Every year, meteorologists make guesses about hurricanes. Where might hurricanes hit this year? How many will come? How big will they be? Right now, some scientists have their eyes on Houston, Texas. They have already given a nickname to the hurricane that might strike there: Mighty Ike.
If a hurricane is coming for your house, you don’t want it to be called Mighty Ike. Something like Wimpy Willy or Little Larry would be much better! But scientists say Mighty Ike is on the way to Texas. They aren’t wondering if it will come. They are wondering when. When it comes, they say, it will be a monster storm.
In 2008, a different hurricane named Ike swept into Texas. It did lots of damage. But it could have done much more. Right before hitting Houston—the fourth largest city in the United States—the storm turned. Researchers studied what would have happened if Ike had stayed on course. They studied what would happen if a bigger storm (Mighty Ike) hit Houston in the near future.
The results aren’t pretty. Water could cover three story buildings. Many people could die. The United States relies on gasoline and jet fuel that comes from Houston. The Houston Ship Channel brings goods in and ships goods out to other countries. If Mighty Ike hits, the channel will likely fill with toxins from nearby flooded chemical factories. Ships will not be able to move through again for a while. Plants around the channel produce plastic, fertilizer, and pesticides for crops. If those plants are destroyed, the United States economy will suffer greatly.
Not everyone agrees about how to prepare for Mighty Ike. Some want to build floodgates called the “Ike Dike” to protect the city from a hurricane’s floods. Others want to build a bigger project called a “coastal spine.” It doesn’t seem likely either option will be built in time for the storm. Some people want to do nothing. They want to wait and see what happens.
Only God knows for sure when a storm will strike. But He gave us minds that can help predict them. People in Houston will have to listen carefully. They don’t want to be at home when Mighty Ike visits!
