Hurricane Prep Open Thread
I think that we are conditioned by TV news to think that weather events like this approaching storm are over-hyped, ratings-chasing, bullshit. I hope that this storm turns out to be over-hyped, ratings-chasing, bullshit.
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My wife and I were just talking about how nice it is not to have TV and get caught up in this bullshit. Though the panic on Facebook is priceless.
I’m on my way out to the store – hopefully there is stuff left on the shelves. Just returned from Boston last night, and the beach before that. The cupboards are bare!
I was caught up in the panic yesterday but largely because you’re in that airport bubble of people trying to get home to get ready. It’s good to be largely out of the way of the panic generators now.
I plan to panic this afternoon.
A friend’s post from Facebook – went to Food Lion and all of the white bread is gone. Only have wheat, multi-grain and other healthy alternatives to Wonder Bread.
Guess that’s a commentary on people who shop at Food Lion.
By yesterday afternoon the gallon water jugs had been swept off the shelves at Zingos. I’m hearing that people are hoarding pop-tarts. I guess that makes sense if you’ve got kids. I’ve never eaten one. Now it’s time to check the expiration dates on the batteries. All those bargains at Costco on duracells look sorta silly when you go into the battery bin and find out most of them were bought 4-years ago.
Stay safe everyone.
I panicked yesterday when my parents were saying they were staying in Ocean View, right next to the Indian River Bay. Now they are evacuating. So this afternoon I shall get water, noncookable food, and beer and I will be ready to go.
My kids are excited about living in the basement.
When the sump pump cuts out head for the stairs. Also – Merci Mr. thumb nail artist! Brilliant!
FYI: ACME in Trolley Square was well stocked this morning. Made the Kreston’s run – priorities, people! We are now in the process of clearing off the front porch and backyard.
I installed emergency sump-pumps after the last hurricane, so when the power goes off, they all start to beep, but at least the basement stays dry.
I’m staying in Ocean View because my mother wouldn’t leave her house. Hope I don’t regret it.
Good luck AQC.
Why won’t she leave her house? There’s an evacuation order going out over the air right now.
Where are you hearing that Geezer? I’m not finding anything about Ocean View.
I know it’s a couple of miles inland, but Markell said evacuate “coastal areas.” Maybe that will help persuade her.
Ocean View is DEFINITELY a coastal area.
I lived there on and off for thirty tears.
Things WILL get bad, real bad.
I’ve seen it with me own eyes.
Was it crazy Eileen or Irene that disrupted Castle’s final town hall?
In Hockessin/Pike Creek area there are no more D-cells or the big cube-type batteries for the big flash lights. Lantana Walgreens still has a few C-cells left as of 11:15am. Everybody has plenty of AA and AAA as of this morning.
Does anybody know where you are supposed to tune your radio for emergency information?
I couldn’t find a battery-operated radio until I realized we have 3 MP3 players that have radios (FM only though). I’m charging them up now.
The most important thing though, is there any liquor left in the stores?
Actually, WGMD is broadcasting great information. Guess conservative talk radio is good for something (and they canceled Rush’s show today, too).
I still have my Y2K radio, see twitter feed.
Red Clay schools are closed Monday, open Tuesday.
Delmarva called and said they are anticipating widespread power outages that may take multiple days to restore.
Brandywine schools closed Monday, open Tuesday for elementary, 6th and 9th grade. All other students report on Wednesday.
I’m in Rehoboth. From my front door I can be in the ocean in 30 seconds. I’m staying put. This isn’t my first rodeo.
You are nuts. Have you looked at the radar recently?
It is nuts, but Phil must be one of those anti-scientist people. There’s an article entitled Who Are the People Who Refuse to Evacuate for Killer Storms which attempts to explain his nutty behavior:
It closes with this paragraph:
There is always a why that explains seemingly inexplicable human behavior.
So, as the storm hits the East Coast this weekend and you look upon a woman unlucky enough to be standing atop her roof, ankle deep in water (after resisting calls to evacuate), you should know that it is no accident that she is perched there. — Her entire life story will have led her to that very spot, at that very moment.
Quite the contrary. I am very pro science. We are on the west side of the eye. Winds will be about 50mph. Some strong gusts, but my house isn’t going to blow down. Storm surge on par with strong nor’easters. What I AM is anti-alarmist, anti-hype, anti-ratings chasing weather channel bullshit artists.
Some people should be evacuating. I am not one of them. I predict I will lose power for no longer than 12 consecutive hours.
Phil, I did that once 20 miles inland on the Gulf Coast of Alabama. 20 hours of thinking I was going to die really wears you out.
Well, I hope you are right Phil. But it is always better to be safe and alive rather than stubborn and dead.
When the evacuation order was given there was a guy who stayed behind and he told his friends, “I have my Bible and my faith in Jesus – it’ll get me through.”
After the evacuation order as the water rose, the Sheriff drove by in a jeep and called to the hold out. “C’Mon. We gotta get you outta here.”
“I have my Bible and my faith in Jesus – it’ll get me through.” Replied the man.
As the water continued to rise a rescue boat with a searchlight swept the house and spotted the man in his second floor window. “Hold on, we’ll throw up a rope. We gotta get you outta here.” Said a man from the boat.
“I have my Bible and my faith in Jesus – it’ll get me through.” Replied the hold out.
In the dark of night, as the water continued to rise, a helicopter passed over the house and seeing the man on the roof, called to him through a loudspeaker “Stay where you are. We’re lowering the basket.”
“DON’T BOTHER!!” Yelled the man “I have my Bible and my faith in Jesus – it’ll get me through.”
Later that night the man met Jesus and heaven and said, “What happened Jesus? I had my Bible and faith in you and you let me die?”
Jesus replied, “Well I sent a jeep,a boat and a helicopter.”
I think what happens is that everyone acts with an abundance of caution. Which is fine, but look what happens:
National Hurricane Center: This might be trouble. We better let the Local emergency management agencies know about this. We’ll play up the danger to make sure they take this seriously. I’ll tell them it’s “Scary”
Local Emergency Management UNDERLING: NHC says there’s a “Scary” storm coming. I better let the State Director know about this. I’ll play up the danger so that he knows this is serious. I’ll tell him it’s “Dangerous.”
State Director of Emergency Management: Local officials say there is a “Dangerous” storm coming. I better let the Governor know about this. If it goes bad, and we didn’t do enough, the Governor will blame me. I’ll play up the danger so he knows I’m taking this very seriously, and he should too. I’ll call it “Deadly.”
Governor: Whoa, I hear there’s a “Deadly” storm coming. I have to get out in front of this. We need to get people safe. I’ll hold a press conference. I’ll play up the danger to make sure people know how serious we are about this. I’ll call it “Once in a lifetime, catastrophic.”
Media: EVERYBODY FREAK OUT!
.
.
.
National Hurricane Center: *scratches head*
Virginia Beach is now overcast with the earliest fringes of the storm system. There are no flashlight batteries (D cells) left in the four or five stores I visited today.
The surprising thing was that the grocery store was not a zoo. Customers were pretty laid back.
Good luck down there, Frank. Be safe.
If you can evacuate and don’t, the gov’t should NOT have to go in and save you later if the shit hits the fan.
On Ch. 6, David Henry just reported that police and fire in AC will not respond to any calls during the storm, and that non-evacuees are on their own. Good.
This is an excellent way to cull out those old crippled people who can’t drive and don’t have relatives to help them evacuate. Plus, it will lighten the already over-burdened social services in the long-term. Win-win!
In the same report, it was reported those who can’t drive or don’t have cars were being evacuated by bus and other transports (i.e. ambulances in the cases of nursing homes).
Who I was talking in my last comment was those anti-government whackjobs who will stay simply because it is the government telling them to leave.
OK – I have been thru losts of these – on a little spit of land out in the Atlantic – so I am NOT in a panic – however I am a realist and am required to stay put – (have one of those little “essential” letters – if you have one you know what I mean)
That being said – I am more than 3/4 of a mile inland, barely – the evac order does not apply to me. My elevation is 33 feet – one of the highest in Sussex and am well stocked and ready
Phil – based on the 5pm advisory – this WILL be a hurricane when it hits us – yes – US!! – that means max sustained winds of >75MPH and seeing as the eye wall will be just offshore of Rehoboth that means we will be on the northwest side of Irene – that is where the greatest wind shear occurs.
at 239pm when you posted maybe you thought there would be only little puffs of wind – did you get the call from Delmarva power?? I did
be prepared to be out of power for days – roads will be flooded and impassable
and if any of my friends get hurt bailing your ass out of trouble – I will personally come and put your ass back into trouble.
actually http://www.wgmd.com and http://www.sussexcountyde.gov have good maps and information.
MJ – if you get in a pickle or get hungry/thirsty – call – we have the hook up and Im nearby.
SURPRISE SURPRISE! Weakens significantly to CAT 1. yawn…
Phil, I understand your point about building up the strength of a natural disaster so that people pay attention. That said, I’m not sure I would stick around to find out if they were telling the truth.
Part of this is ratings. Higher ratings equal higher advertising rates, which means more dollars for a TV station. All that doppler equipment costs a lot of money, and, unlike some businesses that can pass costs along to their customers, the stations cannot. So this is one of the things they do to help pay the bills.
hmmm – worst is not here yet = we had tornados = 40 homes damaged
and the storm surge isnt here yet
yawn,,,phil – you are soo predictable
just as predictable as the fizzle (from the apocalyptic predictions anyway) of this storm?
lets wait and see how the damage stacks up –
i dont believe in getting my exercise from jumping to conclusions
@Phil… Try telling that to the people in Ellendale that got 10+ inches, the people flooded out along the rivers, and the people that got hit by a tornado in Lewes. I mean you can think what you want, but don’t yawn at the destruction some of our neighbors are dealing with today. That’s serious stuff.
Seven trees down in the hood. 100% of those are ornamental pears.
Ornamental pears tend to be fast growers, but very weak – and very popular with quick-fix developers. If you lost one, replace it with a different type of tree.
Like I said, some people should have been evacuated. I wasn’t one of them. there’s a huge economic cost to evacuating that many people. What a waste. I didn’t even lose power.