.

The outer bands of Ike may begin effecting the Florida Keys this afternoon, meteorologists said, bringing wind and rain as the storm continues to cross southern Cuba.

Ike made its landfall on eastern Holguin province Sunday evening as a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Ike is currently hitting the eastern Cuban province of Camaguey on its way to the central part of the island.

Preliminary information from the Cuban News Agency in Holguin reveals a large number of fallen trees; no deaths have been reported in the areas which Ike has hit. In Camaguey, the storm has damaged tourist facilities in Santa Lucia Beach, and caused sea flooding along the northeastern section of the province.

Forecasters anticipate the Lower Keys and Key West will experience sustained minimal to moderate tropical storm force winds beginning late tonight and for most of Tuesday. In the Upper and Middle Keys winds should be just below tropical storm force.

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office officials urged those who have stayed in the Keys to remain inside during the storm. Driving on flooded streets may disable cars and being outside can be very risky with flying debris and downed live power lines, they said.

U.S. Coast Guard officials stress that boaters should remain in port, warning that, “Rough bay waters and extremely dangerous offshore seas can make boating deadly during storms.”

This map shows probabilities of sustained
surface wind speeds of hurricane force
74 mph or greater from Hurricane Ike
over the next five days. (Map courtesy
National Hurricane Center)

Ocean swells from Ike will impact Florida’s east coast today, forecasters say. A high risk of strong and frequent rip currents are expected along the east central and southeast Florida coast with a moderate threat of rip currents along northeast Florida beaches.

Numerous flood warnings are in effect for rivers across the state.

Hurricane Ike moved inland over eastern Cuba last night and early this morning was located over central Cuba, about 365 miles southeast of Key West. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 105 miles per hour, making Ike a Category 2 hurricane.

Meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center say Ike is moving west around 15 mph, and is expected to continue on a west to west-northwest track across Cuba today and tonight before emerging into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday afternoon then moving northwest into the central Gulf waters.

At this time, tropical storm force winds extend outwards to 200 miles from the center and hurricane force winds extend outwards to 60 miles.

A reconnaissance aircraft will provide a better estimate of Ike’s intensity this afternoon, the Hurricane Center said.

In about two days, Ike is expected to move into the Gulf of Mexico and travel over warmer waters, where forecasters say some restrengthening is possible.

The Department of Interior’s Mineral Management Service reports 202 production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico evacuated for Hurricane Gustav last week, are still not staffed, nearly one-third of the 717 manned platforms in the Gulf. MMS estimated approximately 80 percent of oil production and approximately 70 percent of natural gas production in the Gulf remains shut-in with safety valves closed below the surface of the ocean.

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MIAMI, Florida, September 5, 2008 (ENS) – Tropical Storm Hanna is heading toward the coast of South and North Carolina “in a hurry” says the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Packing maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour with higher gusts, forecasters say Hanna could reach the coast in less than 12 hours as a hurricane since it only needs five knots for its winds to reach hurricane speed of 74 miles per hour. But the storm is expected to weaken after it makes landfall.

Hanna now is moving north at a rate of 20 miles per hour and is expected to turn to the northeast and increase in speed on Saturday. The center of Hanna should be moving across eastern North Carolina early Saturday and across the mid-Atlantic coast later Saturday and Saturday night.

A Tropical Storm Warning has been extended northward to Watch Hill, Rhode Island, including all of Chesapeake Bay, Washington, DC, New York Harbor and Long Island sound. This means that Hanna is expected to sweep through the warning area within the next 24 hours.

The District of Columbia activated its emergency operations center at noon today in preparation for Hanna. The Department of Public Works is distributing sandbags to residents who experience flooding during heavy rains.

DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Darrell Darnell is urging citizens to clear gutters, drains and downspouts and remove or secure any loose objects such as lawn furniture or barbecue grills from their yards, as they may become projectiles during high winds.

U.S. Coast Guard airmen fly over
the Atlantic coast broadcasting storm
warnings to mariners, urging them to
seek shelter from Tropical Storm
Hanna. (Photo courtesy USCG)

As Tropical Storm Hanna nears, Coast Guard units throughout New England are pre-staging their crews and equipment and warning mariners in anticipation of severe weather conditions expected to arrive late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.

Falcon jet crews from Air Station Cape Cod, Massachusetts, began flying storm tracks Thursday to broadcast the warnings to mariners offshore.

“We will be flying the storm tracks to alert the mariners as long as the weather allows us to do so safely,” said Lt. j.g. Morgan Roy, an operations duty officer for Air Station Cape Cod.

On land, a flood watch is in effect for portions of southern Connecticut, northeast New Jersey and southeast New York from Saturday afternoon through late Saturday evening.

“The time to prepare for the storm is now. We encourage New Yorkers to review their emergency plans. This storm could produce significant rainfall and high winds that could cause power outages,” said John Gibb, director of the New York State Emergency Management Office.

Gibb said that nearly half of all flash flooding fatalities are flood-related. “When driving your automobile during flooding conditions, look out for pooling water at highway dips, bridges and low areas. Do not attempt to drive over a flooded road. Turn around and go another way.”

In flood conditions, motorists should not underestimate the destructive power of fast-moving water, Gibb said. “Two feet of fast-moving flood water will float a car. Water moving at two miles per hour can sweep cars off a road or bridge.”

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect from east of Watch Hill to Merrimack River, Massachusetts, including Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.

A Hurricane Watch is in effect from north of South Santee River, South Carolina to Currituck Beach, North Carolina, including Pamlico Sound. Forecasters predict they will issue a Hurricane Warning for this area by early Saturday.

Coastal storm surge flooding of three to five feet above normal tide levels with large and dangerous battering waves are expected along Hanna’s path. Rainfall of three to seven inches is likely, forecasters say, with the potential for flash flooding in the mid-Atlantic region and southern New England.

The center of Hanna will remain well east of the Florida Peninsula, however, outer rain bands from Hanna will affect the eastern peninsula and could produce periods of heavy rainfall, according to state emergency managers.

Right behind Hanna, a major hurricane is tracing an erratic path through the Caribbean. Hurricane Ike was located about 425 miles north of the Leeward Islands, or about 1100 miles east of Miami this afternoon.

Ike is moving west at around 16 mph, but it is expected to turn more toward the west-southwest Friday and Saturday, with a turn back toward the west on Sunday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 120 mph, making Ike a Category 3 hurricane. Ike is likely to maintain a Category 3 or 4 intensity as it moves toward the southeastern Bahamas this weekend. Hurricane watches were issued for the southeastern Bahamas earlier this afternoon.

Forecasters say Ike may be a threat to portions of Florida by early next week.

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SAINT PAUL, Minnesota, September 2, 2008 (ENS) – The 2008 Republican National Convention opened Monday at Saint Paul’s Xcel Energy Center without speeches from President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and other prominent speakers who had been scheduled to appear but were busy with activities related to Hurricane Gustav.

Weaker than forecast, the center of Hurricane Gustav made landfall Monday morning as a Category 2 storm near the small town of Cocodrie on the Louisiana coast 72 miles southwest of New Orleans. Forecasters had warned that the Gustav might blow in as a disastrous Category 4 storm.

The National Hurricane Center has now been downgraded Gustav to a Tropical Storm that is expected to become a Tropical Depression today. But the Republicans did not want to be caught flat-footed in the face of disaster as the Bush administration was during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Cindy McCain, left, and First Lady Laura
Bush address Republican delegates.
(Photo courtesy McCain campaign)

First Lady Laura Bush and Cindy McCain spoke to the delegates about the storm. Laura Bush said, “Our first priority for today and in the coming days is to ensure the safety and well-being of those living in the gulf coast region. And to all of those living in the gulf states, please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you.”

The Republican National Committee, RNC, used Monday to launch the first day of its Hurricane Gustav Relief Effort Monday by forming a center where volunteers can send 80,000 “comfort packages,” a text message alert system, and an effort to encourage Americans to donate to charities identified by the five Gulf Coast governors – all Republicans. The governors sent taped messages to the convention.

Cindy McCain told delegates about the website set up by the McCain campaign, www.causegreater.com, where information about these charitable organizations is available.

“We are deeply concerned about the safety and welfare of the residents of the Gulf states region. Senator [John] McCain has asked us to put country first and shift our focus to assisting the Gulf State citizens, and we have coordinated a relief effort that answers his call to service. We are doing what Americans do best: helping our fellow citizens in need,” said Rick Davis, campaign manager for McCain 2008.

Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan said, “The safety and well-being of the people of the Gulf states remains our top concern. Over the past 24 hours, we have moved quickly to mobilize people and resources to assist the Gulf states’ residents – both those who are in the region and our delegates in Saint Paul – in any way we can.”

The 2008 Republican National Convention has joined with Target, FedEx, and the Red Cross to send 80,000 “comfort packages” to the Gulf Coast region containing toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, soap, and packaged foods. The donated materials will arrive in Saint Paul on Wednesday at 8 am, volunteers will assemble the packages at the Minneapolis Convention Center, and FedEx will ship the packages to receiving locations.

Because their plans for the convention have been disrupted by the hurricane, the RNC has launched a text message alert system to inform delegates and alternates of program changes as soon as it becomes available.

“All parties understand that the schedule for the convention will be dictated by the conditions on the ground in the Gulf States and are, therefore, subject to change,” organizers said in a statement.
Demonstrators outside the Republican National Convention (Photo by Jeremiah Peterson)

Outside the convention hall, some 10,000
Iraq war, human rights and environmental
protesters staged a march through
Minneapolis-St. Paul, rallied at the Minnesota
State Capitol and then took their
demonstration to the convention center.

Meredith Aby, a member of the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War, said, “The anti-war movement has always had a demand of money for human needs not for war, and Hurricane Katrina was one of the reasons for that demand.”

“Hurricane Gustav affects the Republican Party because they don’t want to be seen as ignoring another crisis as they did when they left people to die on freeway overpasses,” Aby said. “The demonstration will be voicing opposition to the war’s prioritization above human needs such as building levees, the economy, and healthcare.”

The protest was mainly peaceful, but Minnesota National Guard and police in St. Paul arrested 284 people. A few anarchist / anti-authoritarian protesters broke windows at Macy’s and a downtown bank building. Others blocked roads. Dozens of people were pepper-sprayed and tear-gassed.

Late Monday, authorities said 130 of the 284 people arrested may face felony charges.

Democracy sculpture in the sun (Photo by
Jeremiah Peterson)

Among the signs and masks, and the giant Earth carried in the march was an unusual piece of art. Nora Ligorano and Marshall Reese made an ice sculpture of the word “Democracy” and presented it at the State Capitol, where it melted in the sun, dramatizing their message, “Democracy Melting.”

Turning to RNC business, on Monday, convention delegates passed the party platform with what the RNC called “the most aggressive and innovative energy policy in Republican Party history.”

“We must aggressively increase our nation’s energy supply, in an environmentally responsible way, and do so through a comprehensive strategy that meets both short and long term needs,” the platform states.

The platform supports nuclear power, calling it “the Earth’s clean future.” It deals with concerns over disposal of nuclear waste and radioactive releases by labeling them “fear mongering.”

“Unwarranted fear mongering with no relationship to current technologies and safeguards has prevented us from starting construction of a single nuclear power plant in 31 years,” the platform says.

The Republican platform endorses drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, although the Republican presumptive presidential nominee, John McCain has said that he does not support drilling in the refuge.

“We oppose any efforts that would permanently block access to the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,” the Republican platform states.

Backdrop to the podium at the Republican National
Convention (Photo courtesy 4president.us)

“We support accelerated exploration, drilling and development in America, from new oilfields off the nation’s coasts to onshore fields such as those in Montana, North Dakota, and Alaska,” the platform states. “The Green River Basin in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming offers recoverable shale oil that is ready for development, and most of it is on federal lands.”

“To deliver that energy to American consumers, we will expand our refining capacity. Because of environmental extremism and regulatory blockades in Washington, not a single new refinery has been built in this country in 30 years,” it states.

The Republican platform says solar, wind, geothermal and hydro power “must enter the mainstream.” It supports “clean coal” and also conservation, but “not by changing our lifestyles.”

“We must continue to develop alternative fuels, such as biofuels, especially cellulosic ethanol, and hasten their technological advances to next-generation production,” according to the Republican platform.

The platform would retool the American auto industry. “Given that fully 97 percent of our current transportation vehicles rely on oil, we will aggressively support technological advances to reduce our petroleum dependence. For example, lightweight composites could halve the weight and double the gas mileage of cars and trucks, and together with flex-fuel and electric vehicles, could usher in a renaissance in the American auto industry,” it states.

“In the long run,” the platform says, “American production should move to zero-emission sources, and our nation’s fossil fuel resources are the bridge to that emissions-free future.”

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BATON ROUGE, Louisiana, August 28, 2008 (ENS) – Nearly three years to the day after Hurricane Katrina forced the evacuation of thousands of people from New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, residents and emergency managers in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas are preparing again to cope with another major storm heading across the Caribbean in their direction.

Late this afternoon local time, the center of Tropical Storm Gustav was located about 15 miles west of Kingston, Jamaica, moving west at about seven miles per hour. The storm made landfall on the eastern tip of Jamaica earlier today and Kingston was swept by winds of 50 mph with higher gusts.

The center of Gustav is expected to cross Jamaica tonight and turn to the west-northwest, moving near or over the Cayman Islands on Friday. Gustav is forecast to rapidly strengthen in the northwestern Caribbean Sea on Friday and Saturday before entering the Gulf of Mexico as a major hurricane.

National Hurricane Center forecasters say Gustav is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of six to 12 inches over Hispaniola, eastern Cuba, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Isolated maximum rainfalls of up to 25 inches are possible with life-threatening flash floods and mud slides, warned the NHC. Coastal storm surge flooding of one to three feet above normal tide levels with large and dangerous battering waves can be expected in areas of onshore winds.

Gustav is forecast to increase in size once it reaches the Gulf of Mexico, and these expanding wind fields will produce sea swells that will hit Florida’s Gulf of Mexico beaches by early Sunday. Onshore winds along Florida’s Atlantic beaches are forecast to strengthen this weekend, which will create a moderate to high risk for rip currents.

The National Weather Service predicts that Gustav will strike the Florida Panhandle and the eastern coastal parishes of Louisiana at hurricane force.

Federal and state agencies are better prepared to handle the effects of a hurricane today than they were when Katrina struck on August 29, 2005.

In Baton Rouge, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal issued a state disaster proclamation on Wednesday, and today he requested a pre-landfall disaster declaration from President George W. Bush.

In his letter to the president, Governor Jindal wrote, “I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and affected local governments, and that supplementary federal assistance is necessary to save lives and to protect property, public health and safety.”

The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness has activated its Emergency Operations Center, and FEMA has brought its National Response Coordination Center and its Regional Response Coordination Centers to heightened states of readiness.

Evacuations will begin 72 hours before to the arrival of tropical storm force winds, FEMA officials and the governor said.

The federal Department of Transportation, through the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, is working with states, airports, airlines and bus companies to insure any needed evacuations are executed without delay.

The Louisiana National Guard has activated 3,000 troops to perform missions, including the transportation, security, assistance with contra-flow traffic and search and rescue.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development activated their contract today for 700 buses, which began to arrive this morning in preparation for the evacuation.

While Governor Jindal is still serving his first year in office, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is a veteran of the disastrous 2005 hurricane season that brought Katrina on August 29 and Rita a month later. The city is still mired in a slow recovery process.

Nagin, who was a key speaker this morning for the Oregon, Washington and Minnesota delegations at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, is returning to New Orleans immediately to monitor Gustav.

“While it is too early to tell exactly where Gustav will hit and how strong it will be, I’m deeply concerned about the emotional and psychological effect on our citizens,” said Nagin.

New Orleans has made preparations to execute its city evacuation plan, which includes an additional 130 buses.

The Louisiana Department of Corrections will begin relocating prisoners from at risk areas on Friday. The state Department of Agriculture and Forestry is prepared to activate pet shelters and has made arrangements for pet evacuation by truck from New Orleans.

The Department of Homeland Security is advising all Gulf Coast residents to have a three-day supply of water for each person in the family, including pets, along with non-perishable food, a battery-powered radio, extra batteries and a flashlight, needed medications and important documents like property insurance.

“Regardless of its predicted path, it is important for citizens in the Gulf Coast region to listen to what their local officials are advising over the course of the next few days and to take these simple steps to prepare,” said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. “If residents make individual and family preparations, they make it easier for first responders to focus on people who can’t help themselves and need help first.”

FEMA Administrator David Paulison is managing the
federal response to Gustav from New
Orleans. (Photo by Jacinta Quesada
courtesy FEMA)

FEMA’s pre-positioned supplies available for distribution in Gulf Coast states include more than 2.4 million liters of water and more than four million meals.

The agency has prepositioned 478 emergency generators, 140 truckloads of tarps and 267 truckloads of blankets and cots.

The federal Department of Health and Human Services has placed nine disaster medical assistance teams, 11 health strike teams and two incident command teams on alert. Nine federal medical stations, each with a 250-bed capacity, are on alert.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has teams on alert to handle planning, power, roofing, and debris removal, and a water and ice team is ready to provide these necessities as they are needed.

In Austin, Texas, Governor Rick Perry issued a disaster declaration late Tuesday in response to the threat posed by Tropical Storm Gustav to 61 Texas counties.

The governor has called on state resources to prepare for Gustav, which is expected to strengthen as it enters the Gulf of Mexico over the Labor Day weekend. He said all state resources are ready for rapid deployment as necessary, and volunteer organizations are prepared to provide mass care support for residents.

The American Red Cross is moving hundreds of mobile feeding trucks into Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The organization is moving thousands of cots and blankets, tens of thousands of comfort kits and ready-to-eat meals into the coastal states today and Friday. Operational headquarters are being established in Dallas, Baton Rouge, Hattiesburg, and Montgomery.

Federal and state officials are also beginning to coordinate with Southeastern states that could be impacted by Tropical Storm Hanna, which is currently developing off the Atlantic coast.

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AUSTIN, Texas, July 23, 2008 (ENS) – Hurricane Dolly tore into South Texas early Wednesday afternoon with driving rain and sustained winds near 100 miles per hour, ripping roofs off houses and hotels and dropping power lines.

The eye of Hurricane Dolly made landfall over southern Padre Island as a borderline category one to category two hurricane on the Saffir/Simpson scale. The storm blew the roofs off the Bahia Mar, a 10-story resort hotel, and the Palmetto Inn restaurant.

At the direction of law enforcement officials, the Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge and Park Road 100 north of the South Padre Island Convention Center in Cameron County are closed and unnecessary travel is being discouraged.

Hurricane Dolly whips up waves off the
Texas coast near Corpus Christi.
(Photo by Jon Brandt)

“The Island community is urged to remain indoors until Hurricane Dolly passes,” said South Padre Island Mayor Robert N. Pinkerton Jr. “Be safe, be smart and leave the roads to our emergency responders.”

Mayor Pinkerton declared a local state of disaster Monday, implementing the Town’s Emergency Management Plan. About 10,000 people have remained on the island, which has lost all electric power. About 300 people on the island are seeking emergency shelter, Cameron County officials said.

At 5 pm local time, the eye of the hurricane was inland over far south Texas. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says that because the hurricane’s circulation pattern is interacting with land, a gradual weakening has begun. Further weakening is forecast as Dolly moves farther inland. It is expected to dissapate in about 48 hours but not before it dumps up to 20 inches of rain over parts of south Texas and northeastern Mexico.

“Texas is rapidly responding to the needs of our residents as Hurricane Dolly continues to bring extensive rain and strong winds through our southern communities,” said Texas Governor Rick Perry. “As we always do in the toughest times, we are seeing Texans being Texans: helping their neighbors, putting others’ needs above their own, and heading toward the trouble, not away.”

More than 2,800 people are in shelters across the state.

Characterized as a large slow moving system, over the next few days forecasters expect Dolly to produce total rainfall of eight to 12 inches with 20 inches of rain in some places and widespread flooding.

“Coastal storm surge flooding up to eight feet above normal tide levels along with large and dangerous battering waves will continue for the next few hours but will subside later tonight,” the Hurricane Center said in a statement.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles, or 55 km, from the center and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 140 miles, or 220 km.

A hurricane warning remains in effect for the coast of Texas from Brownsville to just south of Baffin Bay and for the northeastern coast of Mexico from Rio San Fernando northward to the border between Mexico and the United States.

Residents of Corpus Christi stand in their
flooded street. (Photo by Rob Colbert)

At four this afternoon, the hurricane warning from Baffin Bay northward to Corpus Christi was replaced by a tropical storm warning, which also remains in effect from Baffi Bay to Port O’Connor.

The tropical storm warning and hurricane watch from La Pesca to south of Rio San Fernando have been discontinued.

Governor Perry today asked President Bush for a major presidential disaster declaration as a result of Hurricane Dolly’s escalation to a category 2 storm shortly before making landfall. A Presidential Disaster Declaration will provide federal resources to support re-entry and recovery efforts.

The governor has issued a state disaster proclamation for Aransas, Bexar, Brooks, Calhoun, Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Starr, Victoria and Willacy counties.

Since Sunday, state resources have been activated and pre-positioned throughout south Texas. A force of 1,200 national guardsmen, an incident management team and six UH-60s have been activated and pre-positioned throughout south Texas.

Three incident management teams from the Texas Forest Service have been deployed to Weslaco to support mass care activities.

From the Texas Engineering and Extension Service,160 personnel including water rescue teams and helicopter rescue specialists have been deployed and others are on standby.

The American Red Cross has deployed emergency response vehicles to Weslaco, Laredo and San Antonio and six shelter trailers are in position in Laredo for post-hurricane sheltering. The Red Cross has recruited and deployed 250 disaster workers to Texas.

The Salvation Army has deployed four canteens to Weslaco to support first responders as well as residents of the storm-affected area.

TexasOnline is updating the Emergency Portal with the most recent evacuation maps provided by the Texas Department of Transportation.

An emergency fuel contract has been activated to support possible evacuation and response requirements. The fuel industry is reporting a significant increase in retail fuel sales along the entire Texas coast.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has stationed 81 game wardens, 68 boats and eight airboats from Corpus Christi to Brownsville. An additional 84 wardens, 59 boats and seven airboats are ready to deploy should it become necessary.

A strike team from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that is capable of handling hazardous materials, emergency responders, additional public water supply and wastewater specialists, and a self contained mobile command post trailer with interoperable radio communications and satellite/wireless Internet connections is on standby for pre-deployed in Austin.

The agency is monitoring the impacts to dam and levee structures and is providing a regional representative on the State Rapid Assessment Team that will flyover and assess the impacted area immediately after the storm.

Regional TCEQ staff contacted public water supply and wastewater facilities in the hurricane area and the agency is prepared to provide specialists to help assess storm damage to these facilities.

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WASHINGTON, DC, May 22, 2008 (ENS) – This year, there is a 65 percent chance of an Atlantic hurricane season with more storms than normal, officials with the federal government’s Climate Prediction Center warned today.

The Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, issued the prediction at a news conference called to urge residents in vulnerable areas to be fully prepared for the onset of hurricane season, which begins June 1.

Living in a coastal state means having a plan for each and every hurricane season. Review or complete emergency plans now – before a storm threatens,” said NOAA Administrator Conrad Lautenbacher, undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere. Planning and preparation is the key to storm survival and recovery.”

The Climate Prediction Center outlook calls for considerable activity with a 65 percent probability of an above normal season and a 25 percent probability of a near normal season. This means there is a 90 percent chance of a near or above normal season.

For 2008, the outlook indicates a 60 to 70 percent chance of 12 to 16 named storms.

The forecast includes six to nine hurricanes and two to five major hurricanes – classed as category 3, 4 or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale.

An average season has 11 named storms, including six hurricanes for which two reach major status.

The outlook is a general guide to the overall seasonal hurricane activity,” Lautenbacher said. It does not predict whether, where or when any of these storms may hit land. That is the job of the National Hurricane Center after a storm forms.”

Most of the 2008 activity is expected to take place during August through October, the peak months of the Atlantic hurricane season.

The first named storm in 2008 will be Arthur. Tropical systems acquire a name upon reaching tropical storm strength with sustained winds of at least 39 miles per hour. Tropical storms become hurricanes when winds reach 74 mph, and become major hurricanes when winds reach 111 mph.

Bill Read, director of NOAA’s National Hurricane Center, NHC, said, Our forecasters are ready to track any tropical cyclone, from a depression to a hurricane, which forms in the Atlantic Basin. We urge coastal residents to have a hurricane plan in place before the season begins and NHC will continue to provide the best possible forecast to the public.”

NOAA forecasters at the Miami-based National Hurricane Center are in continuous monitoring mode employing a dense network of satellites, land-based and ocean-based sensors and aircraft reconnaissance missions operated by NOAA and its partners.

This array of data supplies the information for complex computer modeling and human expertise that serves the basis for the hurricane center’s track and intensity forecasts that extend out five days in advance.

The science behind the outlook is rooted in the analysis and prediction of current and future global climate patterns as compared to previous seasons with similar conditions.

Many combinations of named storms and hurricanes can occur for the same set of climate conditions, NOAA says. One cannot know with certainty whether a given climate signal will be associated with several short-lived storms or fewer longer-lived storms with greater intensity.

The main factors influencing this year’s seasonal outlook are the continuing multi-decadal signal – the combination of ocean and atmospheric conditions that have spawned increased hurricane activity since 1995. This signal includes above-normal sea-surface temperatures in the eastern tropical Atlantic Ocean.

One of the expected oceanic conditions is a continuation since 1995 of warmer-than-normal temperatures in the eastern tropical Atlantic,” said meteorologist Gerry Bell, lead seasonal hurricane forecaster at the Climate Prediction Center.

Even though the last two Atlantic hurricane seasons have been near-normal, there remains no indication the current active hurricane era has ended.

Bell also mentioned the anticipated lingering effects of La Niña, the cooling weather pattern in the Eastern tropical Pacific Ocean that affects weather conditions around the world.

Currently, La Niña seems to be waning, but its atmospheric impacts often persist even after Pacific Ocean temperatures have returned to normal. There is considerable uncertainty among the forecast models as to how strong the La Niña influence will be.

Americans in hurricane-prone states must get serious and be prepared,” said Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, Administrator David Paulison. Government – even with the federal, tribal, state and local governments working perfectly in sync – is not the entire answer. Everyone is part of the emergency management process.”

“We must continue to develop a culture of preparedness in America in which every American takes personal responsibility for his or her own emergency preparedness,” Paulison said.

NOAA’s Atlantic hurricane season outlook will be updated on August 7, just prior to what is historically the peak period for hurricane activity.

FEMA offers hurricane preparedness information at: www.fema.gov.

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