Houston, Texas, and NASA Mission Control, prepare for Hurricane Dean

William Atkins
Monday, 20 August 2007 22:35

Science - Space

Worried that Hurricane Dean might turn toward the Mission Control Center at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, NASA is taking needed action to assure that the shuttle is back on Earth before the storm hits and that its mission control personnel are safe.

According to The Weather Channel, Hurricane Dean, a Category 4 hurricane as of late Sunday night, is moving away from Jamaica as of Monday morning, August 20, 2007. It is heading for the Cayman Islands, packing winds of at least 111 miles (179 kilometers) per hour and gusts of at least 138 miles (222 kilometers) per hour.

Dean is expected to reach initial landfall along the eastern Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) on Monday night or Tuesday morning. The National Hurricane Center in Miami Florida, is projecting that Dean could become a Category 5 hurricane, with winds up to 160 miles (258 kilometers) per hour, as it reaches the Yucatan Peninsula.

The hurricane is moving on a west-northwestward direction at about 21 miles (34 kilometers) per hour. After crossing Yucatan, it is expected to reach final landfall sometime on Wednesday, and somewhere along the coast of northern Mexico.

Earlier, weather forecasts could not predict where the storm would end up. NASA was worried that Hurricane Dean might turn north and strike the Texas coast, possibly even making a direct or near-direct hit on Houston, Texas.

The Mission Control Center (MCC) for the space shuttle missions is located on the campus of the Johnson Space Center, outside of Houston in Clear Lake City.

The MCC flight controllers guide the shuttle from its de-orbit burn in space to its eventual landing at the Kennedy Space Center, in Florida. So, NASA was forced to have the space shuttle Endeavour and its seven-member STS-118 astronaut crew leave the International Space Station a day earlier than scheduled from its successful assembly mission.

On Monday, Houston and other Texas communities are providing emergency supplies and personnel to the southern coast of Texas in case the powerful Dean moves further north than its current path predicts. Evacuation plans are now being considered for the southeastern coast of Texas, in the area around Brownsville, Texas, in case the storm turns further north.

Texas is being diligent in its efforts to prepare for the hurricane after being torn apart along the Gulf coast in 2005 from Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.

The National Guard has already been activated by Texas governor Rick Perry. Emergency supplies and gasoline are on their way to the Rio Grande Valley area in southern Texas. Other emergency measures are being implemented to contend with flooding, strong winds, and plenty of rain expected for later in the week.