Houston Airports Brace For Impending Storm
The Gulf coast of the United States is once again bracing for
another hard-hitting storm. With parts of Louisiana still
recovering from the damage of Hurricane Gustav and National
Guardsmen continuing to provide assistance, Governor Bobby Jindal
has directed troops to relocate, stage and prepare for possible
landfall of Hurricane Ike at a moment's notice.
"Our governor has called upon us once again, and our Guardsmen
are prepared to help our communities," Army Maj. Gen. Bennett C.
Landreneau, Louisiana's adjutant general, said. "Our Guardsmen are
mobilized and ready to support the citizens of Southwest
Louisiana."
About 3,000 troops are moving to staging areas outside of
Hurricane Ike's potential impact area to conduct response efforts
for Southwest Louisiana. These efforts include evacuations,
security and preparations for possible search-and-rescue missions
after landfall, officials said.
Calcasieu Parish authorities expect the arrival of 300 troops
this morning to support evacuations, with 40 troops reporting to
Cameron, LA and 40 troops to the Lake Charles Convention Center in
Lake Charles, La. Fifty National Guard boat teams will be staged in
the Calcasieu area. Liaison and satellite communication teams will
be stationed in parish emergency operation centers.
A C-130 cargo plane, capable of moving 30 patients at a time and
making as many trips as needed, will stage in Lake Charles to
assist with the evacuation of medical patients.
At 8:00 am EDT Thursday, Ike was about 575 miles east of
Brownsville, TX, moving west-northwest at 9 mph. Maximum sustained
winds near the center of the storm are 100 mph. Movement is now
toward the west-northwest at about 10 mph. Forecasters expect Ike
to strengthen and become a major hurricane by Friday, with landfall
expected near Houston, TX early Saturday morning as a Category 3
storm.
The National Weather Service has issued a hurricane watch from
Cameron, LA westward to Port Mansfield, TX, with hurricane
conditions possible in the watch area by late Friday. A tropical
storm warning is in effect from the Mississippi-Alabama border
westward to Cameron, LA, with tropical storm conditions expected in
the watch area into Friday.
In related news, several airlines serving Houston's two airports
-- Bush Intercontinental (IAH) and Hobby (HOU) -- have announced
the suspension of their flights into Houston by mid-afternoon
Friday. Those carriers will resume operations as soon as the storm
has passed, and conditions allow.
Customers whose travel plans took them near the Houston area
this weekend are encouraged to contact their airline to make
alternate travel arrangements... if the airline hasn't already
contacted you.
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