# Hurricane Irene - Up the East Coast **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 25, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044 "2011-08-25T15:31:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/241 "2011-08-29T16:09:11Z")
_“Remember the Long Island Express of 19-whatever-yesteryear (cue the b/w images), when this and that were left in shambles…” – 'This storm is just as powerful!"_ Oh, back when everyone’s Grandpa and his brother built a shanty house of their own building codes too close to water and on a loose dune? \*\*\* Yeah, that can totally happen today /sarcasm font.\*\*\* What the weather mongers need to do is name Nor’ Easters (or drive home the names they have already). One year, three of them exploded off the coast of the Carolina’s in one Month (Oct 2009) and did what Nor’ Easters do: pummel the shit of everything on the barrier islands of the upper mid-Atlantic and NE. Nor’ Easters re-write geography books - EVERY YEAR. Google-fuckin-maps is always in need of updating, because FUCK, Nor’ Easters up and move land (well, islands) by the trillions of metric tons every gogddam year. Nor’ Easters are less ‘flashy’ than Hurricanes. Shit, Hurricanes get names, pass by towns like Souther Palm Tree Paradise, USA (where Palm trees bend so well in winds) and they peak at some ridiculous wind speed (oh, say 135 now and then). In the NE, Nor’ Easters will make any Hurricane its bitch. Go ahead, take a look at the most recent shot from Google Maps/Earth/Whatever of any NE or mid-Atlantic barrier island chain. That shit is totally outdated, because a Nor’ Easter (or six) decided to fuckin’ move everything from the beach to an inlet. \* Oh, you can’t navigate here, a few Nor’ Easters moved that inlet. Check again next month. The beach? Oh, that’s gone, too.\* Weather peeps: Read up on ‘wind duration over water’ and get back to me. . ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/242 "2011-08-29T16:09:58Z")
> [@DooWahDiddy](#): > > Isn’t your subway system above ground and, um, elevated? The concern here was that the tunnels would flood, which is a lot more likely than snow accumulating as high as an elevated track. And besides, you (and a couple of other people here) keep acting as if we _knew_ it was going to go easy on Manhattan. To compare it to a blizzard hitting Minneapolis isn’t fair, because at the time they decided to shut down the transit system, all signs were pointing to a direct hit on Manhattan. I’ll tell you who looks like a bunch of wussies; you people nowhere near the affected area, sitting on your couches playing Monday morning quarterback. I happened to be watching CNN when the announcement was made, and at the time the hurricane was hitting Virginia. And yes, you could argue the merits of the shutdown before knowing anything about whether the storm would turn towards New York, even though hurricanes tend to lose strength once they hit land. Better safe than sorry, and all that. But blathering on about it on CNN for hours about the coming apocalypse makes the rest of the country go :rolleyes:. We shut down the mass transit all the time here in Chicago. We just don’t tell anybody about it. (At least, that’s what it seems like:D) ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/243 "2011-08-29T16:12:43Z")
Chicago… Big Shoulders…New York City… Big Mouths… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/244 "2011-08-29T16:20:18Z")
> **[Noreaster%20Handout.pdf](https://www.stormsolutionsusa.com/Brochures/Noreaster%20Handout.pdf)** > > 760.08 KB ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/245 "2011-08-29T16:27:30Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > We’re vacationing in Avon, NC, 20 days from now. At least, we _were_ before Irene. NC12, the only road in and out of Hatteras Island, has been severed at Rodanthe. 900 feet of road just gone. No way they can get it fixed in less that a month or two. Keep an eye on this situation. They’ve set up ferry service for emergency services today and expect to have ferries for residents going to this part of the Outer Banks by the end of the week. I would bet that they’ll allow vacationers (if the vacation homes are okay) within your timeframe. Shutting down the remainder of the tourist season would be a huge economic hit to the area and would not be done lightly. If they can get you there, I think they will. ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/246 "2011-08-29T16:29:21Z")
We survived the storm with no power outage, minimal water coming in and a few downed tree branches in the yard. Then, just before dinner my husband was doing the dishes when he broke a glass while his hand and the sponge were inside the glass. The resulting gash to his finger took 20 stiches. My poor aunt (actually my husband’s aunt) went home today but still has no power so she managed to work herself in to an anxiety attack so I went and picked her up and brought her back with us. She’s trying to calm down. Driving is hazardous because there are may traffic lights that are still out. Be careful out there. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/247 "2011-08-29T16:32:42Z")
> [@saje](#): > > This was a damned big deal for some parts of Vermont and not-NYC NY. NH as well. Many major bridges are out closing some of the major routes in the state (302, 112, 202). VT lost several centuries old covered bridges. We’ve had building collapse or be washed away. It’s pretty ugly up north. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/248 "2011-08-29T17:07:37Z")
> [@saje](#): > > This was a damned big deal for some parts of Vermont and not-NYC NY. > > Margaretville, Phoenecia, Fleischmann’s, teeny towns in the Catskills that most people haven’t heard of have been drowned. As they are not rich places to begin with, this is going to be just devastating for them. > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player\_embedded&v=ZgvjskhEOPQ#](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZgvjskhEOPQ#) It’s bad in places in the Capital District as well. All of Schoharie County was shut down, the Mohawk and Hudson are flooding, you can’t get over the Schoharie Creek due to flooding concerns, there’s worries we may lose a hydroelectric dam, a mudslide destroyed two homes and a business in Troy, you can’t go south because the Thruway is closed, and a number of other streets and highways are closed. And that’s all just off the top of my head. I didn’t know that about the area in the Catskills. I was in the Esopus area twice last year to ride the Catskill Mountain Railroad and a couple other times to visit other places. I’ve been through and had lunch in those towns. I followed a link from the railroad to the Ulster County website and the entire county sounds absolutely screwed. Fuck the media. I’d like to walk up to idiots like Piers Morgan and others who have asked “was Irene overhyped” and punch them in the face. And then make them do storm cleanup. And I wasn’t even affected by Irene. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/249 "2011-08-29T17:22:10Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > Fuck the media. I’d like to walk up to idiots like Piers Morgan and others who have asked “was Irene overhyped” and punch them in the face. And then make them do storm cleanup. And I wasn’t even affected by Irene. He’s eminently punchable, and not just because of the hacking scandal. In any event, don’t lump the whole press together. For example I can see the New York Times has focused pretty consistently on the fact that the storm did a lot of damage even though it didn’t hurt the city all that much. Right now the headline on their top online story is “Inland floods in Northeast may be Irene’s biggest impact.” ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/250 "2011-08-29T18:00:09Z")
> [@asterion](#): > > It’s bad in places in the Capital District as well. All of Schoharie County was shut down, the Mohawk and Hudson are flooding, you can’t get over the Schoharie Creek due to flooding concerns, there’s worries we may lose a hydroelectric dam, a mudslide destroyed two homes and a business in Troy, you can’t go south because the Thruway is closed, and a number of other streets and highways are closed. And that’s all just off the top of my head. My alma mater, RPI in Troy, was supposed to have the first day of classes today but they cancelled them so that people weren’t trying to drive over the weekend. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/251 "2011-08-29T18:34:43Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > My alma mater, RPI in Troy, was supposed to have the first day of classes today but they cancelled them so that people weren’t trying to drive over the weekend. ('Sup fellow RPIer) The university I work for now, UVM, did the same thing. Freshman moved in last Friday, but a lot of the other students weren’t going to get here until Sunday, so the whole university was closed, all non-essential personnel (yours truly included (should I be upset I’m considered non-essential?)) didn’t have to go in to work. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/252 "2011-08-29T18:44:26Z")
I’m still irked by the hype, but it looks like shit got real for VT and others, and I am hoping for the best for y’all. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/253 "2011-08-29T19:11:24Z")
Day 2 no power from CMP, generator still working though, according to CMP, 170,000+ customers have no power, the highest percentage, 45,000 are in York County As far as the storm itself, MEH… I’ve seen much worse nor’easters for frak’s sake Given the extent of the damage, I’m thinking it’ll be a minimum of a week before we get power back, maybe two weeks, hope we can get our propane tanks refilled in the interim, we’re gonna need it if we’re going to be relying on the generator for the next few days/weeks ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/254 "2011-08-29T20:06:56Z")
**MacTech** , my husband just emailed me that we got power back. Here’s hoping you folks are next. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/255 "2011-08-29T20:53:53Z")
Power came back on at 4 pm 😃 I normally have zero respect and patience for CMP’s infamous incompetence, but this time I have to say that they did a phenomenal job getting power on this time I hope this is a sign of things to come, thank you, CMP for a stellar job this time ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/256 "2011-08-29T21:00:09Z")
Irene was hype for the NE. Punch me. The next wave of heavy\*\* t-storms\*\* would’ve caused flooding, because it’s been the wettest August ever. North Carolina had to brace for a pummeling; everyone else… not so much. Any serious wet weather, be it Irene or a series of bad fronts was gonna cause flooding. TWC stuck to words like ‘pummel’ and ‘hammer’ and ‘tear into’ and 'roars". They might have used, but mostly avoided, the language associated with rain, such as ‘soaker’, ‘drenching’, etc. Yeah, they have to warn us, and we have to be realistic and understand the packaging. Technically…_.technically_… did they do wrong? No. Realistically? I mean, come one, do we need to argue that? _“Irene is a hurricane that poses an extraordinary threat and is one that no one has yet experienced in North Carolina to the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast and New England. This includes Norfolk, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Hartford, and Boston.”_ If you are gonna make dire predictions, you have to pat yourself on the back for protecting people AND suck it up because you are wrong and wrapped up in hyperbole. They kinda go together sometimes. The business of weather works like that. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/257 "2011-08-29T21:23:30Z")
It wasn’t hype for NH, VT and upstate NY. I’ve never seen river levels like this and the infrastructure is extremely damaged. Lots of bridges out on major roads. Heavy t-storms wouldn’t have done that even though the ground was pretty saturated. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/258 "2011-08-29T21:27:00Z")
Much of CT is without power. If you’ve a well, no water. One of my faculty emailed me from a shelter with his three kids due to no water. Could be a couple weeks without. That’s no thunderstorm. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/259 "2011-08-29T21:53:16Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > It wasn’t hype for NH, VT and upstate NY. I’ve never seen river levels like this and the infrastructure is extremely damaged. Lots of bridges out on major roads. Heavy t-storms wouldn’t have done that even though the ground was pretty saturated. It wasnt hype for parts of nyc, I have seen the flooding from the storm surge myself. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/260 "2011-08-29T22:00:01Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > It wasnt hype for parts of nyc, I have seen the flooding from the storm surge myself. Or parts of NJ. I still have some water in my basement from it. Local roads around here are a mass of tree branches according to my husband who just ran out to pick up a prescription. Our street has lots of fallen trees and one thick branch that’s still leaning precariously against a power line. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044.md?page=14)