Hurricane Irene report & invitation
Please update on your current conditions over the next few days!
Even if the power or cable goes off, we can read all about your circumstances afterward. And if they stay intact, everyone can offer everyone else experiences and sympathy or advice. I doubt my Irene watch will get updated much by me before my power goes out, but here's what I've got so far.
I'm about halfway between Wilmington and Newark DE and it's approaching 4:00 P.M. We're supposed to get the serious beginnings of Irene is a few hours That was actually a small relief for me. I was under the impression that Irene would be here around noon to 2P.M., when I went to bed last night.
Current observations here aren't particularly hurricanish yet. The trees maybe 20 yards beyond my balcony are tossing about a bit. I haven't been outside. However from here, I doubt that there's any serious rain. As they say, it's the calm before the storm. I am very worried about my neighbors on the "first floor" which is actually about half a flight underground. We are prone to flooding here under the best of conditions. Usually the water encroaches no further than residents' patios but I wonder about this time. I'm also concerned for stray cats and smaller dogs, and fear that many may drown. It's going to be difficult for dog owners to walk dogs at the height of the storm too.
KB who works at the Greenbank Mill Historical Museum is fairly certain that the light wooden fence around their flock of sheep will blow apart and the pieces will be swept away into the millstream. That means sheep everywhere, something the few intrepid motorists may not be expecting. Meanwhile KB is also concerned for their house basement which is prone to flooding.
Residents each have their own focus based on their particualr vulnerabilities: roof damage, trees falling, windows breaking, the slight chance of tornados as the storm arrives, and the loss of power and/or water. I'm resigned to losing power at some point but I'm much more concerned about a tree crashing into the side of my apartment. Mine has a NE exposure and I can't for the life of me remember which way the winds blow as a hurricane approaches and as it leaves. I devoutly hope, for everyone's sake here, that the wind is directed mostly at the ends of the buildings where there are few windows and no balconies or patios.
I made no effort to stock up ahead of time--it would have been too much of a hassle for friends to have helped me with that. However, I always keep stocked up here a bit ahead anyway. Should the water supply stop, we've got enough water to take care of the cats plus a bit for the human, supplemented by a wide variety of juices and sodas. I regret not having more batteries & bigger flashlights. My enormously heavy-duty flashlight is loaded with its zillion batteries. Aside from that I have three small flashlights--none of which have much power, and a bunch of candles clustered on top of the stove along with matches and 2 of those mechanical fire-starter thingies. What are they called?
People in low-lying areas of Wilmington near the Christina River were evacuated. As everyone has heard, NYC is trying to handle the shift of over a third of a million people from their low-lying areas, and at this point their subway etc have been shut down for hours. Newark DE already had a problem before all of this started. I think it was two days ago that a major watermain broke somewhere in the city. Residents at that time were advised not to drink the water unless they boiled thoroughly first, since it might contain e. coli. Fun if people didn't or couldn't stock up on water and if they have electric stoves and the power goes out.
For the time being, I am getting my "outside information" via three webcams attached to the roofs of buildings in Ocean CITY NJ. (See link below) A little while ago, I saw what appeared to be a police van slowly chasing a single bicyclist down the boardwalk, in gentle but forceful encouragement for him to retreat from the beach. I've seen no one else via the webcams, but it is clearly raining there. Raindrops hit the camera lenses frequently, the wood of the boardwalk glimmers with water, and while some of the beach is still visible, the ocean is already obscured.
MICRO-UPDATE: I just went downstairs to get mail. It's eerily quiet in the building! Naturally I peeked out the front door as I went by. It's -pouring- but so quietly I hadn't realized it from up here. The rain is coming straight down, so obviously Irene is still having a minimum or rather non-exitent wind effect here. We have a very high curb between the parking lot and the apartment front, built that way especially for normal flooding, to protect the lower apartments. Right at the moment, the water hasn't risen as high as that curb so first floor neighbors are safe for the moment.
BTW, my mailbox was empty! Peculiar since I haven't gotten my mail in days. Given that something is sticking out of a box two up from mine, and that no one lives in that apartment, I suppose the mail carrier has been putting my mail in the wrong box. Will have to call the local post office on Monday. Hm. I wonder if they will be open.
HURRICANE-RELATED LINKS
4 Dead in VA/NC including one child http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44297053/ns/weather/#.Tlk-fl36lyE (This is now 5 people. A boy has been hit by a tree since this report)
Delaware afternoon update http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/delaware/item/25636-delaware-closes-major-sussex-county-bridge-predicts-8-12-of-rain-from-irene&Itemid=1
Ocean City NJ Webcams along the boardwalk http://www.sunsetcam.com/cams/occams.html
Latest NJ Update 2pm Saturday http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/08/hurricane_irene_latest_nj_upda_6.html
Update with Rain-estimating Radar (Daily Kos) http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/27/1011109/-Hurricane-Irene-update
Weather Channel Video http://www.weather.com/weather/videos/news-41/top-stories-169/hurricane-irene-called-extreme-threat-6584
Weather Channel Video -- timing of Iren's threats along coast http://www.weather.com/weather/videos/news-41/top-stories-169/hurricane-irene-called-extreme-threat-6584#loc=41/169/21701
Weather Channel Video - Report from VA, in the thoes of Irene http://www.weather.com/weather/videos/news-41/top-stories-169/hurricane-irene-called-extreme-threat-6584#loc=41/169/21705
Even if the power or cable goes off, we can read all about your circumstances afterward. And if they stay intact, everyone can offer everyone else experiences and sympathy or advice. I doubt my Irene watch will get updated much by me before my power goes out, but here's what I've got so far.
I'm about halfway between Wilmington and Newark DE and it's approaching 4:00 P.M. We're supposed to get the serious beginnings of Irene is a few hours That was actually a small relief for me. I was under the impression that Irene would be here around noon to 2P.M., when I went to bed last night.
Current observations here aren't particularly hurricanish yet. The trees maybe 20 yards beyond my balcony are tossing about a bit. I haven't been outside. However from here, I doubt that there's any serious rain. As they say, it's the calm before the storm. I am very worried about my neighbors on the "first floor" which is actually about half a flight underground. We are prone to flooding here under the best of conditions. Usually the water encroaches no further than residents' patios but I wonder about this time. I'm also concerned for stray cats and smaller dogs, and fear that many may drown. It's going to be difficult for dog owners to walk dogs at the height of the storm too.
KB who works at the Greenbank Mill Historical Museum is fairly certain that the light wooden fence around their flock of sheep will blow apart and the pieces will be swept away into the millstream. That means sheep everywhere, something the few intrepid motorists may not be expecting. Meanwhile KB is also concerned for their house basement which is prone to flooding.
Residents each have their own focus based on their particualr vulnerabilities: roof damage, trees falling, windows breaking, the slight chance of tornados as the storm arrives, and the loss of power and/or water. I'm resigned to losing power at some point but I'm much more concerned about a tree crashing into the side of my apartment. Mine has a NE exposure and I can't for the life of me remember which way the winds blow as a hurricane approaches and as it leaves. I devoutly hope, for everyone's sake here, that the wind is directed mostly at the ends of the buildings where there are few windows and no balconies or patios.
I made no effort to stock up ahead of time--it would have been too much of a hassle for friends to have helped me with that. However, I always keep stocked up here a bit ahead anyway. Should the water supply stop, we've got enough water to take care of the cats plus a bit for the human, supplemented by a wide variety of juices and sodas. I regret not having more batteries & bigger flashlights. My enormously heavy-duty flashlight is loaded with its zillion batteries. Aside from that I have three small flashlights--none of which have much power, and a bunch of candles clustered on top of the stove along with matches and 2 of those mechanical fire-starter thingies. What are they called?
People in low-lying areas of Wilmington near the Christina River were evacuated. As everyone has heard, NYC is trying to handle the shift of over a third of a million people from their low-lying areas, and at this point their subway etc have been shut down for hours. Newark DE already had a problem before all of this started. I think it was two days ago that a major watermain broke somewhere in the city. Residents at that time were advised not to drink the water unless they boiled thoroughly first, since it might contain e. coli. Fun if people didn't or couldn't stock up on water and if they have electric stoves and the power goes out.
For the time being, I am getting my "outside information" via three webcams attached to the roofs of buildings in Ocean CITY NJ. (See link below) A little while ago, I saw what appeared to be a police van slowly chasing a single bicyclist down the boardwalk, in gentle but forceful encouragement for him to retreat from the beach. I've seen no one else via the webcams, but it is clearly raining there. Raindrops hit the camera lenses frequently, the wood of the boardwalk glimmers with water, and while some of the beach is still visible, the ocean is already obscured.
MICRO-UPDATE: I just went downstairs to get mail. It's eerily quiet in the building! Naturally I peeked out the front door as I went by. It's -pouring- but so quietly I hadn't realized it from up here. The rain is coming straight down, so obviously Irene is still having a minimum or rather non-exitent wind effect here. We have a very high curb between the parking lot and the apartment front, built that way especially for normal flooding, to protect the lower apartments. Right at the moment, the water hasn't risen as high as that curb so first floor neighbors are safe for the moment.
BTW, my mailbox was empty! Peculiar since I haven't gotten my mail in days. Given that something is sticking out of a box two up from mine, and that no one lives in that apartment, I suppose the mail carrier has been putting my mail in the wrong box. Will have to call the local post office on Monday. Hm. I wonder if they will be open.
HURRICANE-RELATED LINKS
4 Dead in VA/NC including one child http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44297053/ns/weather/#.Tlk-fl36lyE (This is now 5 people. A boy has been hit by a tree since this report)
Delaware afternoon update http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/delaware/item/25636-delaware-closes-major-sussex-county-bridge-predicts-8-12-of-rain-from-irene&Itemid=1
Ocean City NJ Webcams along the boardwalk http://www.sunsetcam.com/cams/occams.html
Latest NJ Update 2pm Saturday http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/08/hurricane_irene_latest_nj_upda_6.html
Update with Rain-estimating Radar (Daily Kos) http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/27/1011109/-Hurricane-Irene-update
Weather Channel Video http://www.weather.com/weather/videos/news-41/top-stories-169/hurricane-irene-called-extreme-threat-6584
Weather Channel Video -- timing of Iren's threats along coast http://www.weather.com/weather/videos/news-41/top-stories-169/hurricane-irene-called-extreme-threat-6584#loc=41/169/21701
Weather Channel Video - Report from VA, in the thoes of Irene http://www.weather.com/weather/videos/news-41/top-stories-169/hurricane-irene-called-extreme-threat-6584#loc=41/169/21705