Authorities are expressing amazement at the level of storm surge that is already hitting the Gulf Coast due to Hurricane Ike.  Galveston Island is experiencing a 5 – 7 foot surge with an estimated 15 feet of additional storm surge expected at landfall in over 12 hours.  They just reported that in addition to the 20 feet of total storm surge expected based on what they are seeing already hitting the coast they believe there will be 20 feet of high waves on TOP of the storm surge.  This is going to be rough.  What has them so concerned is the huge size of Ike which has a tremendous impact on the storm surge that is being generated.  They are saying that massive flooding will extend very far inland as a result of this storm surge which one official just stated is nothing like they have seen in over 50 years.  They predict 5 – 10 inches of rainfall PER HOUR near the corridor where the eye of the storm will pass.  It’s going to be a very rough ride, and this doesn’t take into account the high winds.

We’re in the final 24 hours before Hurricane Ike comes storming into the Texas Gulf Coast and a feeling of unnatural quiet hangs in the air outside.  The Gulf of Mexico has already risen to very high levels and the storm is not even here yet.  A statement by the National Weather Service is as forceful as I have ever heard a government agency make:

"All neighborhoods … and possibly entire coastal communities …will be inundated during the peak storm tide," the weather servicewarned. "Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single family one- ortwo-story homes will face certain death."

But farther inland, 4million Houston-area residents were told to hunker down and stay home,even as government offices and schools prepared to close Friday inanticipation of the hurricane.

"We are only evacuating areassubject to a storm surge," said Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, thecounty’s chief executive officer. "Yes, we know you will loseelectricity. But you’re not in danger of losing your life, so stay put."

So on the coast you face certain death, yet those further inland like us should just stay put.  Drives home why we are so uneasy about this storm.  It is not following the rules.