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Tag: Texas

  • Hurricane Laura Bearing Down on Gulf Coast

    Hurricane Laura Bearing Down on Gulf Coast

    Satellite image of Hurricane Laura from just after dawn today.

    Hurricane Laura is rapidly strengthening as it heads towards Louisiana and Texas. It’s expected to make landfall as a category four storm. It was a category one as late as yesterday. Maximum sustained winds increased by 65 mph in the 24 hours ending 1 p.m. CDT on Wednesday.

    This is a dangerous storm, with Tropical storm force winds extending at least 175 miles from the eye.

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    From the National Hurricane Center:

    SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT:

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for...
* Freeport Texas to the Mouth of the Mississippi River

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for...
* San Luis Pass Texas to Intracoastal City Louisiana

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for...
* Sargent Texas to San Luis Pass
* East of Intracoastal City Louisiana to the Mouth of the
Mississippi River

A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for...
* Mouth of the Mississippi River to Ocean Springs Mississippi
* Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, and Lake Borgne

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for...
* East of Intracoastal City to west of Morgan City Louisiana

    
DISCUSSION AND OUTLOOK
----------------------
At 100 PM CDT (1800 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Laura was located
near latitude 27.3 North, longitude 92.5 West. Laura is moving
toward the northwest near 16 mph (26 km/h). A gradual turn toward
the north-northwest and north is expected later today and tonight. 
On the forecast track, Laura will approach the Upper Texas and 
southwest Louisiana coasts this evening and move inland within
that area tonight. The center of Laura is forecast to move over
northwestern Louisiana tomorrow, across Arkansas Thursday night, and
over the mid-Mississippi Valley on Friday.

Reports from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate 
that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 140 mph (220 
km/h) with higher gusts.  Laura is an extremely dangerous category 4 
hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.  Some 
additional strengthening is possible this afternoon, and Laura is 
forecast to remain a category 4 hurricane through landfall tonight.  
Rapid weakening is expected after Laura makes over land.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles (110 km) from
the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175
miles (280 km). Tropical-storm-force winds have reached the coast 
of Louisiana and an observing site at Eugene Island recently 
measured sustained winds of 39 mph (63 km/h) and a gust to 64 mph 
(104 km/h).

The latest minimum central pressure estimated from reconnaissance
aircraft data is 952 mb (28.11 inches).
  • Firefighters Battle Blaze at Texas Plant

    Firefighters Battle Blaze at Texas Plant

    Firefighters are battling a large fire at a Texas plastics manufacturing facility. The blaze broke out at the Poly-America complex in Grand Prairie, just west of Dallas around 1 am Wednesday.

    The Grand Prairie Fire Department said the fire was caused by high-tension power lines falling into the plastic inventory.

    “This is going to be burning late into tomorrow,” Grand Prairie Assistant Fire Chief Bill Murphy said during a Wednesday morning press conference. “These are rolls of plastic sheeting, huge rolls, and they’re stacked sometimes eight feet high. Plastic is hard to put out and it’s just gonna burn.”

    So far, there have been no injuries reported and no evacuation orders issued. However, authorities are recommending anyone with underlying health conditions stay away.

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    Poly-America is headquartered in Grand Prairie and specializes in products made from polyethylene, such as trash bags, drop cloths and plastic sheeting, according to the company’s website.

  • Texas to Cap Property Tax in Cities that Defund Police

    Texas to Cap Property Tax in Cities that Defund Police

    Texas governor Greg Abbott has said he plans on capping property tax increases in cities that move to defund their police departments.

    Abbot made the announcement in a joint press conference with LT. Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker of the Texas legislature Dennis Bonnen. The proposal states that any city that defunds its police department will have its property tax revenue frozen at the current level. From the official release:

    “Part of our job as state leaders is to ensure the safety and security of all Texans, and we will not allow this core function to be undermined by cities that seek to defund and dismantle law enforcement agencies that have a sworn duty to protect our communities,” said Governor Abbott. “Defunding the police puts Texans in danger and invites lawlessness into our cities, and cities that endanger their residents should not be able to turn around and raise more taxes from those same Texans. I strongly urge the Texas Legislature to take up this important issue next session to protect their constituents and ensure law enforcement have the resources and support they need to protect their communities.”

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    It’s too bad other states can’t or won’t do this. It would seem to be the perfect way to prevent more cities from bowing to the mob.

  • BREAKING: Multiple Cops Shot in Texas

    BREAKING: Multiple Cops Shot in Texas

    The Cedar Park police say three officers have been shot. The officers were responding to a call at a home on Natalie cove. They are currently being treated at a local hospital and are in stable condition.

    The suspected shooter has barricaded himself inside the home and is still at large. Multiple agencies are reported to be on the scene.

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    Cedar park is about 25 miles northwest of Austin.

    This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available.

    UPDATE:

    2nd Update:

    Cedar Park police gave the following update:

    According to Chief Mike Harmon, The suspect’s mother called police saying her son was “acting aggressive” and had kicked in the door. Cedar Park police officers were “met with gunfire” when they went inside. There are three hostages in the house with the suspect. The suspect’s mother, a juvenile family member, and an unidentified individual.

    The Chief says the Cedar Park police have responded to this house before, but did not say when or for what reasons. He also said the suspect is in his mid 20s and has “mental health issues.” Police officers and negotiators are “trying to bring this to a peaceful resolution.”

    The three officers that were shot are all in stable condition. Two have been released from the hospital and one will remain overnight for observation.

  • Austin Shooter Identified

    Austin Shooter Identified

    The driver who shot and killed an armed BLM supporter has identified himself. US Army Sgt Daniel Perry said that he shot Garrett Foster in an act of self-defense Saturday night.

    Perry is an active-duty soldier with the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, according to the US Army.

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    A group of BLM protesters surrounded Perry’s car and Foster, carrying an AK type rifle, approached the car, raising his weapon, according to Perry and other witnesses. Perry then shot Foster, killing him.

    “Sgt. Perry and his family deeply sympathize with the loss and grief being experienced by Mr. Foster’s family,” said Perry’s attorney Clint Broden in a statement. “Sgt. Perry is devastated by what happened.” 

    “Immediately after Sgt. Perry fired on the individual who raised the assault rifle toward him, a member of the crowd began firing on Sgt. Perry’s vehicle,” Broden continued, “Sgt. Perry drove to safety and immediately called the police.”

  • Hanna Dumps on Texas

    Hanna Dumps on Texas

    Now downgraded to a tropical depression, Hurricane Hanna contines to dump rain on parts of southeast Texas. So far as much as 15 inches of rain have fallen there. An additional 3 to 6 inches could fall today.

    Now a tropical depression, Hanna was 65 miles north of Fresnillo in the Mexican state of Zacatecas as its winds weakened to about 25 mph, the National Hurricane Center said Monday.

    Hanna made landfall as a category 1 storm late Saturday afternoon with winds of 90 mph not far from Port Mansfield, which is about 130 miles south of Corpus Christi.

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    More than 65,400 customers were still without power on Monday throughout South Texas, including Corpus Christi, Harlingen and McAllen, utility officials said. As many as 200,000 had no electricity early Sunday morning.