# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/61 "2011-08-26T17:33:12Z")
trader joe’s in center city phila is a madhouse today! some people are going well beyound the traditional “french toast” preparedness. ---
**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 26, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/62 "2011-08-26T17:41:36Z")
> [@Onomatopoeia](#): > > The storm’s been downgraded again for us. Heavy rain is still in the forecast though. At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if we ended up with a sunny weekend and a cool wafting breeze. 🙂 That happened once when I was a kid living in Maryland. They canceled school in anticipation of a hurricane (I can’t remember which one) and we ended up having the most beautiful cool, sunny day. ---
**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 26, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/63 "2011-08-26T17:43:47Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > trader joe’s in center city phila is a madhouse today! some people are going well beyound the traditional “french toast” preparedness. " Why, you haughty little Main Line prick !!! Those last seven cases of artisanal free range organic bagels with steel cut oatmeal and authentic native american chutney ground by hand by children who are well fed and mentally nurtured are MINE !!! Why don’t you just stop by Kip’s and Hymie’s on Montgomery for some nice deli and get the fuck out of my way ??? " 😃 😃 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/64 "2011-08-26T17:54:05Z")
> **[With Hurricane Irene Near, 370,000 in New York City Get Evacuation Order...](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/27/nyregion/new-york-city-begins-evacuations-before-hurricane.html?hp&emc=na)** > > New York City officials issued what they called an unprecedented order on Friday for the evacuation of about 370,000 residents of low-lying areas at the city’s edges. NYC is shutting down public transit at noon on Saturday. Wow. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/65 "2011-08-26T17:55:25Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > [http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/27/nyregion/new-york-city-begins-evacuations-before-hurricane.html?hp&emc=na](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/27/nyregion/new-york-city-begins-evacuations-before-hurricane.html?hp&emc=na) > > NYC is shutting down public transit at noon on Saturday. Wow. This is what I came in here to post. Shit just got real. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/66 "2011-08-26T18:17:09Z")
I could definitely see myslef living in NYC, but I’d have to have a little cabin somewhere that I could run away to when necessary. Manhattan island is the last place I’d want to be trying to get through any sort of disaster. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/67 "2011-08-26T18:26:38Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > [http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/27/nyregion/new-york-city-begins-evacuations-before-hurricane.html?hp&emc=na](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/27/nyregion/new-york-city-begins-evacuations-before-hurricane.html?hp&emc=na) > > NYC is shutting down public transit at noon on Saturday. Wow. Yeah, this is turning into a very special episode a little bit. 😉 > [@TruCelt](#): > > I could definitely see myslef living in NYC, but I’d have to have a little cabin somewhere that I could run away to when necessary. Manhattan island is the last place I’d want to be trying to get through any sort of disaster. We’re going to get rained on and the power could go out, but we’ll be surrounded by restaurants and markets. I’m feeling OK about our chances of survival. Anyway I stocked up on water and we’re set for food. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/68 "2011-08-26T18:33:59Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > [http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/27/nyregion/new-york-city-begins-evacuations-before-hurricane.html?hp&emc=na](http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/27/nyregion/new-york-city-begins-evacuations-before-hurricane.html?hp&emc=na) > > NYC is shutting down public transit at noon on Saturday. Wow. :eek::eek::eek::eek: Double wow. Is that a historic first? Have the subways been voluntarily shut down ever before? I know there have been strikes and problems with service. But have they ever done this systemwide voluntarily? ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/69 "2011-08-26T18:39:41Z")
that seems a bit early… phila is shutting down regional rail at 6pm on saturday, the rest of the system at midnight saturday. irene should hit phila before nyc, i believe. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/70 "2011-08-26T18:43:50Z")
> [@LavenderBlue](#): > > :eek::eek::eek::eek: > > Double wow. Is that a historic first? Have the subways been voluntarily shut down ever before? I know there have been strikes and problems with service. But have they ever done this systemwide voluntarily? I was wondering that myself. Does anybody know if this has ever been done before? Was it done on 9/11? Also, [here](http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/downloads/pdf/hurricane_map_english.pdf) are the evacuation zones for people living in NYC (PDF). I’m not in one, but I am one city block away from one, which is about 1/20th of a mile. _gulp_ ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/71 "2011-08-26T18:47:02Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > that seems a bit early… phila is shutting down regional rail at 6pm on saturday, the rest of the system at midnight saturday. > > irene should hit phila before nyc, i believe. I wonder if they are encouraging people to get out of town ASAP. More people to move and all that. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/72 "2011-08-26T19:20:34Z")
> [@DooWahDiddy](#): > > This is what I came in here to post. Shit just got real. It got real last night–they announced they were going to do this 24 hours ago. ---
**Author:** ![booklover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@booklover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booklover)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/73 "2011-08-26T19:21:14Z")
Curious to know how other folks in/around DC are feeling about this, since it seems like most hurricanes tend to veer east of us–Isabel was the last exception to this. I know they’ve called off the ceremony for the MLK Jr. memorial dedication and are bringing in some sandbags for Metro stations that have flooded in the past. My main concern is that the house we just moved into a month ago has huge trees surrounding it, so I suspect we’ll lose a few branches (and possibly electricity) if it hits us. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/74 "2011-08-26T20:20:38Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > It got real last night–they announced they were going to do this 24 hours ago. Um, no. At [6:26am this morning](http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/26/live-blog-irene-weakens-slightly/?hpt=hp_t1), “New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority says a partial or full shut down of transit services in the New York City area may be necessary as Hurricane Irene approaches.” This was a reiteration of something they had said yesterday, sure, but the official decision to go through with it was not announced until 1:32pm today. “The New York Metropolitan Transit Authority will begin a systemwide shutdown beginning at noon Saturday, the New York governor’s office says.” Yes, the timestamps indicate when CNN posted the news, not when it was announced, but I’m fairly certain the time between was just a few minutes, and I know it wasn’t a day. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/75 "2011-08-26T20:24:21Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > trader joe’s in center city phila is a madhouse today! some people are going well beyound the traditional “french toast” preparedness. Wegman’s was crazy here too. Most of the water was out of stock. If I came any later there’d be no water left. Couldn’t find a flashlight at either of the two stores I checked. But we’ve got crackers, canned goods, TP, and a full tank of gas. Looks like it’s going to be a crackers and pajamas kind of weekend. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/76 "2011-08-26T20:37:37Z")
Okey doke - [here’s](http://s72.photobucket.com/albums/i178/fairychatmom/Irene%20Prep/) our hurricane prep at the boat. There are no "before"pics because my husband had already started by the time I got there. You’ll notice that there are no sails on the boom or the headstay. I took off the mainsail - it was full of mud daubers nests - there are some pissed off wasps out there somewhere. Normally there is also a dodger - it’s like an awning on a frame that fits over the hatch into the cabin - it’s now in the cabin. All of the dock lines are doubled up. We added 2 fenders on the starboard side (between the boat and the dock) and we put 2 others on the port side, just in case the boat next to us lets go and his our boat, altho, I think if they do let go, we’re screwed. We removed the power cord, closed all the portholes and the thru-hull valves. There’s nothing else we can do. Since they’re floating docks, the tides don’t matter - the docks and the boats rise together - that simplifies how we tie it up. And if all else fails, we have insurance. 😃 ---
**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 26, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/77 "2011-08-26T20:43:59Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > Wegman’s was crazy here too. Most of the water was out of stock. If I came any later there’d be no water left. This makes little sense to me; people have running water right now. So why not just fill up every pitcher and pot in the house with the free water already available? ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/78 "2011-08-26T20:46:53Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > This makes little sense to me; people have running water right now. So why not just fill up every pitcher and pot in the house with the free water already available? That’s basically what we did, but my pitcher broke so our capacity is still somewhat limited. I grabbed a case of the stuff just on the off chance we’ll need it, but I’m pretty sure we would make it without bottled water. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/79 "2011-08-26T20:52:45Z")
What? Drink tap water?? Are you mad, man?? :eek: (That was sarcasm, if you missed the tone of voice. We’re on a well - really good water. I refuse to buy the bottled stuff ever.) I intend to fill every pitcher I can find, and cram as many as I can into the fridge. At least that way, if we do lose power, that’s a big mass of cold to help maintain the temp inside the box. I also filled a bag with ice from the ice maker, and I shoved it back in the freezer - I’ll do another bag before bedtime. Sunday afternoon is supposed to be sunny. I think we can survive a day or so on whatever is in the house. We’d have done it anyway - I wasn’t going to go shopping till next week. Guess I don’t know how to overreact. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044/80 "2011-08-26T20:57:54Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Guess I don’t know how to overreact. Let me know if you need lessons. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hurricane-irene-up-the-east-coast/594044.md?page=5)