Hazardous Weather Outlook

HOUSTON, September 12, 2008 - HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS.

TODAY AND TONIGHT

HURRICANE IKE IS STILL ON TRACK TO MAKE LANDFALL ALONG THE UPPER TEXAS COAST SOME TIME LATE TONIGHT OR EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. IMPACTS FROM IKE WILL BEGIN LATE THIS MORNING WITH INCREASING WINDS. BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST...TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS WILL LIKELY BEGIN DURING THE LATE MORNING NEAR THE COAST AND THEN SPREAD INLAND DURING THE EVENING. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO ARRIVE EARLY FRIDAY EVENING NEAR THE COAST AND SPREAD INLAND OVERNIGHT AS THE EYE CROSSES THE COAST. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH IKE. THERE WILL ALSO BE A TORNADO THREAT WITH SOME OF THE RAINBANDS AS IKE MOVES ONSHORE. RESIDENTS OF SOUTHEAST TEXAS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS ON IKE. HURRICANE PLAN AND PREPARATIONS.

SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

HURRICANE IKE WILL CONTINUE ITS JOURNEY ACROSS SOUTHEAST TEXAS. HEAVY RAIN DURING THE MORNING WILL PRODUCE SOME FLOODING ALONG AREA BAYOUS AND OTHER LOW AREAS. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN WILL DIMINISH DURING THE DAY AS IKE PULLS AWAY. ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON.