Ike Cuts Swath Through Heartland, Canada

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Hurricane Ike inundated parts of Texas and Louisiana on Saturday and general aviation pilots were ready for a call that likely will not come. In a podcast interview with AVweb on Sunday, Texas Aviation Association Secretary Jay Carpenter said there has not only been no request for GA assistance, it’s actually against the law. TFRs have been established in the area of most significant damage and, to add insult to injury, a cold front moved through within hours of Ike’s passage and spawned thunderstorms and more rain throughout the area. Carpenter said federal and state authorities appear “much better prepared” to handle the situation but he’s had dozens of inquiries from Texas pilots ready and willing to help out, if needed. Meanwhile, Ike wasn’t finished when it came ashore in Texas and disrupted flights on its northward trek, according to National Air Traffic Controllers Association spokesman Doug Church.

Church told AVweb the remnants of the storm stayed strong enough to damage the roof of the Cincinatti airport tower and also close Louisville’s tower. The storm tracked north to the Great Lakes where it was predicted to pick up strength over the Great Lakes and drench Michigan, upstate New York and southern Ontario and Quebec.

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