Hurricane Ike (2008)

Even as Hurricane Gustav was making landfall in Louisiana back in September 2008, Ike was springing to life as a tropical depression in the far eastern Atlantic. Later that day, it became a tropical storm and was named. It became a hurricane on the 3rd and rapid intensification made it a major hurricane later the same day.

It reached peak intensity on the 4th when winds reached 145 mph about 550 miles northeast of the Leeward Islands. Top winds were 145 mph, and the central pressure at peak was 935 mb.

Building high pressure to the north of the storm turned Ike back to the west southwest. Ike weakened a bit, but would re-intensify before moving across the Turks and Caicos and Great Inagua on the 7th of September. Ike brought more devastating rains to Haiti, which had already been ravaged by heavy rains from Fay, Gustav and Hanna.

Ike next turned its sights on Cuba, which had also been hard hit by the same three storms. Top winds were 120 mph as Ike roared across western Cuba on the 7th. Seven people died across Cuba, the worst death toll there in many years.

Ike emerged over the warm waters of the Gulf, but the large storm had a hard time regaining its former intensity. It plodded steadily toward the Texas coast. The huge storm pounded a large area with rising tides and heavy surf well in advance of the storm.

Ike made landfall at Galveston, Texas on September 13th. Top winds were 110 mph. The hurricane caused heavy damage on Galveston Island and areas to the east of where the center crossed the coast, as well as in the Houston Metro area.

Category: Met 101/Weather History