Effects of Hurricane Ike in Texas - Surge Measurements

Surge Measurements

Landfall had been predicted near Freeport, Texas, by the National Hurricane Center, as of Wednesday, 10 September 2008. However, the actual landfall was further east, over the east end of Galveston Island (near Texas City, TX), with the eye centered over Galveston Bay. Because some winds blew from the north at Galveston, water was pushed back out into the Gulf, and the actual storm surge there was muted to 19 ft (5.8 m), rather than the original prediction of over 25 ft (7.6 m) as with a west-end landfall, which would have pushed more water into Galveston Bay, being a channel bay.

As of 13 September 2008, the highest storm surge had been noted at Sabine Pass at 22 ft (6.5 m), the highest surge ever recorded at that station, and Ike also brought on the record for greatest storm surge ever seen with any Category 2 hurricane. However, Bolivar Peninsula, at the entrance to Galveston Bay, was nearer to the eastern side of the eye. The morning high tide (on 2008-09-13), adding 2.3 ft (0.7 m), occurred at 4:14am CDT at the Galveston Bay entrance. The total eastern storm tide was then nearly 16 ft (4.9 m) by landfall at 2:10am, with higher waves on top.