Hurricane warning to those in the northeast corridor.

[DammitJanet]

I am much less worried for those of us in the southern areas because we have been there and done that and we really know what we are doing down here. You guys dont.

If Irene continues on the path she looks as if she is heading, you all in the major areas of PA, NYC and RI, and Boston are fixing to get it good. That is a whole lot of people. I know you know how to do cold and ice but Im not sure you know how to do a major Cat 2 or 3 hurricane.

You need to be preparing now. If you can leave and go visit family inland by Friday, go. If you can afford a motel even a hundred miles inland...go. If they tell you to go to a shelter...go. If they tell you to go to a shelter, make sure you take pillows, blankets, handheld games for the kids, a battery radio, extra batteries, medications, a cooler with juice boxes and energy bars, if you have a blow up mattress take that, kennel your animals on Friday if you dont live in a brick house, make sure insurance papers are in a fireproof safe or a security box at the bank...or mail them to a relative out of state. (copies)

Im thinking here.

Guys...this is going to be hard on you. You may be without power for days. Make sure you get plenty of cash out of the bank. Fill up the cars. If you have generators, get extra gas. Get extra batteries for your cell phones and make sure you have car phone chargers. Also you can buy a thing to let you charge your laptop and plug stuff into your cig lighter that needs electricity. Its like 40 bucks.

Plenty of food you can eat that doesnt need to be cooked. Also gas for the grill or charcoal so you can eat food that is going bad in the freezer. If you live in an apt and dont have a grill, they sell little tiny habachi ones at the grocery store that are disposable.

Dont get umbrellas because they just blow away but do make sure you have rain gear...even if its only trashbags to wear. AND dont go outside in it to look at the wind. It will blow you away too! If it gets calm after it is really windy...thats the eye of the storm...more wind is coming. Stay inside.

I just want everyone to stay safe.

 

[hearts and roses]

Aw, Janet, excellent advice! Up here in northwestern Ct I think we are going to get heavy rain and winds, but not the full force of Irene. Thank God. However, I have a laundry list of things to get prepared on Friday, such as all you suggested. I am NOT going to buy a ton of food! Also, people, once there is any signs of the impending storm, fill your bathtubs with water. We have well water so when we lose power, we can't flush! Well, now we can because H bought us a generator! Growing up on LI, NY, we survived a few Cat 3/4's in my time...it's everything Janet says, and, in some cases, depending on your preparedness, it can be worse. I wish I could close our pool on Saturday before the big storm. Not top priority, but it would help long term after all the tree branches and leaves get tossed around, ugh. Fill your tanks, buy some batteries, and, if possible, get some dry ice and keep it in your freezer just in case-it lasts longer than regular ice, but you can't touch it with bare hands! If you google 'national hurricane center' they have a link to help get prepared. Great idea, Janet, to post this thread!

 

[Hound dog]

Good sound advice Janet.

Stay safe everyone!

 

[hearts and roses]

Here's the link: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/.

 

[DammitJanet]

This is supposed to be the worst storm to hit the north atlantic in recent memory so that is saying something. Tony was supposed to go work in Hatteras this weekend but obviously that is out but I will take that over being hit dead on by a hurricane any day. We can lose a couple of days pay easy.

 

[keista]

Stop throwing away (recycling, I hope) your soda and milk bottles. Fill them up with water and freeze them. Especially if your freezer is on the empty side. The more frozen stuff you have in there, the longer it will stay cold. As it thaws you can drink the water.

H&R you can always use pool water to flush. Save the water in the tub for cleaning up.

 

[DDD]

Everyone's advice is right on target. If you can afford it get a Coleman lantern so you don't have to rely on candles for light. I'm really sorry it may be hitting areas that are not used to the darn things! The gasoline and the cash thing is really important. ATM's don't work when the electricity is out so cash is a must if you can possibly do it.

Don't forget to bring in all possible flying objects from outside...potted plants, chairs, tables etc. Fingers crossed it misses everyone. DDD

PS: Do get a cooler or two ready and filled with ice. Even FEMA can't provide ice fast enough for community needs.

 

[DammitJanet]

That is so true DDD. Make sure you can provide for yourselves at least for 3 days. Get a case of water. Make sure you have a ton of batteries because everything runs off them. Also you can buy these disposable cell phone batteries that last hours (dont know how long) but if you cant charge one, well, better than nothing. Also, if you text only, your cell will last longer and you may be able to get through even if you cant get a phone call through.

 

[TerryJ2]

medications,

Just wanted to emphasize that. Can you imagine your difficult child AND you/me/us with-o our medications, no electricity, moldy food, flooded roads? 'Nuf said.

 

[keista]

Ditto Terry. If power is out, they can't look up the rx on the puter, so they might refuse to fill it while power is out. Insurance should allow for a refill for the storm preparation, but chances are pharmacy may only give you half of it anyway due to everyone getting stocked up.

 

[Mattsmom277]

Just heard a news update about Irene growing in size. I was glad to see such wise advice on the board for all of you not experienced with storms like that. This is one of the rare times I am grateful to live in northern Ontario Canada, cold winter temps aside. We have no fear of hurricanes etc. Stay safe everyone!!!!!!!!

 

[DammitJanet]

Im not even in much danger but sometimes we can lose power here with any heavy rains and my pharmacy is filling my medications early. FEMA is already on the ground here. NG is already here as is the Red Cross. Storm has taken a slightly more northern turn which isnt good for any of us. All the tourists have been ordered to go. Now the citizens are being ordered as of requested as of late Thursday early Friday.

Oh Sigh....Its been a long time since I had to do this. In fact I worked the last bad hurricane at the shelters...lol.

 

[Hound dog]

I find myself caught up in watching Irene........and I don't even really have to worry about it. I saw in the middle of the night that they expect it to get stronger, lovely, not. Hopefully the storm front that was keeping me awake last night will push it out to sea........that's what the weather people seemed to be waiting to see.

But on the other hand.......I'm watching what you guys are stocking up on to improve my stores of emergency supplies. I already have most of the stuff in stock, but I did notice a few things I forgot. I'm prepping for a potential very bad winter. And I'd rather not be one of those people who have to run to the store hoping supplies are not sold out. We've already got trees that are changing, it's August....some turned last week.......and it's August......I don't take that as a very good sign, Know what I mean?? Other than 2 days of normalish August weather......it's been awfully cool for August. Not complaining a bit, my electric bill can use the break. But it should be HOT not cool.

I'm not in the path and it's driving me crazy how they can't make up their minds where it will and won't hit........I dunno how you guys stand it. Give me my tornado anyday. You get a warning (if you're lucky) there it is, then it's gone. None of this long drawn out junk. My nerves would be frazzled.

 

[DammitJanet]

Lisa...we like our knowing. Actually, those of us down here in the south can probably watch the storms out in the atlantic and do as well at predicting where they are heading as the weather folks. From the time we saw it we said it wasnt going to hit the Myrtle Beach coast which is the place that will normally hit us the hardest. If it hits anywhere between Myrtle beach and Wilmington, I am in the danger zone. Right now, I will probably only get heavy rain and maybe 20 to 30 mph winds. I can handle that with ease.

If you have noticed, I have been saying since Monday...its heading up the I95 corridor. The eye may go over the coastline but this thing is huge and the major winds go counter clockwise and if this sucker is over 200 miles to the east...well...that puts cities like Richmond, Difficult Child, Phillie, Baltimore, NJ, etc in its path. NYC is going to be a mess. The subways and trains will most likely flood. If the winds are high enough the glass will break in the taller buildings. I was in Greensboro NC when Hugo hit in 1989 (or was it 90) and it had gone down to a tropical storm by that time and it took down windows and traffic signs along the roads. Those huge green signs along the interstates? They were ripped out of the roads.

Already NE is getting soaked with rain today. Trees are going to be ready to fall. Its gonna happen. Ohhh...and its a new moon! So not a good thing. I have lived in hurricane alley since 1983 so I have gotten used to this and so when I get to telling people something...listen.

 

[hearts and roses]

I find myself caught up in watching Irene........I dunno how you guys stand it. Give me my tornado anyday. You get a warning (if you're lucky) there it is, then it's gone. None of this long drawn out junk. My nerves would be frazzled.

This made me chuckle. Usually, H and I ignore ignore ignore...then last night we watched the Weather Channel for a full 30 minutes, which officially makes us "old people" according to H, lol. Then I started a plan in my head - to get prepared for whatever, even the impending winter ahead, which I hate to acknowledge is inevitably coming our way, ugh.

Our leaves are starting to change as well, we even have fallen leaves on the ground. Our pool water is way chillier than it was a week ago because the nights have been so cool up here. I even told H we could probably take the AC's out for the season and cover the pool - I am NOT going in that icy water anymore and fans suit me just fine should we get a few hot days ahead. I'm not digging this whole winter thing. The hurricane? Not a biggie - that I can deal with and I just think if you prepare for the worst that you will hopefully be pleasantly surprised! I'm in the insurance business and we've already gotten some claims for the earthquake - we're anticipating some from the hurricane next week, that's when the real fun begins!

 

[DammitJanet]

Jo...dont you live near the town that begins with an H? I have heard that is on the radar.

One of the main reasons this thing is such a biggie is the awful heat we had this year. That has made the ocean warmer than normal...over 3 to 4 degrees warmer. That makes the hurricane larger and bigger and stronger...and stay bigger and stronger. For longer. Even that slight increase in ocean temp makes a huge difference. Also the jet stream is carrying it in over land instead of out over the ocean.

And watching the weather channel does not make you old...lol. It makes you smart! We watch it all the time down here. Doesnt your H work construction? How does he know when he can actually work if he doesnt know the weather? Tony has to travel sometimes two hours away...or more...they have to know what its doing where they are going so its not a waste heading down there. The idiot he was supposed to work for this weekend on the Outer Banks tried to get him to come up before the storm hit...I laughed and told him they had already closed the roads heading in. No way he could even attempt to go up nor would I let him. Tony's praying all the work he just did gets blown away so he can go do it again...lol.

Im gonna stock up on things like vienna sausages and crackers, bread, sandwich stuff, potatoes and fixings, snacks, drinks, hot dogs, and maybe a pack of cards and a trashy novel to read.

 

[hearts and roses]

Jo...dont you live near the town that begins with an H? I have heard that is on the radar. Doesnt your H work construction? How does he know when he can actually work if he doesnt know the weather? Im gonna stock up on things like vienna sausages and crackers, bread, sandwich stuff, potatoes and fixings, snacks, drinks, hot dogs, and maybe a pack of cards and a trashy novel to read.

Trashy novels? Check!
Crackers, cheese, hot dogs, beans, snacky non-perishable food? Check!
Generator and fuel? Double Check!! We will at least have running water and the fridge should be we lose power.

By a town beginning with an H, do you mean Hartford, CT? You betcha! We're about 15 miles north of Hartford. There is another member here who lives closer to the southeastern part of the state and she may actually see the eye of the storm. We will not likely see it, but we will definitely sustain high winds and lots of flooding rain. The flooding is what worries more than anything, because just a little bit of rain causes flooding nearby - not at our house exactly, but in the directions we usually travel and it can take WEEKS sometimes for the water to go back down. It's all the rivers and creeks overflowing - badly! Also, we are surrounded by lots of old tall trees - we basically live in the forest, lol. We're pretty good about keeping the bigger weaker trees pruned but you just never know. The upside is that it's warm still. If it were cold in the dead of winter, the chances of trees falling is actually greater because they become frozen and more brittle and crack. There were three trees that went down in our woods earlier in the summer when we had a wild storm, but if it's deep within the woods, I don't care. And they were all right next to a big pond, so the ground is softer down there. We're up on the hill behind the pond so it's drier.

Yeah, my H watches the weather channel a lot due to his work. For example, he was hoping to tear a roof today, but had to cancel because there is no way he'd have it completely reroofed by Saturday. So he postponed it. He has two other jobs going, but they are bigger and will take longer - he doesn't have to tarp anything, thank goodness. Between his father being sick and then passing and this crazy weather we've had (mostly heavy rains), he can't seem to catch a break. And I just heard that there is another tropical storm developing that has a 60% chance of developing into a CAT 4 hurricane!!!

 

[shellyd67]

We are 15 minutes from Philly and I'll tell ya, I am scared as can be right now. There is so much news coverage and warnings. husband and I have spoken with the kids and difficult child is gathering up all our flashlights as we speak. He then will make a list of what size batteries each one requires.

easy child is worried how we will eat dinner ? She is only 8 (lol)

I have gassed up the car, I have looked in the pantry to make sure we have enough food and water. I need to pick up a few things at the market today and some extra dog food.

We have plenty of games and a deck of cards and UNO and such so we will keep busy.

Keep Safe everyone !!!

 

[DDD]

I know this sounds strange H&R but there may be dawn following the storm. Your husband will be busier than he has ever been......and he'll be paid well for roof repair. That's also true for tree removers and debris and trash removers. When hurricanes hit in the South a bunch of my customers who have dump trucks and trailers immediately head toward the devestation. There's big money in repairs and clean up.

Hoping it doesn't hit where you are but husband might call former employees and line up workers to head out once it passes. Becoming FEMA approved is a HUGE pia. Often the contractors who do get approved do not get work even though they are on storm site and fully certified. Independent people, however, often just drive through neighborhoods and people are more than eager to see them. Hugs DDD

 

[hearts and roses]

I know this sounds strange H&R but there may be dawn following the storm. Your husband will be busier than he has ever been......and he'll be paid well for roof repair. There's big money in repairs and clean up. Independent people, however, often just drive through neighborhoods and people are more than eager to see them. Hugs DDD

Well, there is an upside I guess! That and playing marathon games of Bananagrams!!!!