Hurricane Recap Report: Major Hurricane Ike: 09/01/08-09/14/08

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1 Hurricane Recap Report: : 09/01/08-09/14/08

2 Summary developed from a tropical disturbance across the central Atlantic Ocean and moved to the west while gaining strength. The system achieved Category 4 status twice in its lifecycle and slammed the Turks and Caicos Islands on September 7 th and 8 th. Shortly thereafter, Ike made landfall across eastern Cuba and trekked the entire length of the island nation at Category 2 and Category 3 strength. After emerging from Cuba s influences, Ike moved into the Gulf of Mexico and grew substantially in size, growing even larger in size than 2005 s Hurricane Katrina. Ike s forecast track just days before landfall looked like a worst-case scenario for the cities of Houston and Galveston, Texas. However, right before landfall, Ike made a slight northward shift, which spared Houston from the main onslaught of winds and Galveston from the main storm surge. On the early morning hours of September 13 th, 2008, Hurricane Ike made landfall in Texas in Galveston as a strong Category 2 storm with severe storm surge and winds. According to the mayor of Galveston, as many as 20,000 homes in Galveston may have been destroyed. Much like 2005 s Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ike again reminds us of the destructive power of storm surge as well as the damaging winds. Lifeline infrastructure like electrical service, gas, and water to Houston and the surrounding region were significantly affected. In fact, more than 90% residents in some service territories in Ike s landfall area were without electrical power. Wind and storm surge damage along with power difficulties to oil refineries caused a significant disruption in national gasoline inventories, driving inventories to their lowest levels since Hurricane Ike also damaged 49 offshore oil platforms. So far, 61 deaths have been attributed to Ike, though there are still people unaccounted for in Galveston, since thousands of residents decided not to heed evacuation orders and ride the storm out in their houses. According to the Insurance Information Institute, Hurricane Ike is on its way to be the fourth-largest insured hurricane loss in U.S. history after 2005 s Katrina, 1992 s Andrew and 2005 s Wilma. While FEMA has not completed its assessment of total damages, Mayor White of the city of Houston stated that he would not be surprised if losses to the government were US$20 billion to US$40 billion (for property damages and service operation costs). The State of Texas has already borne US$11.5 billion in costs. Officials with the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association stated that claims paid by the wind pool could reach as high as US$4 billion in residential and commercial property losses. Even though Hurricane Ike will not bring an industry loss the size of Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ike has forced the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) to levy a US$430 million assessment to its member companies. The assessment is split into a US$200 million non-reimbursable component and US$230 million that is reimbursable through future premium tax credits. The premium tax credits have a minimum of five years for insurers to recover the assessment. It should be noted that Jim Oliver, the general manager of TWIA, had asked for an initial assessment of US$830 million, of which only US$430 million was approved by the membership board. Mr. Oliver also commented that TWIA has US$42 billion of exposure in the affected counties and could see a loss the size of US$4 billion. A loss of that size would exceed its current reinsurance program limit and require additional reimbursable assessments. Impact Forecasting s industry-wide insured loss estimate for property is US$7 billion to US$11 billion, with an additional US$2 billion to US$3 billion for offshore energy losses. The following sections detail the meteorological conditions that led to Ike s impact as well as the property and financial losses to different sectors of the United States and other affected countries. 1

3 Meteorological Recap Hurricane Ike initially began as an easterly wave leaving western Sudan on August 19 th and slowly moved westward through Nigeria and Mali and reached the country of Senegal on August 28 th. Upon finally entering the Atlantic Ocean, the wave slowly began to become better organized while moving generally towards the west-northwest. On September 1 st, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) determined that the wave had developed a sufficient amount of thunderstorm convection and was designated Tropical Depression Nine. Based on visible satellite imagery, the depression had developed a large amount of shower and thunderstorm activity situated in cyclonically-curved bands. Satellite estimates began to indicate that the depression was already a tropical storm, but the National Hurricane Center did not classify it as one because they needed to determine that the thunderstorm activity was not temporary. At 5 p.m. EDT on September 1 st, Tropical Depression Nine was upgraded to Tropical Storm Ike. Ike was located in an environment that was supportive of intensification and the forecast showed Ike becoming a hurricane within 36 hours of its upgrade. 2

4 During the overnight hours of September 1 st, Ike began to temporarily stabilize as the eastern half of the system began to erode due to the effects of northerly wind shear. By late morning on September 2 nd, Ike began to intensify again (65 mph (100 kph)) as wind shear at the upper levels of the atmosphere began to relax. Throughout the day, strong thunderstorm activity developed around the center of Ike as the storm continued to move over very warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean. As the system churned westward, it began to accelerate its forward movement to 18 mph (30 kph) due to a strengthening ridge of high pressure located to the north-northeast of Ike. The system s intensity again leveled off during the overnight hours as the structure of Ike remained mostly unchanged. Ike Visible Satellite - 09/02/08 Ike remained at the same intensity through the early morning hours of September 3 rd. However, by the late morning, Ike began to intensify again with 70 mph (110 kph) winds. Various satellite images depicted a well-defined eye beginning to form and the NHC determined that Ike was just below hurricane status. Throughout the day, the eye continued to become better defined and by mid-afternoon Ike was upgraded to an 80 mph (130 kph) hurricane. Ike remained in an area that lacked upper-level wind shear and included very warm tropical waters. During this time, Ike underwent an explosive rapid intensification cycle on September 4 th. By midday, Ike became a major hurricane with sustained winds of 115 mph (185 kph) only three hours after being upgraded to a hurricane. At the next advisory, the NHC indicated further strengthening as Ike maintained its rapid intensification process. The cyclone was further upgraded to a Category 4 major hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale with sustained winds of 135 mph (215 kph) and a central pressure of 948 mb. By the early morning hours on September 4 th, Ike reached its peak intensity of 145 mph (230 kph) with a minimum central pressure of 935 mb. In a span of just over 24 hours, the central pressure of Ike dropped an astonishing 61 millibars as Ike intensified from a tropical storm to a major hurricane, making Ike one of the fastest intensifying storms in history. Ike Visible Satellite 09/04/08 Only Major Hurricane Wilma intensified faster in a 12-hour period. 3

5 On September 5 th, Ike weakened slightly as an upper-level ridge of high pressure to the north of the system began to strengthen and introduced an increase of northerly wind shear. The forecast computer models continued to forecast Ike encountering strong wind shear while slowly weakening but maintaining major hurricane status. Through the afternoon hours, the cloud tops around the center of circulation continued to warm as Ike weakened slowly with winds of 135 mph (215 kph). By this time, the NHC began to forecast the projected path of Ike into the United States, showing a track that took Ike through the Bahamas and towards the Florida peninsula. The NHC s opinion at the time was that Ike would round the Ike Projected Path 09/05/08 southern periphery of the high pressure ridge to the north and be picked up by an advancing frontal boundary through the southeastern United States. Florida Governor Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency due to the proposed threat of a direct strike along the peninsula. During the day on September 5 th, the structure of Ike s eye became less prominent. Satellite imagery showed that the inner structure of Ike was not deteriorating, though the eyewall began to change its appearance. Later satellite scans found that the northern eyewall eroded and most of the thunderstorm activity had been relegated to the southern semi-circle of the storm. This indicated that Ike weakened as it remained in a hostile, high wind shear environment. By the end of the day, Ike weakened to a low-end Category 3 major hurricane. A ridge of high pressure to the north of Ike began to push the storm towards the southwest, but the area that Ike was being pushed towards was more favorable for re-intensification. Ike continued to battle a hostile environment on September 6 th, even though its eye briefly re-appeared around 8 p.m. EDT. Because of this, the NHC forecasted a slow strengthening trend. During the early morning hours, Ike reformed a 30-mile (50-kilometer) wide eye, though it was cloud-covered. At the 11 a.m. EDT advisory from the NHC, Ike was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane with 110 mph (175 kph) winds as wind shear continued to disrupt the cyclone. However, this weakening pattern was short-lived as the wind shear quickly began to subside and Ike began to undergo another rapid intensification cycle. Ike's eye again became clearly visible as the system became better organized. By early evening, an Air Force Reconnaissance Aircraft flew into the system and confirmed that Ike intensified back to a Category 4 cyclone just six hours after being downgraded to a Category 2. Ike had sustained winds of 135 mph (215 kph) as it approached the Turks and Caicos Islands. Hurricane Warnings were issued well in advance in the Turks and Caicos along with most of the southern and central Bahamas. By the early morning hours of September 7 th, Ike passed directly over the Turks and Caicos Islands with winds of 135 mph (215 kph). The storm devastated the islands, with reports indicating that nearly 95% of all homes on the island sustained damage. At least 750 homes were completely destroyed and electricity was knocked out across the entire region. In Hispaniola, outer bands from Ike pummeled both Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The dualcountry island was still in the midst of recovering from Fay, Gustav and Hanna. The flooding in Haiti was already a grave situation, with Ike s rains only adding to the misery. At least 75 more people in Haiti were killed due to Ike, bringing the death toll to 605 in a three-week span from multiple storms. 4

6 As Ike continued to churn westsouthwestward on September 7 th, the focus began to shift into Cuba. The Cuban government evacuated over three million people in advance of Ike s forecasted landfall(s) on September 7 th and 8 th. Environmental conditions were supportive of intensification through landfall and the NHC forecasted slight strengthening, though the strengthening never materialized. The center of Ike was disrupted while passing over the Turks and Caicos Islands and was never able to fully recover prior to its first official landfall on September 8 th. Ike Infrared Satellite 09/07/08 Ike officially made landfall as a strong Category 3 major hurricane in Holguín Province, Cuba on the evening of September 7 th near Cabo Lucrecia on the northern coast. It passed across the central provinces of Holguín, Las Tunas and Camagüey and emerged over the Caribbean Sea to the south of Cuba on September 8 th. Ike became the second major hurricane to hit Cuba in just ten days. As the storm continued to round the southern periphery of the ridge of high pressure, it turned towards the west and eventually the west-northwest while hugging the southern Cuban coastline. Ike eventually made a second landfall in Pinar del Río province before entering the Gulf of Mexico during the afternoon of September 9 th. Cuba suffered substantial damage across the entire country, as Ike damaged or destroyed 200,000 homes. At least seven people died as Ike pounded nearly every section of the country with torrential rains, flooding and high winds. Significant damage was also reported to the transportation infrastructure and agricultural crops. The Cuban government reported that combined losses from Gustav and Ike totaled at least US$5 billion. Ike Visible Satellite 09/08/08 5

7 By September 10 th, Ike began to reorganize as it slowly pushed westward across the Gulf of Mexico. The cyclone underwent a rapid drop in its minimum central pressure, falling from 963 mb to 944 mb as it passed over the very warm waters in the Loop Current. Surprisingly, this drop in pressure was not reflected in the wind speeds. Even though the 944 mb pressure would normally equate to a Category 4 storm, the winds only increased from 85 mph (135 kph) to 100 mph (160 kph). However, as Air Force Reconnaissance Aircraft continued to fly through the system, it determined that Ike had multiple wind maxima. With Ike having multiple wind maxima, it indicated that the structure of the cyclone expanded its Ike Visible Satellite 09/10/08 winds over a larger area, rather than concentrating it directly near the center. The forecast computer models continued to shift westward and consolidated towards the Texas coastline. The official NHC forecast track noted the growing agreement between the forecast models and began to warn residents along the central and northern Texas coastlines of a likely landfall. Texas State Governor Rick Perry declared 88 Texas state counties as a disaster area in preparation of Ike s arrival. The disaster declaration allowed the National Guard to be activated and aid in the evacuation process. Between September 11 th and 12 th, Ike maintained a steady west-northwestward track across the Gulf of Mexico. The storm strengthened slightly to 110 mph (175 kph) - a high end Category 2 hurricane. Ike continued to expand its unusually large wind field, with tropical storm-force winds extending 275 miles (445 kilometers) and hurricaneforce winds stretching 120 miles (195 kilometers) from the center of circulation. The steering currents of the cyclone remained a ridge of high pressure that stalled out over the Southeast. The location of the ridge was paramount to Ike maintaining its westward trajectory. The primary concern to the end path revolved around the evolution of a strong frontal boundary, which would eventually force Ike on a more northward track. As the National Hurricane Center noted in their discussions, the front ended up being pivotal in Ike s forecasted northwest direction. The 10 a.m. CDT update issued on September 12 th from the NHC first detailed hurricane warnings that were issued from Morgan City, Louisiana southward to Baffin Bay, Texas. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for the entire island city of Galveston along with all low-lying areas in and around Houston. At that time, a storm surge of 20 to 25 feet (six to seven meters) was anticipated, which prompted the local Houston NWS office to issue a statement that those who failed to evacuate along the coastline would face certain death. Ike Projected Path 09/12/08 6

8 During the day on September 12 th as Ike approached the Texas Storm surge values above mean sea level (in feet) coast, the inner structure became more organized. The cyclone continued to look more impressive on satellite and radar. The cloud structure of Ike continued to expand, as the storm covered nearly the entire western half of the Gulf of Mexico. In terms of size, Ike became a larger storm than 2005 s Major Hurricane Katrina. As Ike came within hours of landfall, the storm Source: Impact Forecasting continued on a westnorthwesterly track with a direct hit just southwest of Galveston seeming likely, which would have been a worstcase scenario for the two cities. However, just prior to landfall, Ike made an unexpected wobble to the north. That jog to the north most likely saved countless lives and billions of dollars worth of damage in the greater Houston region. Ike officially made a final landfall at Galveston, Texas on September 13 th at 2:10 a.m. CDT. Ike was a strong Category 2 hurricane with winds of 110 mph (160 kph) and had a central pressure of 952 mb at landfall. Following landfall, Ike quickly began to lose its tropical characteristics as it started its northerly track inland. The cyclone was steered by a ridge of high pressure situated over the Carolinas and a strong frontal boundary draped across the Central Plains. Within 12 hours of making landfall, Ike was downgraded to a 60 mph (95 kph) tropical storm while over northeastern Texas. The system brought a deluge of rain to Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Throughout the afternoon and evening hours, Ike became absorbed by the frontal boundary. By early on September 14 th, the National Hurricane Center officially deemed that the cyclone had completed an extratropical transition while quickly entering the Midwest. As the remnants of Ike accelerated north-northeastward on September 14 th, they combined with remnants from Tropical Depression Lowell, moisture ahead of the frontal boundary and deep tropical moisture surging out of the Gulf of Mexico. Extremely heavy rains and gusty winds resulted and extended from Texas to central Canada, leaving millions without electricity. By early on September 15 th 09/14/08 Midwest Rainfall Amounts (Inches), Ike s remnants raced into the Northeast, where gusty winds snapped tree limbs and power lines. Overall, over 3.2 million customers (outside of Texas and Louisiana) lost electricity from Ike s remnants. Significant flooding occurred across many sections of the Midwest, with record rains falling during a 48- hour period. Many locations in and around Chicago, Illinois received eight to eleven inches of rain between September 13 th and 14 th. A state of emergency was declared for Cook County as thousands of homes were inundated by floodwaters. Parts of Canada were also deluged by Ike s remnants, with the city of Windsor breaking a 28-year rainfall record. Gusty winds and flooding helped down power lines and topple trees. 7

9 Property Damage Ike produced widespread damage from the Caribbean into the United States. Areas from the Turks and Caicos Islands through Cuba and into the states of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Illinois and Ohio all experienced damage from Ike. The following is a breakdown of reported property damage from various affected countries and states. Turks And Caicos Islands ravaged the Turks and Source: ReliefWeb Caicos Islands, located southeast of the Bahamas, on September 7 th and 8 th. Ike made landfall at Category 3 strength with winds around 125 mph as it passed south of the islands. According to various news reports, 95% of the houses on the two islands were damaged, 40% of which were fully destroyed. Grand Turk Island reported 80% of homes destroyed, and many others sustained at least some damage, including the airport control tower. At least 750 people lost their homes and up to 3,000 people were left homeless. Commercial structures and human service facilities were also adversely affected by the hurricane, with many roofs being torn off, resulting in a disruption of most health services. Many pharmacy and home supply stores were either significantly damaged or destroyed. Some damage was reported in North and Middle Caicos, but South Caicos received the brunt of the damage. Due to the extent of the damage to these islands, their respective governments have declared Grand Turk and South Caicos disaster areas. A US$50 million cruise port and facility owned by Carnival Cruise Lines sustained only minimal damage to its facility and no damage to its docking pier, which was built to withstand a Category 5 major hurricane. Carnival officials say that the port should reopen by October 7 th. There was no major damage to the hotels and resorts of Providenciales, which receives the most tourists in the island chain. According to local officials, the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility is set to give US$6.3 million to the government of Turks and Caicos under the terms of the islands' disaster policy bought at the start of the 2008 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Cuba Ike together with Hurricane Gustav, which slammed Cuba just one week prior brought the worst damage to the country s history, causing more than US$5 billion in damages. According to various news sources, nearly 450,000 homes were damaged by the storms, more than 63,000 of those fully destroyed. At least 200,000 residents were left homeless and hundreds of thousands more needed temporary housing. A report issued by the Cuban government called Gustav and Ike the most devastating hurricanes to hit Cuba, noting that building and rehabilitating will mean financial investments and resources truly worth multimillions and will require years of tense work. In the westernmost province of Pinar del Río, more than 3,400 buildings used in tobacco farming and curing were destroyed, according to the governmental report. Ike and Gustav damaged or destroyed at least 300 public health buildings, including 26 hospitals and 14 nursing homes. Nearly 1,200 schools and educational centers were damaged, while wind and flood damage forced factories to shut down. Seven ports remain closed. In the province of Villa Carla, repairs have already been finished at the Electrochemical Plant in Sagua la Grande, which produces chlorine for sanitation of water systems. 8

10 Texas Texas received the brunt of Ike s fury in the United States. Coastal areas across southeast Texas received storm surge flooding and wind-driven debris, deemed as the main culprits for the damage sustained to the southeastern sections of the state. According to news sources, an estimated 100,000 homes were flooded in Texas. Coastal Areas: The worst damage was sustained along immediate coastal areas and on Galveston Island. A stretch of coastal area from west of High Island to Crystal Beach (about 18 miles (29 kilometers)) was virtually destroyed. This entire area was submerged by Ike s storm surge and pummeled by Ike s strong winds. Between 80% and 95% of the homes in this stretch were destroyed. Communities such as Caplen, Port Bolivar, Gilchrist, Crystal Beach and all properties along Highway 87 were heavily damaged or destroyed. Only a few homes were not swept away in Gilchrist, where up to 14 feet (4.3 meters) of storm surge waters rolled through. Even homes properly secured on stilts were washed away by the storm surge and pounding waves. However, 14 out of 17 homes that were certified by the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) in Port Bolivar and Gilchrist survived Ike s wrath. The other three that did not survive were subjected to other homes smashing into these homes as the storm surge drove in. Source: USGS Galveston: In Galveston, storm surge caused the majority of the damage. According to local reports, the entirety of the Island west of 11 Mile Road was completely devastated, and that few structures on Galveston's western one-third had survived, which includes the communities of Bay Vista, Lake Como and Jamaica Beach. This area believed to contain over 1,000 residential and commercial structures also included Galveston Country Club and Galveston Island State Park. According to a report issued by the IBHS, older buildings built below current flood elevation levels sustained major damage, while buildings built to current flood level standards and protected by storm damage-mitigation devices such as storm shutters and proper roof coverings sustained much less damage. Brick buildings performed well, according to structural engineers. The Balinese Room, a nightclub that extended 600 feet(200 meters) into the Gulf of Mexico and had withstood past tropical storms and hurricanes, was destroyed as Ike's eye crossed over the eastern half of Galveston Island. This elevated structure had recently been renovated and was listed on the National Registry of Historically Significant Places. In addition to the Balinese Room, Murdoch's, 9

11 Hooters and the 61 st Street Pier were all completely destroyed. The Galveston County Courthouse and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston were flooded with at least six feet (two meters) of storm surge waters. The Flagship Hotel, which sits on deep concrete pylons, was seriously damaged, but an early survey indicates the structure will be salvageable. Some of the hotel's siding was peeled off by the storm and the elevated ramp permitting vehicles to access the hotel's lower level from Seawall Boulevard was swept away. Additionally, all of the wooden piers scattered throughout Galveston were destroyed. Source: Houston NWS Houston: Further inland, wind and flooding from heavy rains caused the majority of the damage. The main wind damage was to roof coverings and windows across the Houston area and its surrounding suburbs, consistent with Category 1 hurricane wind damage. Surprisingly, tree canopies reportedly helped lessen the amount of wind damage to roofs, though downed trees and branches brought more damage in some areas to roofing structures. Engineers reported that newer-shingled roofs, tile roofs and metal roofs performed well under the wind load they were subjected to. Older-shingled roofs reported loss of shingling and underlayment. Flashing damage was also reported. In the downtown areas, engineers reported damage that was much like damage experienced in Fort Lauderdale and Miami, Florida in 2005 s Hurricane Wilma. Houston s theater district was flooded. Widespread flashing and membrane roof damage occurred on commercial buildings, and wind-driven debris smashed numerous windows on many commercial structures, especially the 75-story JP Morgan Chase Tower. A debris-driven wind propagation for building damage probably occurred in downtown Houston (i.e. one building s debris damages another closely-situated building). According to witnesses, furniture in the tower was blown out and into the parking garage across the street. Significant damage was also reported at the 34-story Phoenix Tower, located inside the 610 Loop. The building reported significant water damage primarily due to broken and leaking windows and roof damage. Parkway Properties, Inc. estimates that four of its properties with a total insured value of US$94 million had significant damage, while ten others sustained minor to moderate damage, mainly from roofing damage and broken windows leading to water infiltration. Brookfield Properties Corporation, the largest office owner in downtown Houston, reported minimal damage, mainly from window and water damage. American Spectrum Realty Inc., reported no major damage to its buildings. The properties, located mainly on the west side of Houston, reported broken awnings and windows, downed trees and a few water leaks. Camden Property Source: Wikipedia Trust reported minor damage to its properties, mainly to non-structural roof and siding, landscaping and perimeter fencing. Conn s Inc., a consumer retail business, closed 28 out of its 73 stores (primarily in Houston) before Ike s arrival. Initial location visits indicated no significant damage to the company s headquarters, stores or distribution centers. At least one restaurant, Brennan s, sustained major fire damage as Ike arrived. Reliant Stadium, home to 10

12 the National Football League s Houston Texans, sustained damage. Part of the roof cladding came off and there was wind and water damage to other sections of the stadium. There were also large pieces of debris inside the stadium. Surrounding Areas of Houston: In areas around Raywood (located northeast of Houston), more significant damage to roof sheathing and siding occurred. According to IBHS engineers, damage in and around Raywood was consistent with Category 2 hurricane winds. One engineer noted that many multi-story homes had only their first floor windows protected by plywood or storm shutters, leaving the upper stories exposed to wind-driven debris. Residential and commercial structures in this area sustained damage to roof decking, underlayment and coverings. There was a significant amount of roof damage to commercial structures in this area as well. Along the coast of Trinity Bay, Clear Lake Shores reported three to five feet (one to two meters) of floodwater throughout the city. Some homes on the city s north side were struck by boats floating inland. According to local officials, at least four major businesses along Route 2094 were heavily damaged. Clear Lake Shores City Hall sustained minor roof and water damage, and the city lost 25% to 30% of its trees. Severe damage was also noted in neighboring Nassau Bay. The Hilton Houston NASA Clear Lake hotel sustained heavy wind and water damage, while several office complexes sustained significant roof damage. The city s public works building lost a portion of its roof, while other public works buildings were flooded. Just north of Clear Lake Shores, El Lago reported numerous trees down. Boondoggles reported minor damage, while The Landing, a condominium complex, sustained severe structural damage. Residents were told to leave by order of building inspectors. The El Lago and Clear Lake marinas were destroyed, with at least 275 boat slips suffering large losses. Also in the same area, Kemah sustained wind and water damage. Significant flooding was reported east of Texas 146, where waterfront homes were. The Kemah Boardwalk was destroyed, where many restaurants, shops and a small amusement park once were located. The entire first floor of Landry s seafood restaurant was completely swept away. The boardwalk received around four million visitors annually. Seabrook, located just north of Clear Lake Shores, sustained major damage to many of its sections. City officials estimate that residential and commercial damages could top US$287 million, US$252 million of that coming from residential damage. At least 1,000 homes, mostly located on the east side of the city and along the waterfront, were either destroyed or uninhabitable without significant repair. A majority of the businesses on The Point, including Pappadeaux Seafood Restaurant, were swept away and destroyed. The city s City Hall and police department suffered wind and water damage. The city s recreational center and community center were both damaged as well. In Dickinson, located south-southwest of Clear Lake Shores, many old-growth trees were downed, damaging homes and power lines. Some of the hardest-hit areas were located along Dickinson Bayou, including the subdivisions of Oakland, Sherwood Oaks, Colonial Estates and Bayou Chantilly. Many of the homes that sustained major damage in these areas were older and not built to today s code standards. In Friendswood, city officials estimated that the city suffered US$26 million in residential losses and US$11.4 million in commercial losses. Roofs, trees and fences were the main damages. The main damage came from wind and water intrusion. The city did not experience widespread flooding. In neighboring League City, approximately 200 homes sustained major damage. Hardest hit were the low-lying subdivisions of Glen Cove and Lakeside, where as much as six feet of flooding occurred. Many downed trees and fences littered the city, and some sporadic roof damage was also noted. In the neighboring cities of La Marque, Hitchcock and Texas City, wind damage occurred in just about every neighborhood, mostly downed trees blocking roadways. Some of Texas City s older structures sustained major damage, including the Sanders Vincent Center and Washington Gym. The Texas City Industrial Complex sustained major wind damage. The Texas City Dike, a manmade structure extending nearly five miles into Galveston Bay, was overtopped and severely damaged. The structures on top of the dike were heavily damaged or destroyed. Substantial flooding occurred in eastern and northern portions of Texas City. 11

13 Louisiana The main problem for Louisiana from Hurricane Ike was storm surge flooding. Coastal communities were adversely affected by the storm surge prior to Ike s landfall in Texas. Many low-lying areas, some still recovering from Gustav s effects just one week prior, received between two and six feet (one to three meters) of surge flooding. According to news sources, many yards, pools, boat docks, outbuildings and homes were inundated by storm surge waters. The storm surge flooded lowlying coastal communities, overtopped levee systems and breached a levee system that protected the town of Franklin. At least 50% of the homes in Franklin were flooded. South of the levee system protecting Franklin, storm surge waters flooded all coastal communities along and south of Highway 90 and Highway 14 in Iberia and St. Mary Parishes. The damage to coastal communities in Vermilion and Cameron parishes was extensive. In St. Mary Parish, water being forced upstream in the Atchafalaya River overtopped levee systems, leading to residential flooding along the river. Many communities that were flooded by 2005 s Source: leanweb.org Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as well as 2008 s Hurricane Gustav were re-flooded by Ike. Many levees in this area were known to be inadequate as well, compounding the problem. Lower Terrebonne Parish communities were hit hard with storm surge flooding, including the communities of Chauvin, Isle de Jean Charles, Montegut, Pointe aux Chenes, Cocodrie and Dulac. In St. Charles Parish, storm surge from Lac Des Allemands and Lake Salvador flooded the majority of the residential areas in Des Allemands and also flooded the fishing docks and seafood processing facilities. Along Highway 90 between St. Charles and Jefferson Parishes, all of the businesses and homes in this area were completely inundated by the storm surge waters. Storm surge waters also flooded recreational and residential areas along Bayou Segnette. In Lower Jefferson Parish, residential sections just off Barataria Boulevard were completely underwater. Search and rescue teams rescued individuals that were stranded in the communities of Jean Lafitte, Lafitte, Barataria and Crown Point. Additionally, at least 250 structures in Lake Charles reported flood damage. Source: Lake Charles NWS There was some wind damage near the border of Louisiana and Texas, mainly around the Beaumont/Port Arthur/Sabine Pass area. Roof damage as well as façade/siding damage was noted by National Weather Service personnel. 12

14 Other States In Arkansas, wind damage was widespread across the state as Ike s remnants rolled through, with trees and power lines knocked down in many areas. At least five tornadoes were reported in Garland, Hot Spring, Lonoke, Perry and Saline Counties. The Lonoke County tornado caused structural damage near Cabot, hitting a storage unit, several metal buildings at a lumber mill and a strip mall. Source: Little Rock NWS In the states of Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana, wind and flood damage occurred as Ike s remnants merged with tropical moisture surging into a frontal system moving through the Mississippi Valley and Midwest. The Louisville area declared a state of emergency due to major damage, and the Louisville International Airport was closed temporarily. In Covington, Kentucky, an apartment building lost its entire roof and the Renaissance Hotel also sustained damage. Roof damage was common across these states. The northern portions of Illinois and northwestern parts of Indiana were hard hit by flooding rains. One of the hardest-hit communities was Munster, Indiana, where 5,000 residents had to be evacuated as a result of the Little Calumet River overflowing in many spots and breaking through a levee near the Calumet Avenue Bridge. A garage fire and a massive house explosion in the flooded area leveled one house and damaged others that surrounded it. In Ohio, the worst wind damage occurred roughly along and just north of the Ohio River through Indiana and Kentucky, and along and just north of the I-71 corridor into central Ohio. The Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton metro areas were all strongly impacted by winds gusting over 75 mph (120 kph). Damage to trees and structures across this area were widespread. Siding and roof damage was widespread, and fallen trees added to roof damage across the state. Source: Cincinnati NWS 13

15 Utilities Electric/Gas Following Hurricane Ike s landfall, utility companies immediately began to assess the potential impact that the cyclone had left on their customers. Just after landfall, the two main utility companies in Texas and Louisiana (Entergy Texas and CenterPoint Energy) began to recognize the scope of the power losses. In terms of actual power outages, Ike heavily damaged the electric infrastructure across both states. According to CenterPoint Energy, over 87% of their customers lost power immediately following Ike s Left side of storm: 87% without power Right side of storm: 99% without power Source: Impact Forecasting landfall. Nearly 2.1 million of the company s 2.3 million customers were without electricity as intense winds toppled trees, snapped branches and tangled power lines. Company officials called it the worst power outage event in the company s 130-year history, and that it may take up to a full month for electricity to be fully restored. A graph of the rate of power restoration for Texas is shown in Appendix A. At Entergy Texas, nearly every single customer lost electricity. Officially, the company reported that 99% of their customers lost electricity mostly just to the northeast of Houston. Nearly 400,000 customers lost electricity as Ike damaged 143 transmission lines, 188 substations and damaged or destroyed 142 transmission structures. Entergy was still in the process of restoring power to customers from Hurricane Gustav, which affected the same region nearly two weeks earlier. Entergy has a total of 37 helicopters in their system, which they used to evaluate the storm damage. Entergy Texas estimates US$435 to US$510 million in damages and that full service restoration may take several weeks. Entergy Louisiana estimated US$10 million to US$15 million, while Entergy New Orleans reported US$1 million to US$5 million. Entergy Arkansas reported US$14 million to US$20 million in damage, and Entergy Gulf States Louisiana reported US$65 million to US$75 million in damage. Between hurricanes Gustav and Ike, Entergy estimates that between US$1.025 billion to US$1.225 billion in damage was sustained to its company. As the remnants of Ike began to shift towards the Midwest, Ohio Valley and the Northeast, the system also caused tremendous power outages in its wake. Beginning in Arkansas, 200,000 Arkansas Entergy, North Arkansas Electric Cooperative and First Electric Cooperative customers lost electricity as gusty winds caused the greatest state-wide power outage in nearly a decade. In terms of power outages across the Midwest, the state of Ohio was the hardest hit. A total of 1,587,000 Duke Energy, American Electric and FirstEnergy customers lost electricity across the state as hurricane-force wind gusts were frequently recorded. In the Cincinnati metropolitan region alone, nearly 90% of all Duke Energy customers lost electricity. Local residents are calling the event The Cincinnati Blackout. Other outage statistics across the Midwest included 300,000 Duke Energy customers in Kentucky, 350,000 Duke Energy customers in Indiana, 49,000 American Energy customers in Illinois and 85,000 Municipal Utilities customers in Missouri. By early on September 15 th, Ike s remnants raced into the Northeast, where gusty winds snapped tree limbs and power lines. Over 180,000 Duquesne Light, Alleghany Power and PennPower customers lost electricity across western Pennsylvania with an additional 130,000 National Grid and New York State Electric & Gas customers losing power in the state of New York. Overall, over 3.2 million customers (outside of Texas and Louisiana) lost electricity from Ike. Ike also severely disrupted natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico. At the storm s peak, nearly 98% of all natural gas production was halted. Twenty-eight natural gas platforms were destroyed by the cyclone. 14

16 Telecommunications According to AT&T officials, due to the passage of Hurricane Gustav just weeks prior, the company was already well-prepared for the onslaught of Ike. Even though Ike left tremendous devastation within cell phone and internet service, the impact was milder than that of 2005 s Hurricane Katrina. AT&T, the leading landline phone service provider in the region and the largest cellular service provider in the greater Houston area, reported that its core wired and wireless service network performed well throughout the storm. Of the company s 154 offices in the Houston area, only two were knocked out of service: one office on Galveston Island and another office in Port Bolivar. As many as 600 AT&T technicians from as far away as Minnesota and Wisconsin entered the area after the passing of Hurricane Ike. The additional 600 out-of-state technicians joined a crew of over 1,400 local technicians already in the area to repair and maintain phone network services, including voice, data and entertainment to the city, which was left without most commercial power. In Galveston, the majority of affected areas continued to receive cellular service due to the deployment of portable cell towers and 2,800 generators. The generators were used to recharge batteries and supply power to critical facilities. Additional generators were brought in from other states to meet the challenge of maintaining the power supply. Verizon Wireless announced that its service was in good shape, after having spent US$137 million on network enhancements in the Gulf Coast region over the past year. The enhancements included regional switching centers equipped to handle double capacity for disaster response. Sprint/Nextel spent nearly US$140 million in the first half of 2008 on reinforcing its network in the Gulf Coast region. The company prepared for Ike by placing an emergency response team in the San Antonio area to quickly repair damage and provide support to first responders. Water Service After Hurricane Ike made landfall in Galveston, Texas on September 13 th, the resort city was left without electricity, gas or water pressure. As floodwaters receded, city streets were coated with raw sewage, debris and sludge. After the storm passed, a huge effort was quickly launched to get food, water and ice to some of the estimated 25,000 residents who did not evacuate. The surrounding waters and Galveston beaches were coated with oil, forcing city officials to order residents to stay off the beaches. Residents were Source: Houston NWS also advised to boil all water prior to consumption due to possible contamination. The WCID also ordered residents to conserve water by not flushing toilets to prevent back-up in the wastewater system. Ike was responsible for knocking out electricity to all of Galveston s water and wastewater plants, which closed down sewer lift stations and eliminated water pressure. By September 20 th, the boil water notice was lifted, though residents were urged to still conserve water while repairs were made. In Houston, additional power outages left most water pumping stations sitting idle, leaving many storm-damaged areas cut off from the water supply. As the case in Galveston, Houston officials urged residents to boil tap water until tests proved that the water was safe. There was a concern that the flooding and storm surge waters may have caused bacterial contamination of water lines. By September 17 th, Houston Mayor Bill White lifted the boil water notice after chemists deemed the water safe for consumption. 15

17 Energy Onshore Energy Of the 32 Gulf Coast refineries, 26 were directly in Ike's path. Initially 14 refineries were shut-down across Texas regions, including: Port Arthur, Houston, Texas City, and Corpus Christi with a total capacity of 3.8 million barrels per day. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 12 refineries remained completely shut down at the end of September, while nine were operating with reduced capacity. The LOOP and Capline pipelines have returned to normal levels, but they are the only major Gulf Coast crude pipelines to do so. Refined product pipelines fared better, with most running at reduced or normal levels. Most of the major natural gas pipelines in the Texas and Louisiana area shut down or were operating on only certain portions or reduced levels. Only three of 23 are at normal capacity as of the end of September. As a result of a loss in refining capacity (in excess of 52 million barrels and counting), gasoline inventories are at their lowest levels since 1967 in the United States. This contraction in inventory has caused difficulties for various retail markets across the South; especially for Atlanta where long lines, high prices, and station closures have been experienced. A graph of the restoration of refining capacity is shown in Appendix A. Refinery Shut down Listing Region Location Refinery Capacity Port Arthur Beaumont, TX ExxonMobil 348,500 Port Arthur, TX Motiva 285,000 Port Arthur, TX Total Petro 232,000 Port Arthur, TX Valero 289,000 Houston/Galveston Texas City, TX BP 467,720 Sweeny, TX ConocoPhillips 247,000 Deer Park, TX Deer Park 329,800 Baytown, TX ExxonMobil 567,000 Houston, TX Houston Refining 270,600 Texas City, TX Marathon 76,000 Pasadena, TX Pasadena Refining 100,000 Houston, TX Valero 83,000 Texas City, TX Valero 199,500 Corpus Christi Corpus Christi, TX Flint Hills 288,126 3,783,246 Offshore Energy According to the U.S. government s Mineral Management Service and news released from companies operating in the Gulf, Hurricane Ike damaged 49 of the 3,800 production platforms. Further assessments are ongoing and could take weeks to fully determine the substantial loss and damage for all of the companies' assets in the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the damaged rigs, 44 in all, produce less than 1,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. The other five produced between 1,000 and 5,000 barrels per day. A quarter of all domestically-produced oil comes from the Gulf, though about 93% of Gulf production remains shut down as of September 29 th. About 77% of the Gulf s gas production, which accounts for 15% of the nation s production, remains shut down as of the end of September. A graph of the restoration of crude oil production is shown in Appendix A. The Energy Department reported in its latest hurricane damage assessment that the platforms altogether accounted for 13,000 barrels of oil and 84 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. There are more than 3,800 production platforms in the Gulf producing 1.3 million barrels of oil and 7 billion cubic feet of gas each day. 16

18 Infrastructure Ports According to the U.S. Coast Guard, shipping ports into Houston, Galveston and Texas City closed on September 11 th in anticipation of Hurricane Ike. The Port of Houston, the second busiest port in the U.S. and sixth-busiest port in the world, halted cargo operations through the weekend after Ike s landfall. The Houston port, which is 25 miles (40 kilometers) long, receives a wide range of consumer goods that are found in most of the major consumer stores such as Wal-Mart and Target. Agricultural products and petrochemicals are shipped from the Houston port in vast quantities. Damage was minimal to the port, though it was only open at limited capacity until September 18 th. Normal operations at the port resumed the following day, September 19 th, as workers were able to establish full electricity. As soon as the port opened, approximately 100 general cargo ships, chemical tankers, petroleum carriers, gas carriers, roll-on/roll-off vessels, container ships and cement carriers were waiting to deliver goods for distribution throughout the United States Federal, state and local agencies continue to monitor storm damaged waterways, but re-opened the Houston Ship Channel to maritime traffic on September 19 th. Railroads Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF) closed its Galveston and Houston operations on September 11 th in preparation of the arrival of Hurricane Ike. The company then evacuated its equipment from areas that were projected to be directly affected by the storm. Similarly, Union Pacific Railroad removed 200 locomotives and 4,000 rail cars from at-risk areas in the Houston region. BNSF officials estimated delivery delays for its customers ranging from 48 to 72 hours after landfall. Nearly all rail traffic heading to the Gulf Coast was halted until the storm passed. Source: Wilmington NWS On September 19 th, BNSF stated that significant repairs had quickly been made throughout the Gulf Coast and that normal operations would resume. However, tracks on the main causeway linking Galveston Island to the mainland were heavily damaged. While aerial surveys suggested that track damage on the island itself was minimal, BNSF officials expect repairs on the causeway to be completed by the end of September. Union Pacific reported minimal damage to its tracks, though they were forced to ship in large generators to restore power to lines in and around Houston. Ike also impacted Amtrak rail passenger service. The company was forced to shut down numerous railroad routes between September 11 th and 13 th. Many stations in the Midwest, including Chicago and St. Louis, were forced to shut down due to inclement weather. Service routes to and from Washington, D.C., Detroit, New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans and San Antonio were all cancelled but quickly restored by September 14 th. 17

19 Light rail and bus commuter services provided by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Houston, TX, (Metro) were cancelled on September 13 th and 14 th due to unsafe road conditions. However, METRO busses were used in rescue and evacuation efforts to bring elderly residents to safety. By September 17 th, METRO officials announced that bus schedules and routes would return to normal. On September 22 nd, METRORAIL resumed regular schedules, though some Galveston routes remained closed due to electrical outages. Airports/Airlines Both of Houston s commercial airports, Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Hobby Airport (HOU), were forced to close in advance of Ike. The closures began on September 12 th. As Hurricane Ike traveled north through the Gulf of Mexico, Continental and Southwest Airlines (two main hubs) cancelled all departures and arrivals from and into the city on September 13 th and 14 th. Bush Intercontinental Airport, which lies approximately 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of downtown Houston, remained closed on September 13 th pending a decision by airport officials to reopen on September 14 th. A spokesperson for Houston s Hobby Airport, located south of downtown, said that the airport had lost power on September 13 th and was running on generators. It was also reported that the facility had not sustained major damage, only a few broken windows and some water leakage. According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials in Washington D.C., the closure of the Houston area airports caused no major delays in other parts of the nation because they were anticipated and well planned for. On September 15 th, Continental and Southwest Airlines announced they would resume previously suspended operations at both Houston area airports, Bush Intercontinental and Hobby. Continental began operating the vast majority of its scheduled departures and arrivals at IAH beginning at 5:33 a.m. CDT, while Southwest Airlines began operating a limited schedule on September 16 th from HOU. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport remained open during Ike s arrival, though authorities encouraged travelers to check with their airlines as Ike moved inland, north from the Gulf. Government Facilities Hurricane Ike forced the closure and cancellation of government facilities and business activities throughout the Houston/Galveston region. These closures included transportation services, government offices, commercial enterprise operations, universities and school districts. The United States Postal Service (USPS) in the city of Houston also shut down operations for 48 hours due to the hurricane. The USPS re-opened on September 15 th after deploying 150 portable generators to mail processing centers. The post office facility in downtown Houston reopened on September 16 th. Reports indicated that seven city post offices were operating on full electrical power, while generators were supplying power to the remaining stations. Post offices in two of the hardest hit areas, Galveston and Texas City, suffered extensive damage, forcing retail sales and mail delivery to be carried out from mobile service vans. The vans were replaced by semipermanent trailers until the post office structures were fully repaired. The United States Attorney s offices in Houston, Victoria and Corpus Christi, Texas closed on September 12 th in preparation for the storm and were still closed as of September 23 rd. On September 19 th, the City of Houston Municipal Courts resumed business. Trials and jury services were all cancelled due to Hurricane Ike, but resumed on September 29 th. NASA s Johnson Space Center and Houston s Mission Control shut down on September 11 th and re-opened on September 22 nd. As a result of extensive preparation, which included a 60-person hurricane ride-out team, Houston s Missile Control Center and other key Johnson Space Center facilities received no serious damage from the storm. Only roof, window and minor façade damage were reported. Minor damage was also reported to roofs and awnings at NASA s Ellington Field. 18

20 Texas Tech University, Texas A&M University, Baylor College and other major college systems in the storm damaged areas cancelled classes. Entire public and Catholic school districts cancelled all classes and school-related events. The affected school districts included Houston, Corpus Christi, Danbury, Hitchcock, Wharton, Bay City, El Campy and Boling-Iago. In the wake of Hurricane Ike, college and university officials along the Texas Gulf Coast began the task of cataloging storm damage in an effort to get their facilities re-opened by September 15 th. The availability of electricity was a deciding factor for many of the schools. The storm s powerful winds destroyed many portions of the power transmission and distribution grid. Some of the 140 schools that make up the Houston/Galveston area school district welcomed students back on September 22 nd, but many school districts are continuing to struggle with storm damage repairs and power restoration. Many other districts, including the Houston and Cypress-Fairbanks school districts, were scheduled to resume classes on September 23 rd, provided the campuses have electricity. However, the 8,000-student Galveston school district is closed indefinitely. School buildings on Galveston Island sustained massive damage in the storm. Streets, Highways and Freeways On September 13 th, Houston Mayor White along with state transportation officials advised evacuees that roads throughout the Houston-Galveston area were left impassible due to debris and high water. Downtown Houston was shut down by authorities as city streets were littered with glass, dislodged traffic signals and other debris. The 75- story JP Morgan Chase Tower, the tallest skyscraper in the city, had a majority of its windows shattered. Despite the ordered evacuation of Galveston, city officials reported that approximately 40% of the city s 57,523 residents remained behind to brave the storm. Rescuers in Galveston went doorto-door to follow-up with the people who chose not to evacuate. These rescue efforts were made even more difficult due to the condition of the roads. Most roads were impassable, making rescue efforts nearly impossible in some locations, especially on Galveston Island. Source: Houston NWS According to the Texas Travel Information Center, travelers were expected to experience long delays and fuel shortages beginning on September 15 th. Seventeen high-water locations were reported by the Greater Houston Transportation and Emergency Management Center. This included Interstate 45, which is close to the Galveston Causeway Bridge. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) also stated that many roadways were not safe for travel due to flooding, power outages and debris all across the coastline. The TxDOT at one point listed both directions of State Highway 146 from NASA Road 1 to the Galveston-Harris county line and NASA Road 1 from Lakeshore to State Highway 146 as closed. Soon after the storm, TxDOT deployed around 1,750 workers along with 355 pieces of equipment to the Houston and Beaumont regions to begin the task of clearing the roads. TxDOT also reported that its employees in the Lufkin District repaired or replaced approximately 2,500 signs and cleared about 6,000 trees from state highways in a ninecounty area. Crews continue to work at identifying damage to signal lights, bridge supports, guardrails and pavement. 19