Landfall
Early Saturdaymorning
Hurricane Ike made landfall on Galveston Island in the early morning of Saturday, September 13, 2008.
DateSeptember 13,
2008
2008
TimeAbout 2:10
a.m. CDT
a.m. CDT
LocationGalveston Island,
Texas
Texas
Wind IntensityCategory 2
hurricane
hurricane
Storm Surge IntensityCategory 4
hurricane
hurricane
Maximum winds110 mph
(175 km/h)
(175 km/h)
An exceptionally large hurricane
Although Ike was “only” a Category 2 by wind speed, it was an exceptionally large hurricane.
That enormous size of the wind field produced a Cat 4-5 storm surge.
That level storm surge was the primary factor in the death and destruction that Ike inflicted on Galveston and the surrounding area.
- 15–20 foot storm surgeAlong parts of the upper Texas coast, with the highest surge on the Bolivar Peninsula.
- 951.6 mb pressureMeasured central pressure at Galveston Pleasure Pier.
- Extensive damageFlooding, wind damage, and power outages across Galveston and the Houston area.