I'm still watching tropical depression Ida and over the weekend; it should regain tropical storm strength now that it's over the warm western Caribbean water. However, our problems this weekend don't have anything to do with Ida. Instead, low pressure in the southern Gulf will drift toward the Texas coast. The Gulf is like a bathtub so imagine you agitate the water int he middle of the tub. Eventually, some of it will spill over the side. Something similar will happen as the low moves up; it will push the tides higher along the coast and some of that water could cover low-lying roads on the west end of Galveston and the Bolivar peninsula. Remember that last year's Hurricane Ike washed away parts of the Texas coast, so higher tides could lead to flooding in those areas. Here's a few maps showing the specific high tide locations and expected tide levels from the National Weather Service:
Check with Mario this weekend on 11 News to see how this situation unfolds, but the bottom line is that if you live along the coast or plan to visit there this weekend, know and understand the threat.
