HURRICANE LOCAL STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX 228 AM CDT SAT SEP 24 2005 edited.....

..STORM SURGE FLOOD AND STORM TIDE IMPACTS WATER LEVELS ARE CURRENTLY RECEDING IN THE UPPER PORTION OF GALVESTON BAY AS STRONG OFFSHORE WINDS HAVE PUSHED THE WATER BACK SOUTHWARD.

REACHES UP NEAR THE HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL AND EAGLE POINT COULD FALL AS MUCH AS 4 TO 5 FEET BELOW NORMAL. THIS WILL CAUSE WATER TO PILE UP ACROSS BAYSIDE LOCATIONS OF GALVESTON ISLAND AND BOLIVAR PENINSULA AS THE WINDS EVENTUALLY TURN MORE WESTWARD.

SURGE MODELS INDICATE THE POSSIBILITY OF A 4 TO 5 FOOT SURGE BEING TRAPPED IN THE BAY SIDE PORTION OF EASTERN GALVESTON ISLAND...ALONG THE BOLIVAR PENINSULA... COUPLED WITH A 2 FOOT HIGH TIDE AT 2 AM...WATER LEVELS WILL BE 6 TO 7 FEET ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER.

FURTHER WEST ALONG GALVESTON ISLAND...ALONG THE NORTH FACING BAY SHORES...WATERS LEVELS SHOULD BE 2 TO 3 FEET ABOVE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER...
COUPLED WITH A 1 TO 2 FOOT HIGH TIDE AT 430 AM. THIS FLOODING WILL GRADUALLY SUBSIDE A FEW HOURS AFTER SUNRISE.
THE GULF WATERS HAVE ALREADY DRASTICALLY RECEDED IN RESPONSE TO THE STRONG NORTH WINDS PUSHING WATER FURTHER OFFSHORE THIS EVENING.
ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK...THE MOST SEVERE SURGE IMPACTS WOULD BE MAINLY EAST OF GILCHRIST.