Tag Archives: hurricanes

Will we build the right Ike Dike?

Posted on November 17, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Not everyone thinks the best design was chosen. Jim Blackburn, a Rice professor and co-director of [Rice] university’s Severe Storm Prediction, Education & Evacuation from Disasters (SSPEED) Center, says the Corps’ initial Ike Dike study was incomplete because it did … Continue reading →

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Army Corps to present Ike Dike options

Posted on October 16, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

About time. Later this month, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will recommend a multi-billion-dollar plan to help protect the Texas coast — the Houston area in particular — from hurricanes. When it will become a reality, however, is anyone’s … Continue reading →

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STEAR-ing help to those who need it

Posted on August 28, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Did you even know there was a state registry to help people with mobility challenges in the event of a natural disaster? Texas has a system in place to identify people with disabilities who will need extra help during a … Continue reading →

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The Cornyn Ike Dike bill

Posted on May 21, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Credit where credit is due. With hurricane season right around the corner, Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said Wednesday he is introducing legislation to expedite a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study on a coastal barrier to mitigate storm damage … Continue reading →

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There will never be a hurricane named Harvey again

Posted on April 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Or Irma or Maria or Nate. Harvey, Irma, Maria and Nate were so destructive and deadly during the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season that the World Meteorological Organization’s Hurricane Committee decided this week to retire those names from future Atlantic Basin … Continue reading →

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Busy hurricane season predicted

Posted on May 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Welcome to summer, y’all. The nation’s climate agency on Thursday predicted an above-normal 2017 hurricane season with 11 to 17 named storms, five to nine of them hurricanes. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted a 45 percent chance of … Continue reading →

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Texas asks for Ike Dike money from the feds

Posted on April 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good luck with that. Almost a decade after Hurricane Ike killed dozens of people and caused $30 billion in damage, a group of Texas politicians and business leaders say they finally have “all the support necessary” to break ground on … Continue reading →

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What is the environmental impact of building an Ike Dike?

Posted on January 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe we should try to figure that out. Plans for building a massive storm-surge protection system for the Houston area are rushing ahead before officials determine whether the project could harm Galveston Bay, environmental groups say. The Sierra Club and … Continue reading →

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Obama signs Cornyn flood mitigation bill

Posted on December 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The title to this post is a bit of an overbid, but this is still a good thing. President Obama on Monday signed into law a bill that could help expedite the long process of constructing a hurricane protection system for … Continue reading →

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Two Ike Dike updates

Posted on November 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Ike Dike could be hidden by dunes: The “Ike Dike” that is being proposed to protect the Galveston-Houston area from a potentially catastrophic hurricane storm surge could take the form of undulating sand dunes hiding a steel or concrete core. … Continue reading →

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Turner endorses Ike Dike

Posted on August 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has endorsed the “Ike Dike” storm surge protection proposal, raising the possibility that Houston could be one of the last cities in the Galveston Bay area to endorse the $6 billion project. If the Houston … Continue reading →

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Welcome to hurricane season

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Looks normal so far, but you know how that can go. Federal officials on Friday predicted between four and eight hurricanes will form in the Atlantic Ocean this year, and up to to four of those could become a major … Continue reading →

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Cornyn files bill to speed up floodgate construction process

Posted on April 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Credit where credit is due. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn filed legislation Wednesday that he says would expedite the long process of constructing a hurricane protection system for the Texas coast, including the particularly vulnerable Houston region. But while local officials … Continue reading →

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Don’t expect Congress to pay for a Gulf Coast floodgate system

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I sure don’t. After nearly a decade of bickering and finger pointing, Texas scientists and lawmakers finally seem to agree that building some version of a “coastal spine” — a massive seawall and floodgate system — would best help protect … Continue reading →

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Not everyone likes the latest hurricane surge protection plan

Posted on March 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Yet another obstacle. A new proposal to protect the Houston area from hurricanes is reigniting controversy, and potentially diminishing the odds that a consensus will emerge anytime soon on the best plan to safeguard the nation’s fifth-largest metropolitan area. Since … Continue reading →

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Storm protection is expensive

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

But then so would be getting hit by a truly bad storm. Building a storm surge protection system along the Texas Gulf Coast could cost between $7.9 billion and $11 billion, and likely would not be completed for about two … Continue reading →

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Another floodgate proposed

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Third time’s the charm, right? Academic leaders have long beseeched government officials to learn from the damage caused by Hurricane Ike in 2008 and harden the upper Texas coast against future threats. Finally, on Monday, Texas Land Commissioner George P. … Continue reading →

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Your annual “don’t get complacent about hurricanes” warning

Posted on June 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

You should know the drill by now. It’s been seven years since a large hurricane – Hurricane Ike – threatened the Gulf states, and increasingly there’s talk among scientists that the Atlantic Ocean may be moving toward a more “quiet” … Continue reading →

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It’s hurricane season prediction time

Posted on May 26, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

And this year’s forecast is for a fairly quiet summer. On Thursday, forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released their seasonal outlook for 2014, predicting eight to 13 named storms would form. This means, most likely, the Atlantic … Continue reading →

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What happened to the hurricanes?

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This had been predicted to be one of the busier hurricane seasons of recent years. It turned out to be one of the quietest. What happened? “A combination of conditions acted to offset several climate patterns that historically have produced … Continue reading →

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Ike floodgate update

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Call it Ike Dike 2.0 if you want. Five years after Hurricane Ike devastated the upper Texas coast, a group of Houston scientists presented details Tuesday about a proposed gate to protect the Houston Ship Channel and much of the … Continue reading →

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Welcome to hurricane season

Posted on June 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Today is the start of hurricane season for 2013, and we should expect a bumpy ride for the next few months. NOAA predicts an above normal, and possibly a hyper-active hurricane season: 13-20 named storms 7-11 hurricanes 3-6 major hurricanes … Continue reading →

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Busy hurricane season predicted

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Start stocking up on batteries and bottled water. Forecasters agree: The coming Atlantic hurricane season looks like a busy one. A number of factors, principally higher-than-normal temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean where most tropical storms form, indicate this season will … Continue reading →

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Do July showers bring August hurricanes?

Posted on August 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

So we had a nice, wet, not too hot July that among other things help erase the drought in Harris County. What could possibly be bad about that? Increased risk of hurricanes, that’s what. [Impact Weather forecaster Chris] Hebert studied … Continue reading →

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Here comes El Niño

Posted on July 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Our hurricane season could be short. The formation of Tropical Storm Debby last weekend in the Gulf of Mexico brought the tally of Atlantic storms to four this season, the earliest that’s ever happened. But despite the quick beginning, scientists … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Hurricane season

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We are officially in hurricane season now, and though Texas missed out on TS Debby, we know there’s more to come. So here are ten storm songs to get you through. 1. Full Force Gale – Van Morrison 2. Ready … Continue reading →

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Calculate your storm risk

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

That hurricane risk calculator is now ready for your input. Using the Storm Risk Calculator produced by the city of Houston and Rice University, users can enter an address and learn the risks for rainfall, power outage, storm surge and … Continue reading →

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How bad would a big hurricane be to Houston?

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Very bad. I trust you are not surprised by this. When a really strong hurricane next blows through Houston, its winds – not its waters – pose the greatest threat to inflict damage unimagined by most living here. Tropical Storm … Continue reading →

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The Ike Floodgate

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We have a recommendation for how to prepare for a future Hurricane Ike. A giant floodgate at the entrance to the Houston Ship Channel, coupled with a 130-mile wetlands recreation area, should be built to protect Houston from hurricane storm … Continue reading →

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Hurricane season is mostly behind us

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Normally, this would be considered good news. Ironically, even as the Atlantic tropics reach their peak and Texas marks the anniversaries of 1961’s Hurricane Carla on Sunday and 2008’s Hurricane Ike next Tuesday, chances of a hurricane making landfall on … Continue reading →

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Friday random ten: Blowin’ in the wind

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Those of us here on the Gulf Coast are quite familiar with hurricanes and all they can bring with them, so we have much sympathy for those on the East Coast who are in the path of Hurricane Irene. Whether … Continue reading →

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Time for the annual “Are we ready for a big storm?” story

Posted on June 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The answer, of course, is no, not really. After Tropical Storm Allison’s devastating floods, the Houston area widened its bayous and hardened its infra­structure. After Hurricane Rita’s deadly gridlock, the state revamped storm communications and evacuation plans. Yet since Hurricane … Continue reading →

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Time for the annual “We’re in for a busy hurricane season” forecast

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

And indeed, forecasters say we are in for another active year, as was the case last year. Here’s SciGuy with some discussion. [S]easonal forecasters did a pretty good job of calling last year’s extraordinarily active season. So while there’s no … Continue reading →

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Amicus briefs filed in Galveston beach case

Posted on December 31, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Good for you, Vince Ryan. Harris County today joined other public agencies and activists in urging the Texas Supreme Court to reconsider a recent opinion that critics contend blocks public access to most beaches on Galveston island. County Attorney Vince … Continue reading →

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