Irene, Goodnight Irene, Irene Goodnight

[NiX]

I can't find a damn thing that isn't a news article on this hurricane. If it hits NYC, then it'll likely cause some trouble in Southern Ontario, which is shit because I'll be downtown this weekend. So, any news on what's going on with this? Where it's headed?

[Morat20]

While it doesn't look to be a problem with this one, storm surge and winds on unprepared/not built to withstand places aren't the only problem.

There's also just "rainfall".

Ike was pretty damaging to Houston -- a ridiculously large, slow-moving Cat 3. However, Allison -- a mere tropical storm -- did just as much (if not more) damage. Because it parked on top of Houston and dumped so much freakin' water than stuff that hadn't flooded in 100+ years did.

[Reg]

Long range forecast has Toronto as sunny and clear for the whole weekend. I guess that could change though.

[Minvaren]

Ike was pretty damaging to Houston -- a ridiculously large, slow-moving Cat 3. However, Allison -- a mere tropical storm -- did just as much (if not more) damage. Because it parked on top of Houston and dumped so much freakin' water than stuff that hadn't flooded in 100+ years did.

I slept through Ike.  Allison freaked me directly out with how much water it dumped on us.  And not only did it park over Houston - it then drove off, put it into reverse, and backed over us a couple of days later.   

Best wishes to anyone in the path of Irene (especially those who aren't getting out of said path).

[Lantyssa]

I tried to sleep through Ike, but that was the only time our power was out, so it wasn't a very comfortable sleep.  We made up for it by being the only block with power in the county for the next ten days though.

[01101010]

Ike was pretty damaging to Houston -- a ridiculously large, slow-moving Cat 3. However, Allison -- a mere tropical storm -- did just as much (if not more) damage. Because it parked on top of Houston and dumped so much freakin' water than stuff that hadn't flooded in 100+ years did.

I slept through Ike.  Allison freaked me directly out with how much water it dumped on us.  And not only did it park over Houston - it then drove off, put it into reverse, and backed over us a couple of days later.  

Best wishes to anyone in the path of Irene (especially those who aren't getting out of said path).

I was in Baton Rouge for Allison. Much fun was had by my community. Taking a canoe down to the corner Circle K was pretty entertaining as well.


edit: forgots the spoiler tag

[KallDrexx]

You know, when you are already groin deep in dirty water do you really care if the top half of your body gets wet?

[Merusk]

It's a different, more annoying kind of wet.  Raindrops in the eyes and all the fun of feeling them work their way down your skin in that tickling raindrop way.

I totally get it.

[01101010]

You know, when you are already groin deep in dirty water do you really care if the top half of your body gets wet?

If you are talking about the kid in the 2nd pic, he was trying to keep his camera dry... I asked him the same thing as I stood there taking a pic of him.

And why is Obama weighing in on this? I don't recall Bush saying a damn thing about Katrina.

[Minvaren]

No, but he had plenty to say about "Brownie."   

[Mrbloodworth]

You know, when you are already groin deep in dirty water do you really care if the top half of your body gets wet?

If you are talking about the kid in the 2nd pic, he was trying to keep his camera dry... I asked him the same thing as I stood there taking a pic of him.

And why is Obama weighing in on this? I don't recall Bush saying a damn thing about Katrina.

Love the comments on that article.

[RhyssaFireheart]

You know, when you are already groin deep in dirty water do you really care if the top half of your body gets wet?

If you are talking about the kid in the 2nd pic, he was trying to keep his camera dry... I asked him the same thing as I stood there taking a pic of him.

And why is Obama weighing in on this? I don't recall Bush saying a damn thing about Katrina.

Haven't had a chance to read yet, but you know if Obama doesn't say anything, then he's insensitive to the problems of the people.  If he does say something, then people ask WTF is he opening his mouth.  It really is a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.  My guess is he might be commenting because the hurricane is going to pay a visit to his house, too, though.

[Surlyboi]

So, the brand new mega-supermarket downstairs has turned into Upper East Side Shitshow: Hurricane Edition. Lots of UES mommies and their brood AND their nannies battening down the hatches for the coming storm, buying out all the Pellegrino and Poland Spring. The HUGE line (like 20 long) of shopping carts waiting for the delivery guys to make the rounds from the last wagon train of grocery carts they've taken to their destinations. (Most of which are probably not more than a block away.) All the grass fed beef is gone and some woman is raising a stink about it because what's she gonna feed her spoiled little kids when the storm hits? Heaven forbid it's mere sirloin. 

Meanwhile, we've got 16 gallons of water, food for the next week, 12 bottles of sake, 40 bottles of wine, a 30-year-old bottle of whisky and tape and board for the windows. I think we're good to go.

[Soln]

Surly, I though you guys lived in Palo Alto, no?  Moving?

make sure you got pasta, rice, beans, and freezer packs for your cooler/fridge/freezers.  Good luck.

[Lantyssa]

Not yet.  He's working on it.

That's the way to weather a hurricane.  G'luck.

[Numtini]

Actual conversation. I explain that when the power goes out, we're going to lose email as our server location has no generator. They suggest that we put in a generator. I then explain that if the power is out, cable is going to be out. One jokes that cable always goes down before the power anyway. And I then remind them that comcast is our internet provider and when they go down, so does the internet connection between them and our mail server and between our mail server and the rest of the world.

And Mass Emergency Management has been pushing hard to run everything through web portals and emails for the last 8 or so years.

[01101010]

So, the brand new mega-supermarket downstairs has turned into Upper East Side Shitshow: Hurricane Edition. Lots of UES mommies and their brood AND their nannies battening down the hatches for the coming storm, buying out all the Pellegrino and Poland Spring. The HUGE line (like 20 long) of shopping carts waiting for the delivery guys to make the rounds from the last wagon train of grocery carts they've taken to their destinations. (Most of which are probably not more than a block away.) All the grass fed beef is gone and some woman is raising a stink about it because what's she gonna feed her spoiled little kids when the storm hits? Heaven forbid it's mere sirloin. 

Exactly the whole problem of this. I am not faulting them for trying to stock up a little more to compensate for what might be a week without power, but I can not stand this "THE EAST COAST IS DOOMED!! SAVE YOURSELVES!!" thing that seems to be going on for what will be a Cat 1 or 2 landfall.

[Paelos]

The whole thing is patently ridiculous. Plus it cancelled the baseball games for the Braves vs. the Mets. Pussies! 

[KallDrexx]

If you are talking about the kid in the 2nd pic, he was trying to keep his camera dry... I asked him the same thing as I stood there taking a pic of him.

And why is Obama weighing in on this? I don't recall Bush saying a damn thing about Katrina.

This is probably best for politics but he is weighing in on it because the media sucks and is already trying to portray Obama as not caring.  There was a snippet on the CNN yesterday going "When asked if Obama is going to cut his vacation short due to the hurricane the white house said no".  They phrased it in a way that could easily be blown out of proportion as "OMG he doesnt' care that the east coast is going to be decimated!!"

[Surlyboi]

The whole thing is patently ridiculous. Plus it cancelled the baseball games for the Braves vs. the Mets. Pussies! 

Well, it IS baseball. 

As for Palo Alto, bought the place there with the intention of doing the bi-coastal thing starting next year and renting it out in the meantime.

Still here in NYC at the moment though.

Got a ton of soba and rice and a pantry full of canned goods, peanut butter, soup and enough oatmeal to choke a horse. Thanks for the well wishes guys. I'll liveblog if shit gets real. 

[Ghambit]

People need to learn-up and get a bit more 'nautical' with this particular storm.  Pay no mind to the category, windspeed, etc.   What you NEED to be mindful of is the shear SIZE of the storm and the surge potential.  This storm has very close the same surge potential as Katrina did...  lemme say that again, this storm has very close the same surge potential as Katrina did (kat was 5.1 and this is 4.9 I believe, out of 6.0).  Okay.  Now that you understand that.

Surge is all about fetch (amount of sea the wind blows over), direction, time (how long it blows), and windspeed.  This storms' TS-force winds extend outwards 300 miles.  It is slow-moving.  And it'll have ample time blowing in the same direction over deep water before it slams the northeast. (Jersey shore, NYC, newport, long island, etc.)  In Newtonian terms, this storm bears way more overall Force than Andrew did.

As for Beaufort/Morehead... just write them off.  They're rightly fucked with no lube from the coast up into Pamlico Sound.  BUT, those places are somewhat used to such things and build as such; hardy folk in them there redstates.  Saddest thing?  The damned "Queen Anne's Revenge" (Blackbeard's ship) site will be ruined and we just found it a few years ago.    

Though NC will bear the brunt, afterwards the main core of the storm will have another 24hrs to gather mass under it before it plows into the NE.  And this only accounts for the main core.  The "meat" of the storm in the N.E. quadrant will have been over water for 3 days before it starts feeding water into the bays and sounds of NE.  SLOSH models show that even a cat. 1 surge event such as this can flood the lower battery NYC, along with most of the sounds and rivers east into CT, RI, and MA.  All it really takes is about 8 ft. of water at high tide and it's curtains.  We'll be scarily close to that with this storm.

Anyways, this thing is a water event (not even talking about rain yet).  Break out the swimfins and kayaks bishes!

[luckton]

 

Oh don't mind me...I'm just down here in Florida enjoying the great weather from Irene vacuuming up all the moisture and giving us a nice lawn-mowing day.

Continue your panic, please 

[Khaldun]

That reminds me to fill the gas can for my chainsaw. I gotta cut up the pile of branches in the back corner of the yard anyhoo.

[Ingmar]

For future reference, Surly, we always get told rice (also dry beans, pasta, etc.) is a terrible choice for disaster prep food here because you need so much water to cook it. Sounds like you have the 'right' stuff otherwise though.

[Paelos]

When we have floods or ice disasters round these parts, the preparedness kit was ready to eat soup, canned pasta, canned tuna, canned veggies, juices, wine, liquor, and jugs of water.

[Minvaren]

Agreeing with Paelos here on the food choices (and liquor  ).  Flashlights and a battery-powered radio are good too. 

Also, fill the bathtub a few hours before the storm hits.  You can't drink out of it, but you can use the water to flush the toilets if the power is out for an extended time.

[Ghambit]

I remember the season when Wilma&Friends (the 2005 season) hit soFla and most folks were out of power for damned near the entire summer.  ICE was the commodity the ladies took their tops off for.  If you have ice, you're pretty much Master Blaster.  That, and/or a generator.

[luckton]

I remember the season when Wilma&Friends (the 2005 season) hit soFla and most folks were out of power for damned near the entire summer.  ICE was the commodity the ladies took their tops off for.  If you have ice, you're pretty much Master Blaster.  That, and/or a generator.

Ah, memories...

Don't forget Charlie 

Watching MSNBC, I swear it's like they've never covered a hurricane before.  They're trying their heart out to spin the hurricane in with the politics, and it's all commin' out 

'course, Glenn thinks you're all sinners anways.  But we knew that 

[01101010]

I remember the season when Wilma&Friends (the 2005 season) hit soFla and most folks were out of power for damned near the entire summer.  ICE was the commodity the ladies took their tops off for.  If you have ice, you're pretty much Master Blaster.  That, and/or a generator.

Wilma blew out power to South Beach for the better part of a week... good times.

[Xuri]

And why is Obama weighing in on this? I don't recall Bush saying a damn thing about Katrina.

This is probably best for politics but he is weighing in on it because the media sucks and is already trying to portray Obama as not caring.  There was a snippet on the CNN yesterday going "When asked if Obama is going to cut his vacation short due to the hurricane the white house said no".  They phrased it in a way that could easily be blown out of proportion as "OMG he doesnt' care that the east coast is going to be decimated!!"

Out of curiosity... do presidents in the US ever do any actual WORK? They keep on cutting their vacations short (or not, as this case may be) every time something happens. I'm starting to suspect they are always on vacation just in case something occurs which will then require them to cut their vacations short (or not).

[Trippy]

Bush Jr. spent 1/3 of his time on "vacation" so that's probably distorting your view on things.

[Sand]

Agreeing with Paelos here on the food choices (and liquor  ).  Flashlights and a battery-powered radio are good too. 

Also, fill the bathtub a few hours before the storm hits.  You can't drink out of it, but you can use the water to flush the toilets if the power is out for an extended time.

Sure you can. Just boil it first.

[Trippy]

It may be a bit late for those in the path but you can also buy tub "bladders" to hold the water so you can just drink it out of the bladder:

http://www.redcrossstore.org/Shopper/Product.aspx?UniqueItemId=513

[Sky]

Bush Jr. spent 1/3 of his time on "vacation"

And let's thank Odin for that.

[Surlyboi]

More first world problems before this shit kicks off proper...

Woman walking out of her $500 a month gym next door to me, "They really need to have more people cleaning up the towels today." Sometimes I want to hit my neighbors with a goddamn shovel. Seriously, you spoiled bitch, go run by the river when the storm surge hits. Of course, I'm kinda guilty too, 'cause I ran to three different coffee shops looking for espresso because I forgot to grab some yesterday and didn't realize we were out. Got some more batteries or the flashlights and the night vision goggles too. (In case shit gets really real)