I’m in King of Prussia, PA. Winds are picking up. The river isn’t over the banks yet, but this area is prone to flood, so it’s inevitable. Electricity is still on for now.
We’ve stocked up on batteries and water and candles. I’ve got some firewood in case we lose heat.
Be safe guys. This looks like the real deal.
I’ve been sitting here listening to the wind gust through the trees outside my window. It wouldn’t be so ominous if I didn’t know that we’re just at the beginning of this and there’s still a whole day of who-knows-what to come.
Except for the big outage this July past, I’ve had pretty good luck with keeping my power during storms–but after that July outage, I’m not so sure that the lights will stay on as I used to be.
Just read the latest update from the National Hurricane Center. These are their estimates for the storm surge:
New Brunswick is starting to get some serious wind but not much rain. We opened the window for a bit and the cat was going nuts watching all the birds struggle to fly. Lost power for a few seconds while I was in the middle of my PC game, so I decided to retire that. We’re thinking of going to the neighbor’s before it gets much worse, since they have board games and are otherwise more entertaining. I ended up moving my car after all, because my friend/neighbor called to chew me out for leaving it there. A branch broke off one of our trees.
…And now it’s strangely calm.
This was why I just drove home from the fire station. I’m a volunteer EMT here in NOVA, and right now female volunteers are not allowed to spend the night at the station because … well, it’s a long story. But they’re not.
Anyways, I was going to stay until the evening, but then I heard that the winds are supposed to pick up late afternoon and stay strong until Tuesday morning. The station is on a road lined with old, leaning trees. Back in the summer, an enormous tree weakened by the storm (about 50 yards from the station) fell on a man and killed him instantly. So my choices were to drive home early, drive home in extremely dangerous wind conditions around lots of tall, weakened trees capable of murdering poor little me, or don’t sleep. Which is why I’m sitting at home cowering in my room listening to the wind right now.
Thanks olivesmarch4th. My friends live in one of the developments out on route 27, so I’m a bit worried. Guy in Toms River is out, but I haven’t heard anything from the one who lives in Brooklyn.
I just read that they’re cancelling stock market trading for tomorrow (Tuesday). Has the stock market ever been closed for 2 business days in a row? How long was Wall Street closed after 9/11?
nm
ETA: No, I was right the first time.
I will keep you posted as long as I can. Not really sure what to expect at this point.
NYSE didn’t get back to usual trading until the Monday after 9/11 (or maybe the Friday before?)
I’m in the Bronx, Pelham Bay section, about 30 minutes ago I went outside to help my husband take things to his car because he has to go into work (NYPD). As he was pulling out a tree fell and nearly hit his car and one other driver. He just texted me and tells me as he was driving across the drawbridge the wind pushed his car across the double yellow, towards another car, almost causing a crash. I’ve been married 10 days and do not wish to be a widow. I wish people would stop saying it isn’t that bad, because it is. Stay safe everyone.
Just had a slightly terrifying experience here in Northeastern CT. I left my tiny house yesterday to camp out at my dad’s nice safe house (the Tree of Death stands over my house and would kill me and my house in an instant).
So, sitting here in the studio, watching the treetops flail about through the skylights, I suddenly felt an odd sensation that something is WRONG. Right then, I look up to see a (thankfully smallish) tree, coming right at me via the skylight. Thank gourd it was small, and is now only leaning against the house.
Uh, I think I’ll just go downstairs and get a drink of water for the next 18 hours or so. GULP.
Oh my.
Yikes.
Seems like gourd is watching out for you. 
New game: watching how many times an hour our lights flicker…
York County, Pennsylvania here (about 30 minutes from the Mason-Dixon line) and it’s windy and rainy, but I keep telling myself that I’ve seen harder downpour and swifter winds (ignoring the voice in the back of my mind that says, "Yeah, but it’s going to get worse later!). Still have electricity (yeah!) and heat and chocolate chip cookie dough and internet.
Phone and Kindle Fire are charged, and flashlights have been found and have batteries.
My office (which was closed today) just called to let me know they’ll be closed again tomorrow.
Hallgirl1 (in South Philly) said it’s rainy and windy there, but otherwise okay. Yesterday, I put Hallboy on the train to head to Philly to spend the week with his sister before he goes to BMT. Looks like our timing was right, as he got there shortly before the lousy weather moved in.
The area of Albany St down by the Hyatt is flooded. I’m sure Rt18 will become lake 18 like it did during Irene.
Just lost power… 
4 pm update for Eastern CT - lots of wind, light drizzly rain. Trees and shrubs are whipping around pretty zippily, only small debris is on the yard and road. Have not heard any ominous creaking from the trees around yet. No electrical or cable surges/mini-outages yet. Thankfully the golden eagle pair have hatched their egg/s and the young has learned to fly in case the tree the nest is in goes down.
I feel like someone rolled me down a hill in a barrel. We medicated our turning geriatric cat for her aches and pains, and her storm panic and she is sleeping peacefully next to me in bed. I am verging on migraine and have done benzos already and am sort of waiting to see what happens next.
IIRC, the regulation doesn’t allow markets to stay closed for four days straight.