My dad is supposed to be flying back (into Philly) from Argentina tomorrow…yeah, I don’t think that’s going to happen. I emailed him in case he can get to an internet cafe and let him know that he should prepare to stay at least overnight in Miami. And my mom is visiting me and is supposed to be flying home from Philly to Boston tomorrow…don’t think that’s going to happen either.
I’m glad, on the one hand, that I have her company here because I think I’d be a lot more nervous if I were on my own.
On the other hand, she’s almost completely useless when it comes to preparation. She’s incapable of helping me carry the potted plants, furniture, etc. in from the porch (everything is “too heavy”), so I had to do that myself (the table is still out there – I’m going to see if I can roll it on its side into the garage). She keeps putting off calling the airlines to reschedule her flight and is on the phone with her friends instead. She only brought enough medication (including her cancer meds and an SSRI) to last until Sunday, and she doesn’t want to ask her doctor to send her prescription into a local pharmacy here because it’s “too much of a hassle” to call him. She wants to go shopping this afternoon because she must have fresh fruit and yogurt for breakfast every day, and the grocery stores are horrible on a normal weekend so today will be bedlam. She didn’t get up early like I suggested, so we could get to the store before the crowd, and it’s 11:30 and she’s still in her pajamas. She’s like a big baby who needs looking after, and it’s trying my patience.
But on the third hand, getting irritated at her is keeping my mind off the storm. I think we’ll be all right – my only concern is losing electricity (and thus the phone, which we get with our cable/internet package). My cell phone battery is dying and can’t hold power for more than ~12 hours.
For those watching along on tv, Rocky Mount, NC (the site of the first fatality - man killed by falling tree) is not in the “foothills of the Appalachians” :rolleyes:, which is what the MSNBC weather guy just said to illustrate how big this hurricane is.
To be fair, it’s taken me a lot of restraint not to go straight to the liquor store for some top-quality tequila. I’ve got vodka and orange juice, though. (Finding liquor is a pain in the ass in New Jersey. In Michigan it’s pretty much in every single grocery store and gas station/convenience store. Over here, finding a place that sells it is a PIA.)
Anyway, we have the official warning here in Central Jersey and it’s already raining. It’s supposed to get heavier tonight and not let up until tomorrow night. I live by a flood-prone river but I have it on good authority that it’s the other side that tends to flood, not the side I live on. So we’ll see.
Yeah, that was my plan this morning. I’m up now, and the rain has started. No wind yet.
I’ve got plenty of water, batteries, battery powered lanterns, a battery powered radio, canned food, a manual can opener, and most importantly a stack of books and plenty of booze.
Just wanna throw this out to all you folks that may be without power shortly
Be fucking careful with candles (particularly those tall skinny jobs that fall over if you look at them wrong). Also, placing them on a plate and leaving them unattended is a bad idea. When it burns way down the heat can crack the plate. That cracking can cause the candle to fall off the table/dresser/counter and start a fire. My neighbor set their apartment on fire (and almost mine) doing that once. And do I really need to say anything regarding pets or kids and flames? Or nearby flamable stuff and flames?
Same sort things go for hurricane/oil lamps, Coleman laterns ect ect…and having your fire extinguisher ready would probably be a good idea.
I live about 20 miles northwest of VunderBob. We went out to breakfast, and as we drove home, it had started raining. So far, it’s just like a good, soaking rain storm with wind, but the worst is supposed to hit us roughly from 9 tonight till 5 or 6 tomorrow. I’ll probably sleep thru most of it.
I have filled both bathtubs. I still need to fill a couple of water pitchers. Yesterday, I filled a bag with ice so the ice maker had space to make more - plus a well-packed freezer stays colder longer. So far, it’s just not a big deal. but I do see a bunch of leaves and small twigs all over the yard - I see raking in my future…
Be careful with “good authority”. We had it on good authority that being north of I10 in Mississippi was safe from flooding, and we had 42" of water in our house for three days from Hurricane Georges in 98.
But seriously, be prepared. I wish you all the best.
We just had a brief power outage which may or may not have been weather related. Brief, as in under an hour. Since the winds aren’t all that bad around here, I’m guessing someone may have lost control of their vehicle on the wet road and hit a power pole. In any event, the juice is flowing again, so all is good here.
If you are where I think your location indicates, you should know that both sides of that river flood. I’ve had friends on the 18 side flood frequently but the River Road side floods as well in heavy storms.
I promise we’ll leave at any sign of flooding. I told my husband I’m leaving if we get a flood warning, period. I’ll drag him out kicking and screaming if I have to.
We’ve got clouds and wind, but no rain yet. That’s not supposed to happen until later tonight. Since we’ve got crappy storm drains, the streets will be flooded out until at least tomorrow, but that’ll be the extent of the problems.
Meanwhile, I’ve got chicken soup with rice going in the crock pot, and I got a loaf of French bread earlier. It’s the perfect food for lousy weather.
Especially if the subways get hit. You can see them everywhere if you peer over the platforms. I always thought each subway station should have a resident cat to help get rid of them.
Hey kids, I’m on Long Island and directly in the storm’s path if it continues its current track. Good times.
It’s raining right now but we’re not expecting the bad part until tomorrow. We’re fully prepared for power outages and are not on the coast so don’t expect flooding.
Plenty of water, food, cat food, wine, snacks and a couple of board games. I’ve got my 90 year old mother in law and her 85 year old sister with us. It would be nice if they’d stop hyping it quite so much on the TV, it’s scaring the ladies.
So be safe, be smart, and good luck to everyone. I’m hoping it will be like most of the hurricanes I lived through in Central FL, much ado about nothing.
For Pete’s sake, gonzo, they’ve got insurance! Please demonstrate that the government will cover them to an extent greater than the goverment will cover those living in a shotgun shack.