Hurricane Irene: is this lady NUTS?!

[Freedom]

If you live anywhere along the USA east coast, you've been watching Irene's track. For the past 2 days, seems that New England will have a direct hit. We have alot happening here in Providence, making sure the hurricane barrier is operational etc. Jim Cantore of The Weather Channel is headed to Cape Cod and then coming down here.

So what is this person on Cape Cod from the Chamber of Commerce thinking?!

"We obviously want all our travelers to be safe, but right now we're encouraging people to keep their weekend plans," says Mitchell, who notes that the current forecast calls for the storm's biggest impact to be late Sunday and Monday.

And, she adds, she's hoping Irene will turn out to be a close relative of Earl - a hurricane that was aimed straight for the cape last Labor Day weekend, but wound up "passing quietly into the night."

"I woke up that Saturday morning (after Earl's no-show), and it was one of the most beautiful beach days I can remember," says Mitchell.

There is ONE road off the Cape, should they need to evacuate!

http://travel.usatoday.com/destinations/dispatches/post/2011/08/whats-on-weather-channel-jim-cantores-hurricane-packing-list/416598/1

[Karen]

There are two, Sandy, roads off the Cape that is. You hear all the time, "2-hour backup at the Bourne, just 1/2 hour at the Sagamore" - and that's just a normal weekend!

I doubt anyone's paying attention to the Chamber of Commerce person anyway. My radio show producer, in Florida, is sure we are doomed up here!

[Freedom]

Thanks, Karen, I thought one. Still, the back up in an evacuation would be horrendous.

Florida thinks we are doomed? Yikes!

[Karen]

Florida thinks we are doomed? Yikes!

No, just one guy in Florida thinks we are doomed. Jack is a bit or a worrier, and discounts the fact that the cooler waters up here tend to blunt storms compared to what they get on Florida's Atlantic coast.

[pomtzu]

What an idiot! I wonder if this person has even been thru a hurricane? Guess the almighty dollar that might be lost on the upcoming holiday weekend the following week, is more important than human life.

Yes - Irene is going to give us a hug and kiss and blow in our ear too. It's not looking good at this stage of the game, but hopefully she'll loose some huff and puff and be downgraded. We can wish anyway........:( I haven't been thru a major hurricane since I was a kid and living in RI, and I'm perfectly happy to keep it that way.

Everyone in Irene's path - please stay safe.

[happylabs]

What an idiot! I wonder if this person has even been thru a hurricane? Guess the almighty dollar that might be lost on the upcoming holiday weekend the following week, is more important than human life.

Yes - Irene is going to give us a hug and kiss and blow in our ear too. It's not looking good at this stage of the game, but hopefully she'll loose some huff and puff and be downgraded. We can wish anyway........:( I haven't been thru a major hurricane since I was a kid and living in RI, and I'm perfectly happy to keep it that way.

Everyone in Irene's path - please stay safe.

I was thinking it was a money thing too. Keep the vacationers there as long as they can to make a buck. :rolleyes:

Hope everyone stays safe. We are supposed to get the effects of it here on Sunday later here in Pennsylvania.

[davidpizzica]

Please batten down the hatches, everyone (including Donna!) in the path of hurricane irene. Here in Concordia country, we're just supposed to get rain from her, but who knows?

[cool4catz2]

Be safe everyone here at PT! Get all your emergency supplies in order. Lets hope for minimal to no damage like the 5.8 earthquake some of us experienced. Take care east coasters:).

[Roxyluvsme13]

Stay safe everyone. Hopefully Irene won't be as bad as everyone is claiming :/

I'm glad Tennessee is landlocked, I don't know how I'd handle a hurricane.

[Alysser]

I seriously think the media and people who haven't been through a hurricane are making this out to be ALOT worse then it is going to be. :rolleyes: Regardless, everyone stay safe!

[pomtzu]

I seriously think the media and people who haven't been through a hurricane are making this out to be ALOT worse then it is going to be. :rolleyes: Regardless, everyone stay safe!

I couldn't disagree more. I've lived thru several hurricanes and many Nor'easters and have seen the damage that even a moderate storm can do. People now have advance warning, and unlike many years ago, have time to prepare, whether it means evacuating to a safer area, or just stocking in some extra food and water. I'd certainly rather be safe than sorry, and these early warnings give everyone the opportunity to do so. I wasn't even born when the 1938 Hurricane devastated parts of New England, but my parents were right in the middle of it. I've seen many, many pictures of it, and heard many stories also, and they were all very sobering. These storms are so unpredictable and can turn deadly, or go in the opposite direction and practically fizzle out, in a matter of hours. Mother Nature is fickle - don't underestimate her!

[phesina]

Prayers for all you East Coasters, be safe!

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[Freedom]

My Dad remembers the 1938 hurricane, he was 12 at that time. Up in Lawrence, Mass., 12 feet of water on the main street, folks used canoes to get around. Down town Providence still has markers up for how high the water was in that one. Shouldn't happen again, as now they have the hurricane barrier.

The conditions are the same for Irene as they were for that one.

We aren't in an evacuation area, so not much to do to prep, here.

[davidpizzica]

I was thinking it was a money thing too. Keep the vacationers there as long as they can to make a buck. :rolleyes:

Hope everyone stays safe. We are supposed to get the effects of it here on Sunday later here in Pennsylvania.

Happylabs, I think I'm safe enough here in western Pennsylvania. They're calling for rain, but that's all.

[Lillycat]

i have only been through one hurricane, tho it was a bad one.....not that there are any good ones.....i am really worried about Cape May tho on a personal level and for all on the east coast overall.....prayers in order.....

[cassiesmom]

I'm hoping that Irene will be like Earl as far as a storm that turned out not as bad as anticipated. But I heard on the news that there are storm warnings and evacuations from North Carolina up to New Jersey. The Governor of North Carolina said to plan for the worst and pray for the best, so I'm praying for the best. I'm glad that the technology allows people to get loads of warning beforehand.

[pomtzu]

The governor here in Delaware has already declared a state of emergency, and this is done so that they may order mandatory evacuation in the most susceptible areas, such as right along the shore. This requires anyone who doesn't live there to leave, and strongly advises those that reside there to evacuate too, tho they can't make them go. However if they decide to stay, then they are pretty much on their own and probably won't be able to get help if they should need it. It also keeps the the thrill seekers and gawkers out of the area too, since they aren't allowed in, and there are roadblocks up all over.


So we're ready here for what Irene might dish out. Plenty of food that doesn't have to be cooked, plenty of water, juice and sodas, and of course ample dog and cat food! The house is all electric, but we could cook on the gas grill if necessary when the storm blows thru. We don't have a generator, so no way to get the pump running for the well - but we'll manage. The deep freeze in the garage has extra bags of ice and will keep cold for a long time as long as it isn't opened unnecessarily. The hurricane oil lamps are down and cleaned and we have plenty of lamp oil, and lots of flashlights. Most things outside have been secured, and we'll finish it up tonight. Now what we have to hope for, is that the tall pines along the property line that belong to our neighbor, don't come down on the garage - way too many expensive items in there - especially the Harley and lawn tractor. Those darn trees creek and groan and snap branches off, even on a moderately windy day. If the worst should happen, I hope he has good insurance or a big bank account!

Just about every time we prepare for a storm, it turns out that we didn't even need to. Sure hoping that's the case this time. We shall see!!!! :eek:

[pomtzu]

Ellie - have you got lots of pails - fill them up for flushing the toilet.

Get a generator for the next time. We have one - doesn't run the entire house, but we can have heat/AC, fridge, some lights, hot water and most important - the well will work :love:

We have 3 full baths here, and always fill one bathtub up for general use such as this. Shoot - as often as we'd have the need for a generator, it would get rusty just sitting in the garage. :eek:

[lbaker]

I also agree with Pomtzu - the last hurricane (Isabell... aka Is-a-Bitc*) took down a HUGE oak tree in my front yard distroying 2 autos and all the power/cable/phone lines. Over reacting? I don't think so. I just hope I don't have to rename this one Is-Mean :rolleyes: If you are along the coast even a strong Nor' Eastern can create serious damage.

Laurie

[momcat]

i have only been through one hurricane, tho it was a bad one.....not that there are any good ones.....i am really worried about Cape May tho on a personal level and for all on the east coast overall.....prayers in order.....

Hi Lillycat, Yesterday Gov. Christie issued an evacuation order that included Cape May, our southern counties and all the barrier islands along the New Jersey coast. Christie made an announcement saying everyone must evacuate and if anyone had plans to go down the shore this weekend DON'T! On this morning's news it looks like full compliance. Christie did tell vacationers and tourists not to stay. Effective 8:00 this morning tolls were lifted on the Atlantic City Expressway & the Garden State Parkway to make the exodus go smoother. Evacuation routes are very well marked and last I heard things are going quite well.

August has gone down as the wettest month on record here in New Jersey. Since the ground is so wet, there's no place for any more water to go. With the ground being so soft there's a major concern about the hurricane causing a whole lot of trees to come down because the roots aren't anchored as well as they would be in drier conditions.

Lillycat, if you would like to know how Cape May is getting through the storm, pm me and I'll keep you as up to date as I can.

To all PT friends and pets - be safe :love:

[pomtzu]

Oh woe is me!!! :( School was due to start in this district on Monday, and now they have delayed it till Wednesday because of the potential damage that Irene could bring. I dearly love my grandson, but after a summer full of his 15 year old attitude, Grammy's ready for a break. He's a good kid, but knows how to push my buttons, at times............:eek:

[charlie116]

Please take this storm seriously if you live on the east coast. Mother Nature is very unpredictable. Yes, Irene may turn out to sea at the last minute, but she also might hook inward & sweep right over all the states on the east coast. Please be careful & try to be as prepared as you can be. It's supposed to hit my area (Delaware) saturday night into sunday afternoon. My dad sent my sister & I to West Virginia to stay with our grandmother for the weekend. We'll probably just get a little thunderstorm here, but I'm worried about all the people back home. The flooding is gonna be bad. They already evacuated most of sussex county & most of the beaches. I heard something about them evacuating Delaware City, which is very close to where I live, but I'm not sure if they have yet or not. Please be safe everyone!!! I hope everyone's ok when it's all over.

[Alysser]

They canceled work for the weekend. Six Flags isn't even open. I left early today because they were closing my route home (I-95) at 8. It's apparently going to turn into a tropical storm by the time it hits here. My family is as prepped as possible for this. I'm still not convinced it's gonna be as horrid as they are claiming.

[Lillycat]

......always........when it comes to weather it is better to be safe than sorry.....folks always pray they don't have to use all the precautions they are taking.....my prayers are for the best outcome possible....i, for one, will be glad when it is all over.....

[pomtzu]

For those of us from and currently living in Rhode Island - some shelters from the storm. Info from the ProJo -

Warwick must think that they're invincible! :( But then again, they didn't call Vets "The Hurricanes" for nothing.................:D

[chocolatepuppy]

Many prayers for all in the storms path...please be safe.

[Freedom]

RI is now in a state of emergency; a hurricane warning is up; and the local TV is doing round the clock coverage. All low lying, Class A evacuation zones now have mandatory evacuation orders, so folks are packing up and relocating. Three areas must be vacated by 5 PM today, the rest by 10 AM Sunday.

Class A is for Tropical Storms and Cat 1 hurricanes.
Class B is for hurricanes Cat 2 or higher.

Several nursing homes are now doing scheduled evacuations, well in advance of the storm.

I am not in an evac area.

Outdoors is so bare, it looks like winter, lol. Everyone has put away all the outdoor furniture.

We will be on the right side of the storm, high winds, and rain of 5 to 10 inches on Sunday. (Left side of the storm gets more rain, less wind). We can expect gusts up to 80 MPH, and steady winds over 60 MPH. :eek:

Last night I walked Marlin about 9:30, the sky was so clear! This morning we have heavy cloud cover and it is slowly getting denser. We are definitely in "the calm before the storm," not a leaf is twitching, all the birds are silent except for 3 raucous crows. :D

[Freedom]

Surfers have come some distance to enjoy the conditions! Beaches will close later today.

We have a high tide tomorrow at 7:45 AM and 8 PM. That 8 PM one is the high monthly tide. We've been told to expect a good 12 feet of additional water. Area reservoirs have been lowered in anticipation of all the coming rains.

The area colleges had move ins planned for this weekend; all students have been told to stay home and move ins will start Wednesday.

School was to start Monday in several communities, and this too has been postponed until further notice.

[pomtzu]

It started raining and blowing here at around 10 a.m., but nothing major, just the outer bands moving in. We're supposed to get the worst of it overnight tonight and into early tomorrow. I hate it when a big storm hits during the night - you can't see what's coming at you! :eek:
My son didn't take any chances with leaving the Harley in the potentially vulnerable garage, and took it into the Harley dealership in town to store it till the storm passes. That building is a lot safer and secure than our garage. I suggested a couple of days ago that he do this, but he nixed it. Mom was right again....:p:D

[Marigold2]

Here in Ohio I am pretty removed from the Lady, but my son is in NJ and niece is in CT.
I JUST WANT ALL OF YOU TO BE SAFE, TAKE HEED, TAKE SHELTER, TAKE FURBABIES WITH YOU AND MAY THIS BE MORE OF A WIMPER THEN A SCREAM WHEN IT FINALLY ARRIVES.

[Karen]

The heavy rains just started a little while ago here, and we're not supposed to get the brunt of the storm for another day or so. We'll see what the next 48 hours brings!

[lbaker]

Karen & Paul... if it really hits just west of Boston (dare I say Newton??) silly question but will Petofthe Day be online? :confused: If not, we here on the East Coast will understand, but others around the world!! (Aren't we great!!!) May appreciate a heads up and not worry about their PetTalk..:love:
Laurie :love::love:

[Karen]

It will stay online - our server is somewhere else. I forget whether it is Texas or elsewhere ... but i know it's not physically located near here.

[Alysser]

It just started pouring here about and hour and a half ago, and this is only one of the bands. The entire Jersey Shore has been evacuated, many friends and co-workers of mine. I have all my phone charged with an extra extended battery, everything charged. Mikey's all good about going potty for now. My car is filled with gas. We have all flashlights ready. I think we're pretty well prepped. Hopefully if the power goes out it's only for a day or two! I'll keep you guys updated if I can. Hoping we don't loose power until tomorrow if we are to loose it at all! Hope everyone remains safe throughout the night and tomorrow!

Let's hope that this storm isn't too bad. I still have my doubts about this storm and I hate to admit it but I've been wrong before :D

Apparently, my dad MAY have to go into work in the next 48 hours or so...really hope not.

[sparks19]

well we are as prepared as we can be but so far we've had a slight bit of rain and that's it... but those were just the outer bands. We are supposed to get the real stuff overnight. we'll see

we've got water and filling up the bathtub and we've got food and laterns and ice and coolers in case the power goes out.

So we are ready but we aren't going to get hit like most places.

[sasvermont]

I live on an island in NW Vermont. We are not in the direct line of the storm, but still expected to get lots of rain and wind. The island took a really serious hit this spring with lots of flooding and I just don't think the people here could handle another incident so soon after the spring thing.

I am prepared for an electricity outage - they happen quite often here. I hope the outage, if it happens, doesn't go on for days and days. I don't have much food in my freezers and could grill most of the meat, if necessary.... BUT how could I eat it all? Hehehehehehehe!!!

We should wake up to rain tomorrow....then the party begins...

I wonder how Prue, my dog, will enjoy going to the "potty" in high winds and rain.... we shall see....

Stay safe everyone. I hope Irene goes easy on us tomorrow.:eek::eek::eek:

[pomtzu]

The driving rain and wind is getting heavier here - the worst is yet to come tho, and it has gotten worse at a steady pace thru out the afternoon. The lights have flickered a few times, but we havn't lost power as yet. The dogs are seriously protesting having to go out - I have to go out with them. Myndi finally went when I took her out about a half hour ago - I made her stay out till she produced. A gust of wind almost blew her off her feet, but at 10 lbs - not that hard to do. Some limbs down off the maples, and the drainage ditch by the road is overflowing - next door neighbor's front yard looks like a lake. There's a tornado watch just south of us too. :eek:
On a funnier note; the tub in my son & DIL's bathroom is filled with water if we should need it. One of their cats loves to go charging into the bathroom and jump into the tub. Get the picture???? Steve said he wishes he had a camera to set up in there - just in case. He purposely left the shower door open. Meany!!!! :p
And I have cabin fever already!
To be continued......................................... ....

[sparks19]

Still nothing here

[Scooter's Mom]

Saying prayers for everyone in Irene's path.

Having lived through many hurricanes on the Texas coast, I know they can be unpredictable.

[Karen]

Back to heavy rain, it was light for a few hours. The little tree behind the apartment now has a moat - where the circle of mulch is now had about a foot wide swath under water. They still are not sure whether the storm will pass over us (Boston), Dad (an hour West of here), Lady's Human's gang (5 hours West of here), or Aunt Shirley (8 hours West).

[charlie116]

The driving rain and wind is getting heavier here - the worst is yet to come tho, and it has gotten worse at a steady pace thru out the afternoon. The lights have flickered a few times, but we havn't lost power as yet. The dogs are seriously protesting having to go out - I have to go out with them. Myndi finally went when I took her out about a half hour ago - I made her stay out till she produced. A gust of wind almost blew her off her feet, but at 10 lbs - not that hard to do. Some limbs down off the maples, and the drainage ditch by the road is overflowing - next door neighbor's front yard looks like a lake. There's a tornado watch just south of us too. :eek:
On a funnier note; the tub in my son & DIL's bathroom is filled with water if we should need it. One of their cats loves to go charging into the bathroom and jump into the tub. Get the picture???? Steve said he wishes he had a camera to set up in there - just in case. He purposely left the shower door open. Meany!!!! :p
And I have cabin fever already!
To be continued......................................... ....

There's a tornado warning in Delaware??? Where??? My dad's in Delaware & so are all my friends & my boyfriend!!! :(:(:(

[cassiesmom]

Saying prayers for everyone in Irene's path.



I am too!

[Lady's Human]

Oy!

It's a cat 1 hurricane, they have a tendency to hit the east coast every once in a while.

Is constant coverage to the exclusion of all else REALLY needed?

It's a rainstorm with high winds. The panic really isn't required.

[Karen]

We're in a lull at the moment, barely raining, but I know more and more heavy bands will come. All safe so far.

[Alysser]

Laying in bed typing from my phone....mikey is literally hiding under the covers curled up as close to me as possible licking my leg..poor boy. Got some adorable shots though. I'll Post them tomorrow. Power is still on and for that I am thankful.

[Karen]

Awww, give him a kiss from me. I know power is out in parts of Delaware, and of course the rest of us in the path are vulnerable.

[sasvermont]

Well, all is quiet so far. Just a few sprinkles. They are now saying it will hit later in the day. I had closed all my windows last night, thinking I might just get blown out of bed if I didn't.

Prue, the dog, was lucky to get in her bathroom break this morning. I hope she can do her potty thing in the wind and rain! We shall see.

The wind and rain is now picking up.......:eek::(

Here is a link to NOAA map!

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at4.shtml?gm_track#contents

[Freedom]

We have power, but 22,000 don't here in RI. One huge tree limb down in the back yard, from the swamp maple. Willy spotted it right away this morning, at their first potty trip, he promptly barked at it, knew it didn't belong there.

All 3 gates are now down at the hurricane barrier. One went down last evening about 8 PM, the other 2 about 5:15 this morning, and one pump is now on to move water out of the down town area of Providence, and out into the bay. Last time all 3 gates were down was 1991, for Hurricane Bob.



Oy!

It's a cat 1 hurricane, they have a tendency to hit the east coast every once in a while.

Is constant coverage to the exclusion of all else REALLY needed?

It's a rainstorm with high winds. The panic really isn't required.

Panic, no. Constant coverage, YES. Constant vigilance. keeping up to date, it quite important. Last time we had anything like this was 20 years back. This is NOT routine. The potential for problems is huge. Wind speeds have dropped to 75 MPH at the center, BUT the storm is stronger at 963 millibars (it was 950 - 951 for over 24 hours).

[Alysser]

Well, as expected, I think many towns over-reacted. The shore towns and barrier islands, however, did not. From Belmar to Cape May there is alot of flooding, Christie had issued a mandatory evacuation and I hope everyone heeded the warnings. Alot of people are without power, I still have it, luckily.

I stole some pics off the Hurricane News NJ FB page, some of these are insane.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/bobbernut/Screenshot2011-08-28at102702AM.png
this is in Atlantic City
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/bobbernut/Screenshot2011-08-28at102637AM.png
Seaside Heights beach is gone. :eek:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/bobbernut/Screenshot2011-08-28at102612AM.png
Tuckerton

Oh and can't forget the pics of Mikey under the covers..he wasn't too bad but he was a little nervous.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/bobbernut/Screenshot2011-08-28at103741AM.png
When you pull the covers up..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/bobbernut/Screenshot2011-08-28at103745AM.png

[catland]

Just checking in from the west coast. I'm thinking of all of you and your furbabies in the storm's path and hoping you are ok.

take care :love:

[Freedom]

Warwick RI has banned all vehicular traffic until clean up is over.

If you are on facebook, you can see photos here:
http://www.facebook.com/nbc10

Just "like" the TV station to see the postings.

[phesina]

Wishing and praying that all you folks affected by this are doing all right.

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[Barbara]

Sending all by best thoughts. Nature can be very scary.

[sparks19]

the worst has come and gone. no damage on our property thank goodness. one tree across the road came down but didn't cause any damage to their house. Brian is going to head out there when they are ready and help them take it apart and get it moved out of the front of their driveway.

but some critter has taken refuge from the storm under our deck and the dogs are FREAKIN'. Beezer cut his lip open with his determination to get to whatever it is. nothing bad just a little cut... silly dog.

[sasvermont]

We still have power although it is flickering like crazy. The trees are swaying in the wind and lots of rain. Prue, the dog, doesn't like to walk in the rain and wind!:rolleyes: I don't either.

It is predicted to be much worse tonight...higher winds and much more rain. It's been raining strongly since around 9 AM today. Tomorrow is going to be sunny in the 80's! Go figure.

Fingers crossed that the trees in the yard stay standing..... I have my car parked very carefully....and have prepared myself to go without electricity, if necessary.

Lots of roads are being washed out and lots of lowland flooding. Not in my neighborhood, fortunately.

Irene, go away.

P.S. As Hurricane Irene batters the East Coast, federal disaster officials have warned that Internet outages could force people to interact with other people for the first time in years. Residents are bracing themselves for the horror of awkward silences and unwanted eye contact. FEMA has advised: “Be prepared. Write down possible topics to talk about in advance. Sports...the weather. Remember, a conversation is basically a series of Facebook updates strung together.

[Karen]

We now have power again, I was out for about 5 hours. But we have not ventured much beyond our little neighborhood, and as this is a new development, there are pretty much no old trees. The landscapers came and took several branches off the little tree behind the apartment a couple days ago, I don't know whether that was storm prep or just time for major pruning.

Lots of rain and now heavy wind. Stay safe everyone!

[Barbara]

Sallyanne- I hope all stays safe and all the beautiful trees around your place survive- in their interest and yours.

[Randi]

Best of luck to all of you in the Irene path - stay safe! :)

[krazyaboutkatz]

I hope that everyone stays safe and that hurricane Irene blows over soon without causing any more damage. Lots of prayers and positive thoughts are being sent to everyone in need.

[Karen]

I did end up making one little trip, and today was a sad day for trees. Even the relatively small trees here in our two neighboring developments lost major limbs, and damaged a loved wooden fence. The water has receded a lot, but I am sure stepping on the grass right now would be like stepping on a wet sponge - you'd feel it sploosh around your foot!

The wind is still gusting, kak, so it'll just be a breeze, and then a big wind will bluster through, and settle back down, and it's only sprinkling now.

[Freedom]

Here in RI, half the population has no power, and it will be about a week before everyone has it back. (We didn't lose power)
Smithfield, RI water supply contaminated, they have to boil their water.
Providence alone has more than 70 streets closed - trees, wires.

My cousin in No Kingston NH lost power at about 3 PM and doesn't expect it back on any time soon.

My back yard as that "sploosh" effect, Karen, lol.

[Freedom]

On eastern seaboard, over 4 million have no power.

In RI, 2 main transmission lines are out, and 24 substations are flat. These 24, it is not due to the transmission lines, these are separate issues.

Next high tide is between 7 and 8 PM, and has raised concerns.

[sasvermont]

I was without power from 2PM to 8PM. Not too bad, actually. The horror is not knowing how long you'll be without it. I had cranked down the freezer temperature as low as it would go, in preparation for such an event.

No trees down so far. Just branches and lots of leaves. We still have the rest of the night to go through. The rain has eased up but the winds are high and gusting.

I think Irene is going home soon. Phewwwwwwwwwwwwww. She had my house creaking and swaying.

I hope everyone else is doing ok.

[kitten645]

I'm sorry but Irene is just plain RUDE!:D Hope everyone is safe.
I've decided to keep my old fashioned, not electrically powered, phone at home! I can't imagine being without power for a week! Good gravy! I guess I could power my cell in the car but what a pain! :rolleyes:
Stay safe everyone!

[Lady's Human]

Tell that to the 4 MILLION without power for who knows how long; tell that to the States of New Jersey and Vermont both dealing with massive flooding; tell that to the 15 (maybe more) who have died - in the rainstorm with high winds.

Latest death count increased to at least 21 people in 8 states.

Okay, I will.

We've had more power out and more flooding than this due to normal rainfall, and noreasters routinely do more damage.

Media hype and over saturation.

Of the deaths, at least three could have easily been avoided........it's called staying home, instead of going out to surf in the waves, or going for a drive in the heart of the storm.

Maybe if the Media were more responsible, people would take evac orders seriously instead of ignoring them due to the constant hyperbole every time a storm occurs.

[Puckstop31]

LH... Lemons.... Lemonade....


You know this kind of hype is only going to get worse as technology and time advances. So, take advantage of it. I moved some funds around and bought Home Depot and Lowes stock last week. :cool:

I understand news organizations telling you a hurricane is coming. What I find to be utter hype were the five channels on Direct TV dedicated to nothing but Hurricane Irene updates.


Just be prepared ALL the time. Its not rocket science. Be able to provide for you and yours for at least 2 weeks, always. That way when it hits the fan for real, you can be a person able to HELP and not one of those standing on your roof begging for somebody else to save you.

[Lady's Human]

2005 ice storm.

flooding all over the northeast in 2006

2004 ice storm

* The Great Blizzard of 1888
* The Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962
* The Eastern Canadian Blizzard of March 1971
* The Groundhog Day gale of 1976
* The Northeastern United States blizzard of 1978
* The Late November 1984 Nor'easter
* The 1991 Perfect Storm (the "Perfect Storm," combined Nor'easter/hurricane)
* The Storm of the Century (1993)
* The Christmas 1994 Nor'easter
* The North American blizzard of 1996
* The North American blizzard of 2003
* The North American blizzard of 2005
* Nor'Ida (2009)
* The December 2010 North American blizzard


Need I go on?

As to the TV coverage, I did turn it off, however, judging by the response over the internet, many didn't, and bought into the hype.

If people weren't wound up by the hype, why does this thread exist?

[Lady's Human]

Mea cupla for not meeting the precise numerical content requested.

There are ice storms not put in that list that wiped out the power grid in several states, one in 2004 knocked out power to most of NY, Ohio, PA, WV, VA, and a huge swath of Canada.

If Irene had knocked out power to NYC, then you could say that 12 million people had their power knocked out..........but it would have been for a very short period of time, as urban areas have dense power grids and customers are quickly brought back on line. The number of affected customers is a lousy metric for how much damage an incident has done.

In the 2004 ice storm, there were people in upstate NY who went without power for a few weeks in the dead of winter. They fired up their generators and moved on. The restaurant where we ate breakfast was running off of a tractor generator for a couple of weeks.

[sasvermont]

For all those folks who think the preparation scare was hype:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2272708813883&set=a.2272103958762.129425.1133521629&type=1

We now have dueling chainsaws going in my neighborhood. I have only limbs and leaves, small enough to move by hand or lawn tractor. Many, many trees are down in the woods behind me. I can see them hanging, as I look from my bedroom window.

Some areas got it more than others. Flooding seems to be our enemy here in Vermont.

Was it the worst I've ever been through? Well, I have never felt my house sway or heard it creak before last night. It was gusting last night so I got little sleep.

I would prefer the hype so that people will be safe rather than sorry. Mother Nature is so unpredictable at best.

I have friends in PA who still have no power and they have brought in generators. Oh well. We will survive.

I prepared for the worst, hoped for the best and got something in between. Not bad.

Now I must go pick up all the yucky stuff in the yard. :eek::rolleyes::rolleyes:

I did get tired of hearing the TV channels' coverage of the hurricane, especially when they had some poor sucker standing at the pier or intersection, getting blown around....how silly.... so I turned off the TV and just tracked the hurricane on the NOAA website.

Some people's lives were turned upside down by the hurricane and I hope all the "hype" kept them scared enough to be safe. I was fortunate and now grateful that I prepared and didn't have to use all the preparation. I may not be so fortunate the next time.

[pomtzu]

Thought I would check in - we just got cable and internet restored around noon today. It went out sometime after midnight on Saturday, so yesterday was a day for movies and reading. We came through pretty much unscathed. We only lost power a couple of times, but it came right back on within a few minutes. There was water standing everywhere in this area - in the farm fields, people's yards, and roads made impassable, a lot of tree limbs down, but no structural damage anywhere that I saw, in my trip into town this morning. We had a lot of tree branches down, but that was the worst of it for us. We are protected somewhat by woods on 3 sides of us, so it's not like being a sitting duck, and out in the open. We got the worst of the storm between 8 and midnight Saturday, and it was pretty wild there for a while. There were tornadoes being tracked all around us - some as close as only 5 miles - but none touched down that I know of. There was one down in the beach area that did damage to 15 homes - one of them sustained major damage. Of course the ocean beaches sustained heavy erosion damage as they always do.
I for one, was not one to scoff at the warnings, just as I never do. And I have been thru a lot worse from blizzards, ice storms and Nor'Easters. I take them all seriously. If that forecast blizzard fizzles out and only dumps and inch or two, then that's fine with me, however, a forecast of an inch or two can turn into a monster blizzard and leave you even unable to get out of your own driveway for days and days, and be without power for even longer. Been that route before too.
I just hope that the nay-sayers and skeptics aren't sitting back and thinking "I was right - I knew it wasn't going to be so bad", because if this experience (and maybe some more in the future) makes you complacent, one day that complacency is going to bite you in the butt! I am glad that it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but I was prepared for the worst anyway.
Glad to hear from the PT'ers that have checked in, and that you are all okay.

[Karen]

Yes, it took the furthest westward path of the ones they predicted, and I don't know if Vermonters even got the amount of pre-storm hysteria we did. I saw several reports saying it was possible that Wall Street would be under 7-8 feet of water ... and nothing about the potential for Vermont or Upstate NY suffering.

It is worrisome, because the next Hurricane that comes, people who evacuated this time "for no reason" as it turns out may be tempted to stay, and suffer because of it.

[momcat]

Hurricane Katrina hit 6 years ago today.

[Karen]

45 dead

12.4 Billion in damages, so far -
[snip]
All this from a Category 1 - just a rainstorm with high wind.

That was just what he said we would get when it finally got up here. Why the running tally, especially of the dead? Many of those deaths were due to senseless human error/stupidity and not simply the fault of the storm. I would not "blame" the Hurricane for the death of someone foolish enough to stand at the edge of a raging river in a hurricane and risk getting washed in and drowning - that was that person's decision, foolish though it may be. Likewise people who get washed off the sea wall, or off the beach when the beaches have all been closed, and signs posted to keep away. Or for the death of someone who decided to try canoeing in the rapidly rising floodwaters ... how is that a good idea? The rescue worker who died trying to rescue someone from a car when the driver foolishly thought they could just drive through the water, when it was pouring rain and in the middle of a hurricane, and we are all told as student drivers "don't ever try to cross running water on a roadway" ...

Yes, some of the deaths were tragic - the man who died when a tree fell on his house while he was inside is one example. But saying "45 dead" does not tell the whole story by any means.