Storm surge prediction. Looks very scary to me.

[MiniMe]

[Virginia Dare]

1. That's going to scour the coastline...

I hope people don't try and ride it out. It's suicide.

[malaise]

2. Have you seen gas prices in the South this morning

I saw one station in South Carolina with 5.35 for regular. Others are rationing - that storm is heading straight for hundreds of oil rigs.

Watching those waves in the Gulf hours away from land fall is reason enough to be frightened.

[MiniMe]

5. I saw that. Right now, it is gouging and it is disgusting.

[RebelOne]

12. Prices have only risen by about 10 cents

here in North Georgia. This morning, I bought gas at a Citgo station and bitched to the attendant that Citgo should not raise the price because their gas comes from Venezuela and there aren't any hurricanes that I knew of threating Venezuela oil wells.

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. Yikes!

About a week ago this storm's track was aimed right at South Florida. I live on a barrier island, and was going through my head as to what I could fit into my car if I had to evacuate.

[Mari3333]

4. *Downtown Galveston already Flooding*

streets in downtown galveston are already FILLED with water AND the surge has not even arrived yet

live video

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/feature?section=news/local&id=6102015

[MiniMe]

6. Yup. If you are there, GET OUT

[Mari3333]

8. there are people taking pictures by the seawall!

they are even parking their vehicles there..the newscasters cannot believe it...

[moriah]

7. And high tide isn't until this afternoon.

Ugh.

I have been watching the CNN video from the road next to the seawall, and I thought for sure it was already high tide. Nope, not even close.

[Strelnikov_]

9. Slosh models

Appears that the model assumes landfall right over Galveston/Texas City.

Note the tremendous runup at the TX/LA border around Port Arthur.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=171213&mesg_id=171213

[MikeDuffy]

10. Can anyone tell me how I should interpret this?

Why is the largest "max potential storm surge" (red areas) the most inland (and then nothing beyond that?) It makes sense that one would want to know how deep the water might get at a particular spot (like near your house!), but I'm not sure this graphic is designed to do this...

[csziggy]

11. That is up in the bay - the water will be pushed up into a dead end

And not have any way out but to pile up along the edges of the bay.

The predicted storm surge will totally cover the barrier island that Galveston is on. Highest point on Galveston is about 20 feet - storm surge is now predicted 25-30 feet. The seawall built after the 1900 Galveston hurricane which killed 6-12,000 people is only seventeen feet tall. And the waves are already over topping it far in front of Ike's arrival.