East Coasters, are you ready for FrankenStorm? (Hurricane Sandy)

[Starwulf]

I swear, every time I turn on the TV, the predictions for this storm get direr and direr. First it was being called worse then the "perfect storm" of 90 something, now they are saying it's the Storm of the Century or worse. PA, MD, DC, and VA are all under states of emergency already(even though the storm isn't due to hit until Monday). They are calling for 60-100mph winds, rain, and possibly 2 feet of snow because of the cold front coming in from the west that's going to mix with the Hurricane(hence the term: FrankenStorm).

A news lady earlier on a local news channel said "When they said prepare for your electricity to be out for several days, they really mean several weeks, especially for those outside of towns and cities". That freaks me out, I'm on top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere, if we lose power for a couple of weeks, imma cry >< LOL! Seriously though, that would be pretty crappy, considering no generator, we'll lose all of our food, nor have the ability to buy and cook any fresh stuff. I'm reaaaaaaaalllllyyyyyyy hoping that this storm somehow ends up being a dud, at least compared to what they are saying about it.

[Dr.Epic]

FrankenStorm? Isn't that the name of a SyFy original movie?:smallwink::smalltongue:

[ForzaFiori]

Thankfully, I"m a bit south of where it's supposed to hit, as well as far enough inland that no hurricane ever brings worse weather than a bad t-storm does. I would also say that since you live in the mountains too, your main problem is gonna be if the hurricane sends you snow. Does MD get blizzards or bad snow often? Your community might already be prepared to handle it if it does, which could make it much safer than if say, SC or GA got a massive snowstorm.

[Totally Guy]

I'm on holiday in New York right now. My plans were to meet up with my dad on Monday and see the sights. His flights have all been cancelled and so that's one that's not happening. I don't know what to expect. Never seen actual bad, American bad, weather before.

[Yora]

Where in England do you live? Don't you get the north sea winter storms as well? I grew up near the German coast and the winter cyclones can get quite significant. Though I don't know how that compares to American significant weather.

In Germany, we have snow in October. Usually it doesn't start until after christmas here and a week ago I went outside with sneakers and just a light jacket over my t-shirt.
Winter comes fast around here, but this is freaky.

[Traab]

I will be honest. I have seen this happen before. The more they overhype the storm on its way, the less likely it will actually hit us. Even if it does, big deal, this isnt the 1400s, we will be fine. So we might be without power for a week. Meh. Virtually everyone will have friends or family that has had power restored at some point, and the roads will be cleared within a day, so its not like we cant just bunk together. Seriously though, thats the only real big worry, "Omg, we will lose powa!" Meh, thats why god invented the wool sweater and blankets. Its october, not february, we wont die in -50 degree weather. Worst we will suffer from is boredom and an overindulgence in cereal.

[Alarra]

His flights have all been cancelled and so that's one that's not happening. Really? That's strange. None of the 3 airports around us have cancelled any flights yet and we're supposed to get it before and probably worse than New York will. I'm very much hoping that they don't. My dad and Zeb were supposed to fly in on Tuesday, but because we didn't think they would make it in, they're trying to fly in today. At least Zeb is, I don't know if my dad will make it until tomorrow...then he'll really run into problems getting here.

And while the power outage, if it happens, will be inconvenient, the real concern, at least here, is flooding. I can deal with a power outage...I've never even attempted to deal with a flood and would rather not, especially this week. We're attempting to move across the country Thurs/Fri. Blah.

[Helanna]

I live in New York. To be honest, I have no idea whether this storm is even supposed to hit us hard or not, although my aunt's Monday flight was cancelled. Around here, this kind of hype happens about five times a winter, and then everybody around here acts like we've never had a storm before, and then 99% of the time absolutely nothing happens.

Why yes, I do work at a grocery store, and yes, my weekend has been miserable, with swarms and swarms of angry customers. :smallmad: You live in Western New York, you should already be prepared for storms!

[Pyromancer999]

In Virginia, I know that more than a few counties have canceled school for Monday and Tuesday, plus it's already pretty windy.

[CoffeeIncluded]

My brother has school canceled and I really don't know what's going to happen upstate, where I go to college--Irene's flooding hit upstate New York hard last year. My campus is pretty self-sufficient and we're at the top of a hill (or several hills), so I guess I'll see how it goes the next couple of days.

[Orzel]

Public transportaation and Alternate side parking has been suspended so no work tomorrow.

Anyway. Gotta clean my sewer lines or my room will flood. :smallmad:
Just put up the patio furniture.
And bought a ton of food. Some for my mother to cook and freeze.

[Leecros]

My biggest fear for myself here in central Pennsylvania is the wind. I live high enough up in the Appalachians that I'm not worried about the rain, but it's probably been a good year since our last bad windstorm and I know there's a lot of deadfall in the trees around here to cause concern. I went around yesterday and pulled whatever dead branches out of the trees nearby as i could, but I'm sure i didn't get it all.

Needless to say, if i have to go out during this storm, i'll be wearing a helmet of some kind.:smalltongue:

[Eakin]

I'm in DC. The skies have been ominous all day and at this point I kind of want it to hurry up and start already. My family's been talking about it non-stop since Thursday.

I've taken all the usual precautions, water, batteries, etc. I've seen meteorologists cry wolf too many times to actually be afraid but I am prepared.

[CoffeeIncluded]

It's cloudy and drizzly where I am, but then again it's pretty much always cloudy and drizzly so that doesn't say much. However, back home my parents are saying that my dog's getting a bit nervous, and she's one of the rare dogs that doesn't freak out during thunderstorms.

[Mauve Shirt]

My mom's been worrying about it since Friday. We've got batteries and water and nonperishable food and stuff. Even if the storm doesn't kill tens of thousands of people and ruin everyone's lives, if the power goes out we won't have it for 5 days and that's going to suck real bad.

[pendell]

I'm in DC. Susan and I are working through the checklist (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/hurricane-sandy-how-to-prepare-for-the-storm/2012/10/25/7d6846c0-1ec5-11e2-9746-908f727990d8_story.html?hpid=z2).

Realistically, it is unlikely we'll have much flooding, so the most likely inconvenience will be power loss for an extended period of time. I am telling work I will work from home tomorrow so, if something happens, I don't have to drive all the way back home in stormy conditions.

ETA:

Most likely impact (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/hurricane-sandy-and-washington-dc-detailed-storm-timeline-maps-and-frequent-questions/2012/10/28/2c24af1a-2127-11e2-ac85-e669876c6a24_blog.html)



How will Sandy compare with the D.C. derecho? Sandy is a slow-moving, large-scale storm capable of strong winds and heavy rain over an extended period. Whereas the derecho devastated locations across the D.C. area in a matter of minutes. Impact-wise, we’d recommend preparing for the same impacts as the derecho - downed trees and the potential for multiple days without power.

On the positive side, utilities and local governments and the public will have had several days warning this time versus several hours (if that) for the derecho. So, there’s a chance the impacts may not be quite as bad or last quite as long. But you should prepare for the worst and hope for the best.


That's my gut feeling as well. I believe that as far as the human impact it will not be as severe as the derecho that hit us last time because 1) It is sustained and long-term, rather than sudden 2) We've had multiple days warning 3) Hopefully, all the trees that would knock out power were all knocked down last time :).

At the very least, those trees that went over last time have zero potential to go over this time.

I've heard people complain about that -- the reason so many people go out of power up here in northern virginia is because so many rich landowners won't allow their trees to be trimmed. So in any storm, soft ground + heavy crown = over it goes. And everyone's out of power for multiple days. :smallannoyed:

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[snoopy13a]

You can't predict whether there'll be flooding or whether fallen trees will knock down power lines. Who would have guessed that Irene would have devasted Vermont, for example?

This could be very bad or this could be a few days of rain.

[Mauve Shirt]

The power stays out for days at a time here. We're only about 30 houses on 1 switch in my neighborhood, so we're the last priority. If the power goes out, I'll probably be taking showers at work. :smallsigh:

http://icons.wunderground.com/data/640x480/2xradarb5_anim.gif Here it is, sitting there like a giant slug of moisture. Not doing much yet.

[The Succubus]

*is going to worry like hell about the East Coast Playgrounders* :smallfrown:

[Starwulf]

I will be honest. I have seen this happen before. The more they overhype the storm on its way, the less likely it will actually hit us. Even if it does, big deal, this isnt the 1400s, we will be fine. So we might be without power for a week. Meh. Virtually everyone will have friends or family that has had power restored at some point, and the roads will be cleared within a day, so its not like we cant just bunk together. Seriously though, thats the only real big worry, "Omg, we will lose powa!" Meh, thats why god invented the wool sweater and blankets. Its october, not february, we wont die in -50 degree weather. Worst we will suffer from is boredom and an overindulgence in cereal.

Lol...Roads cleared in a day? Man it must be nice to live somewhere where that stuff happens quickly. If we even get half of the predicted 2 feet, it'll take them 2-3 days before they clear the roads where I live. If we get the full brunt of the storm, it could take 4 days before they manage to plow us out. Also, elec being out for a week = all your food going bad. That's not exactly a good thing. For me, it's more or less devastating, it'll take me a year or more to re-stockpile food again.

[Totally Guy]

*is going to worry like hell about the East Coast Playgrounders* :smallfrown:

And me. Right? :smalltongue:

[Traab]

Lol...Roads cleared in a day? Man it must be nice to live somewhere where that stuff happens quickly. If we even get half of the predicted 2 feet, it'll take them 2-3 days before they clear the roads where I live. If we get the full brunt of the storm, it could take 4 days before they manage to plow us out. Also, elec being out for a week = all your food going bad. That's not exactly a good thing. For me, it's more or less devastating, it'll take me a year or more to re-stockpile food again.

Its not like they wait for the snow to stop falling first. As soon as it starts the sand crews are out, as soon as it starts to stick, the plows come out, and they stay out till the snow stops. Main roads and highways rarely get more than an inch or three on them before the plow comes by again. Side roads might be rough, but they generally are at least driveable, if challenging. Really, road clearance is the least of my worries. Only potential downside is if a lot of trees somehow wind up in the roads. Which they shouldnt, as the road crews have been busting their butts cutting back the trees growing too close.

[Alaris]

You mean the Snowicane? That's what my house is calling it, what with the Snow Storm hitting the Hurricane.

[Dr.Epic]

And me. Right? :smalltongue:

Also Zoidburg.

[Mauve Shirt]

And the rain has finally begun.

[Dr.Epic]

I wish this hurricane was more like the Hurricane (http://www.hrwiki.org/wiki/The_Hurricane#The_Hurricane).

[Amidus Drexel]

Yeah, it's raining here too. I've got some friends that live next to a creek - they'll probably be finding a hotel nearby if it gets too bad. I just hope the power doesn't go out and stay out, like it did the last time we had a storm...

[Loki_42]

I'm in Virginia right now. It's pretty windy and rainy, and I've got school cancelled tomorrow, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything really bad.

[Traab]

Yeah, it's raining here too. I've got some friends that live next to a creek - they'll probably be finding a hotel nearby if it gets too bad. I just hope the power doesn't go out and stay out, like it did the last time we had a storm...

See now, thats a concern in ct, but considering the rather violent threats the power company is under after the fiasco last year, I think the power will come back on about as fast as is humanly possible. Seriously, I know it was our governor sounding tough for the voters, but if the company messes up this time, it will likely cost them big time in fines and sanctions. Of course, said costs will trickle right back down to us in the end.

[Lateral]

I'm up here in Boston. I have school cancelled tomorrow; since Sandy is some kind of nor'easter/regular hurricane hybrid, and since we're supposed to get rain rather than snow (surprisingly), as far as I can tell we'll be getting worse than the normal hurricane remnants that pop up here but not as bad as last year's Halloween nor'easter. (Wow, big scary storms on Halloween two years in a row. What are the odds?)

The rain's barely started at this point, though. Kind of further north than most of the rest of you.

[pendell]

Remember: the fear of a thing is often worse than the thing itself.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Togath]

not to insult you east coast people, but it doesn't sound that bad(then again, from my experience, a lot of people tend to over react about weather in places in the U.S. other then the west coast[and especially compared to coastal western Washington, then again, we aren't really fazed by much, for example during some flooding a few years ago most people just kept on going about buisness as usual, just driving around the ponds in the road])
two feet of snow and some heavy wind just sounds like an average strong, fall/winter storm for here(it may be different in other places, especially since we don't get tornados or hurricanes here).

[Lateral]

not to insult you east coast people, but it doesn't sound that bad(then again, from my experience, a lot of people tend to over react about weather in places other then the west coast[and especially compared to coastal western Washington, then again, we aren't really fazed by much])
two feet of snow and some heavy wind just sounds like an average strong, fall/winter storm.
As a New Englander, I'd have to agree, at least simply in strength. You have to remember, though, that that isn't all we're talking about. It's also affecting the entire East Coast, a good deal further inland than your average storm, and a lot of the places affected don't get this kind of weather regularly. The damage that two feet of snow and nearly gale-force winds can do is huge when the buildings and such aren't built to withstand that kind of weather.

[Togath]

Ah, the buildings thing hadn't occured to me, good point about that bit.

[Dr.Epic]

The power stays out for days at a time here. We're only about 30 houses on 1 switch in my neighborhood, so we're the last priority. If the power goes out, I'll probably be taking showers at work. :smallsigh:

http://icons.wunderground.com/data/640x480/2xradarb5_anim.gif Here it is, sitting there like a giant slug of moisture. Not doing much yet.

Wow! That picture has moving in it.

[Togath]

Something else I just now wondered about; how common are redunant power supplies to houses in other parts of the country?

[Amidus Drexel]

Something else I just now wondered about; how common are redunant power supplies to houses in other parts of the country?

Where I am? Fairly uncommon. Generators aren't hard to get, but not everyone has one (and I can't think of anyone that has one that would power their whole house). The one I've got is pretty small.

[Togath]

No, I meant more then one power line(or box thingy?, never been sure which would matter in that case). Since I moved to a city about six years ago my home generally seems like it has 2-3 power sources going to it(sometimes it'll have it's power go out for about 5-10 seconds before turning back on). Due to not having lived in a city before then(other then for a short time when I was very young) I had assumed until now that the multiple power source thing was normal in cities/large towns.

[Amidus Drexel]

No, I meant more then one power line(or box thingy?, never been sure which would matter in that case). Since I moved to a city about six years ago my home generally seems like it has 2-3 power sources going to it(sometimes it'll have it's power go out for about 5-10 seconds before turning back on). Due to not having lived in a city before then(other then for a short time when I was very young) I had assumed until now that the multiple power source thing was normal in cities/large towns.

Oh, no. I'm a ways out of town. There's only one line to my house for power.

[thubby]

Really? That's strange. None of the 3 airports around us have cancelled any flights yet and we're supposed to get it before and probably worse than New York will. I'm very much hoping that they don't. My dad and Zeb were supposed to fly in on Tuesday, but because we didn't think they would make it in, they're trying to fly in today. At least Zeb is, I don't know if my dad will make it until tomorrow...then he'll really run into problems getting here.

this sometimes happens for big hubs like newark international. it actually comes down to where to put all the freaking aircraft.
the weather may not be hostile yet, but EVERYTHING that cant get out of there in the next 5-or-so hours needs to be put somewhere safe, and that means they cant have MORE coming in.

im gonna be in the middle of this thing, but my house is towards the top of a hill and well inland. i wouldnt be surprised if people wound up at the nearby church.

[Kurgan]

Why yes, I do work at a grocery store, and yes, my weekend has been miserable, with swarms and swarms of angry customers. :smallmad: You live in Western New York, you should already be prepared for storms!

This, just this. Had to come in on my day off, and we still barely stayed afloat. My favorite term for it comes from a customer who came through about 4-5 years back: It is the "Oh god the sky is falling!" crowd. They actually stopped bothering refilling the shelves in the water aisle about midway through Saturday and instead just dumped pallets full of cases throughout the store.

That said, my favorite is just how much panic shoppers seem to like buying perishable foods. Power outage? By god get some yogurt, it is the only way to stop the storm!

And yes, in New York, first big storm of the year gets this hard, and then after about the 3rd or 4th storm of the season, people suddenly remember that most of the roads are cleared within a day and stop panicking.

[Mauve Shirt]

So glad I don't work at a grocery store anymore.

[pendell]

No, I meant more then one power line(or box thingy?, never been sure which would matter in that case). Since I moved to a city about six years ago my home generally seems like it has 2-3 power sources going to it(sometimes it'll have it's power go out for about 5-10 seconds before turning back on). Due to not having lived in a city before then(other then for a short time when I was very young) I had assumed until now that the multiple power source thing was normal in cities/large towns.


I had a discussion with a power line guy outside my apartment during the last storm. He was waiting to throw the switch to turn the power back onto our block but was waiting for permission to do so from up the line.

Normally our area has a multiply-redundant network, so that if a tree takes down one line power can be restored to everywhere within seconds by the miracle of switching. He says that most people never even notice power outages for just that reason. It's only when a lot of lines are taken down, or when the line coming out of a substation is cut, that there are lengthy outages.

Once the lines ARE down, they can't just flip the switch and turn them back on. They need to reconstruct a route and double and triple check to make sure that A) it is safe to do so and won't blow out every house on the line, as well as starting fires et al B) that all the workers are clear of the line, as working on a power line when it suddenly goes active can be an ... unpleasant experience. Electrocution often is.

That's why he was sitting in front of my apartment watching his cell phone for an incoming message. Because he has to be absolutely sure that flipping the switch will result in lights for everyone instead of fires, electrocutions, and even wider outages with a longer repair time. The ambulance-chasing lawyers who turn up whenever there's a hint of liability makes the power company even more cautious.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Orzel]

When Irene went by here, my power was out for a day. And I spent an hour with an electric drain machine keeping my drains clear of debris.

Worst of all, something broke my window and let the rain in. Near the bookshelf.

I will remember you
4th ED DMG 1
4th ED MM 1
Order of the Stick Adventure Game Instruction Manual

:frown::furious:

I just finished sealing up mu books.

[Traab]

This, just this. Had to come in on my day off, and we still barely stayed afloat. My favorite term for it comes from a customer who came through about 4-5 years back: It is the "Oh god the sky is falling!" crowd. They actually stopped bothering refilling the shelves in the water aisle about midway through Saturday and instead just dumped pallets full of cases throughout the store.

That said, my favorite is just how much panic shoppers seem to like buying perishable foods. Power outage? By god get some yogurt, it is the only way to stop the storm!

And yes, in New York, first big storm of the year gets this hard, and then after about the 3rd or 4th storm of the season, people suddenly remember that most of the roads are cleared within a day and stop panicking.

Yeah I used to work at costco and have had the same thing happen. Its a bit less of a mess, simply due to the sheer volume of pallets that can be brought out of the various waters. Lets face it, 6 pallets of water do vanish slower than 1. :p And then you add in the fact that there are also 6 pallets each of another half dozen types of water bottle and you have a slow drain fairly easy to keep up with. When it runs low, just slam the pile with 4 guys with pallet jacks and bang, back to full in short order.

But yeah, the panic is so freaking annoying. I havent gotten truly worried over a storm in years. Even the very worst ones are rarely that bad. A power outage is rarely the end of the world, even an extended one. Its an annoyance mainly, and there are always work arounds since roads are rarely blocked for long. In truth, the after effects are more BORING than scary. No tv, no internet, no movies, bleh.

[pendell]

Turn has started. While we in DC are in the line of the storm, it seems like the largest impact will be felt in NYC and the Jersey shore. Listening to the weather channel on streaming youtube. It sounds like it's pretty impressive on the Hudson river.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Debbie_D]

Meh
Too much hype = too little effects.

[pendell]

So who else laid in a stack of manga in case of power outage from the local library? :smallredface:

Actually, I laid in that stack ANYWAY, but we've got to have our priorities straight.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Leecros]

Personally i dug out my old Gameboy Color and Pokemon Gold&Silver, extra batteries for it, and the light i bought for it ages ago.


If pokemon can't keep me occupied for the longest possible time the power could be out then i think we're all in trouble...

[MonkeyBusiness]

So who else laid in a stack of manga in case of power outage from the local library? :smallredface:


I love you, Brian. :smallbiggrin: That's the most sensible precaution I've ever heard about. Except maybe Orzel's precaution of sealing up the bookshelf. Sorry to hear about that. :smallfrown: Take care up there.
.

[mansa]

I live in yonkers the rain has not started yet and the wind is fairly pleasant. I hope it stays that way.

[Talya]

This is bullpoop.

If we're going to get a hurricane in Ontario, I also want my 80 degree winters and palm trees. Frack this partial-caribbean weather.

I must organize a protest. Maybe sue some meteorologists (in an italian court.)

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Rains a pouring, winds a blowing. The hurricane proper isn't hitting in Philadelphia, but it doesn't affect me...I still have to be in to work despite how bad it is. I may end up just staying here. The good news is that work has HUGE back up generators, so i'll have a shower, and power to charge my phone, and so on.

[The Succubus]

This is bullpoop.

If we're going to get a hurricane in Ontario, I also want my 80 degree winters and palm trees. Frack this partial-caribbean weather.

I must organize a protest. Maybe sue some meteorologists (in an italian court.)

Yes, I heard about that. Rather ridiculous, wasn't it?

Reminds me of a famous UK weatherman called Michael Fish. He stated that the Great Storm of 1987 would miss the UK and not be an issue. He was rather incorrect with this statement.


And me. Right? :smalltongue:

Of course I worry about you, Guy! :smallbiggrin: I'll be awfully disappointed if you don't come to the UK meetup.


Also Zoidberg.

Let's not go nuts here though....:smalltongue:

[Traab]

Getting gusts of wind, a bit of rain. Everyone is freaking out so much the governor has shut down the highways to all nonessential traffic an hour from now. Im just.... UGH! You would think I need to build an ark or something with how hardcore the state is acting on battening down the hatches here. I swear to god, if I dont see a HOUSE fly by my window before this storm is over, I will be very disappointed.

[snoopy13a]

But yeah, the panic is so freaking annoying. I havent gotten truly worried over a storm in years. Even the very worst ones are rarely that bad. A power outage is rarely the end of the world, even an extended one. Its an annoyance mainly, and there are always work arounds since roads are rarely blocked for long. In truth, the after effects are more BORING than scary. No tv, no internet, no movies, bleh.

Power outages in the spring, summer, and fall, are boring. Power outages in the winter can be scary. That's why out of all the storms, I fear ice storms the most. Two feet of snow in winter? No big deal. Ice storm that knocks out your power for a week in the middle of January? Not so fun...

[Traab]

Power outages in the spring, summer, and fall, are boring. Power outages in the winter can be scary. That's why out of all the storms, I fear ice storms the most. Two feet of snow in winter? No big deal. Ice storm that knocks out your power for a week in the middle of January? Not so fun...

True, but since its october, I wont stress out. Oddly enough, I cant recall the last major ice storm we have had in winter. We generally get power back on really fast anyways, so a day or two of wearing double layers of clothes in the house isnt that bad. Though I suppose if you had babies or old people it would be more worrisome.

[Gamerlord]

Hasn't been too bad over here in NYC, but from what I heard things will start to get real ugly in a few hours.

[Totally Guy]

Of course I worry about you, Guy! :smallbiggrin: I'll be awfully disappointed if you don't come to the UK meetup.

I ran one of the best games I'd ever run yesterday. I ought to volunteer it to the meetup.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

:smallsmile:I'd like to state my DnD group has decided to meet no matter what, rain or shine, power or no.

[Amidus Drexel]

:smallsmile:I'd like to state my DnD group has decided to meet no matter what, rain or shine, power or no.

Yeah, just have the druid cast control weather. Then you can have whatever weather you want!

[Leecros]

Getting gusts of wind, a bit of rain. Everyone is freaking out so much the governor has shut down the highways to all nonessential traffic an hour from now. Im just.... UGH! You would think I need to build an ark or something with how hardcore the state is acting on battening down the hatches here. I swear to god, if I dont see a HOUSE fly by my window before this storm is over, I will be very disappointed.

You have to remember, these meteorologists and politicians are trying to protect lives. The worse they make things sound, the more likely it is that people will heed their warnings. Of course they're over-hyping it a bit. They have to, because the minute they start downplaying it in any way, that's when people get hurt. They don't heed the warnings and bad things happen.

Last year, i don't remember what storm it was, it may have been the hurricane that hit the area last year, but i don't remember exactly. The local weather reporters were downplaying how much of an effect it would have locally. So, no one was really taking it seriously. Some guy was walking along a foot bridge over a small river/stream that was near flood stage. A sudden gust of wind hit and knocked his balance off and he fell in the water. He was lucky to not have drowned.

Now that guy was probably doing something stupid, but the point is. It's important that it gets taken Too seriously than not seriously enough.

[pendell]

:smallsmile:I'd like to state my DnD group has decided to meet no matter what, rain or shine, power or no.

If you're meeting in atlantic city Break out the scuba gear (http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2012/10/29/frankenstorm-most-of-atlantic-city-already-underwater/)

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

If you're meeting in atlantic city Break out the scuba gear (http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2012/10/29/frankenstorm-most-of-atlantic-city-already-underwater/)

Respectfully,

Brian P.

:smalleek: That's crazy. And that's before HIGH TIDE. So glad I'm not in jersey, though I'm a bit worried about where I am in the South East area of PA.

[Mauve Shirt]

The central-MD tragedies so far: Road closures, and a squirrel had to cling onto a tree for an hour. :smalltongue:

[nedz]

If you're meeting in atlantic city Break out the scuba gear (http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2012/10/29/frankenstorm-most-of-atlantic-city-already-underwater/)

Respectfully,

Brian P.
That town would seem to be appropriately named.:smallbiggrin:

[pendell]

Getting gusts of wind, a bit of rain. Everyone is freaking out so much the governor has shut down the highways to all nonessential traffic an hour from now. Im just.... UGH! You would think I need to build an ark or something with how hardcore the state is acting on battening down the hatches here. I swear to god, if I dont see a HOUSE fly by my window before this storm is over, I will be very disappointed.

Will this do?


http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/2816/sandytakei.png


:D

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Pyromancer999]

Apparently, Virginia is going to get a little more than we expected. As an added bonus, we've got a blizzard watch. Sounds really fun.

[MonkeyBusiness]

Half an oak tree just fell on the house I live in. It landed on the deck, crushing the railings and the lid to the hot tub. It also cracked the skylight over my bed, and destroyed some gutters. Not sure how the roof is, but from where I can see it it looks okay.

Could be much worse. But the wind is still blowing. Keep fingers crossed for me, please.

.

[The Succubus]

:eek:

Are you okay Monkey?! The crazy dwarf was right - the trees are attacking!

[rredmond]

:smalleek: That's crazy. And that's before HIGH TIDE. So glad I'm not in jersey, though I'm a bit worried about where I am in the South East area of PA.

I'm in South Jersey, about 10 minutes south of Philly on the east side of the Delaware, and it's pretty nasty wind and rain wise.

[Mynxae]

Half an oak tree just fell on the house I live in. It landed on the deck, crushing the railings and the lid to the hot tub. It also cracked the skylight over my bed, and destroyed some gutters. Not sure how the roof is, but from where I can see it it looks okay.

Could be much worse. But the wind is still blowing. Keep fingers crossed for me, please.

.

Hope you're okay <3

Also, another good thing about this thread.. It's probably better news/info about the storm than the actual news.

[pendell]

Half an oak tree just fell on the house I live in. It landed on the deck, crushing the railings and the lid to the hot tub. It also cracked the skylight over my bed, and destroyed some gutters. Not sure how the roof is, but from where I can see it it looks okay.

Could be much worse. But the wind is still blowing. Keep fingers crossed for me, please.

.

Understood. Praying.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Traab]

It is now VERY windy here, still only light rain though. Just had to reattach the coverings over my grill and snowblower. Didnt even bother with a jacket. But that wind is gusting like mad. Thank god I had already sealed off all my windows with the shrink wrap plastic sealer. Keeps the draft down.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

I'm in South Jersey, about 10 minutes south of Philly on the east side of the Delaware, and it's pretty nasty wind and rain wise.

I'm right by Chester! We're practically across the river from one another. Keep safe.

[Mauve Shirt]

Oh no! Stay safe Monkey! :smalleek: Everyone else too!

[noparlpf]

I'm on Long Island and I just went biking around campus. It's really not as bad as all that. A couple dozen trees down, a bit of wind (I think it's like 40-60mph right now). Whatever. (Though to be fair the center of it is hitting just south of here in PA.) It was pretty cool having to pedal hard to get downhill against the wind.

[GunnDancer]

Hooray for no power. Thank God for my generator tied to my propane tank. At least I can still access a few items, lights, water, and heat. Good luck to anyone without any of those things! Stay safe!

[rredmond]

I'm right by Chester! We're practically across the river from one another. Keep safe.

And you have a Firefly reference in your sig! ;) We should game sometime.
Me and my daughters were rolling some dice before, 1E characters in B1, heh, what fun.
You be safe too, and everyone else enjoying the driving rain and wind right now.

[Alarra]

Half an oak tree just fell on the house I live in. It landed on the deck, crushing the railings and the lid to the hot tub. It also cracked the skylight over my bed, and destroyed some gutters. Not sure how the roof is, but from where I can see it it looks okay.

Could be much worse. But the wind is still blowing. Keep fingers crossed for me, please.

.
Scary. Hope the roof's okay.

Let's see.... here, half our power went out (bizarre, right?)...and the power company has already come out and fixed it. Yay living right next to their staging area!. The neighbors gutter blew off their roof and hit our front porch, but other than that, not too much but wind. We're packing and my crazy father keeps putting stuff out on the deck no matter how much I protest. So far nothing's blown away, but I'll be very mad when the baker's rack comes through a window.

[Traab]

Power flickered off twice in 5 minutes and right back on. Just long enough to reset our clocks and shut down the computers. /sigh Ive got a crock pot of beef stew on right now, that stuff stays hot for hours even when you TRY to cool it, so this way if we lose power, we still have a hot meal waiting for the rest of the day. Just made what I call a mega mug of hot tea, (7 cups baby) since the power seems kinda tenuous, wanted that done before it goes for good, if it does. The downpour has finally hit, and the wind is raging as it has been. Time to see how bad things get.

[pendell]

If you're the praying or thinking good thoughts type, spare one for the emergency crews. Just saw on the Virginia Power (https://www.dom.com/dominion-virginia-power/index.jsp) website that they're out in this mess risking their lives so we have power to our playstations.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[MonkeyBusiness]

Traab, that crockpot idea is simply brilliant. Wish I'd thought of it.

Thanks for all the good wishes. So far, I'm doing okay. However the power flicks on and off, as does my cell phone connection. And the wind gusts seem to be increasing in strength.

I've moved my pets away from the most vulnerable corner of the house. We will all sleep downstairs tonight, just to be safe. Meanwhile, I have been comforting myself with slices of cake.


.

[Starwulf]

Well, apparently Hancock has closed it's roads, no going in or out of it now, they've been closed since 3pm this afternoon. The Potomac has 9 foot waves, and is expected to breach it's banks shortly. My electricity has been blinking(but not gone off) for the last hour or so. Filled my tub up with water so we had water to flush our toilet with once it does go out. Temperature is steadily dropping, down to 38 up here on the mountain, I imagine come tonight we'll be getting snow or Ice. Beyond Hancock(which I'm 8 miles outside of), the next nearest town, Berkeley Springs, WV is under a flood watch/warning(not sure which, I think warning tho), and I've heard they are going to close their roads soon as well(since they'll be impassable anyways).

Weather person on TV just said we will likely see steady rain all the way into Wednesday afternoon, possibly even into Wednesday night. School has already been cancelled for tomorrow, I have a feeling they'll be closed on Wednesday as well. Makes my daughter happy ^^

[Orzel]

Lost internet for a second. Not much of an issue if i didn't have to go outside every hour to clean the leaves out the outdoor drain. Got hit in the face with a branch. :smallmad:

Keep me in your thoughts as I keep you in mine.

EDIT: Just lost power. Mooching internet off neighbor's wifi with phone. TTFN.

[Telonius]

Checking in from Leesburg, VA here. All safe and dry so far; just a minor amount of water seeping in from the sliding glass door, one towel strategically stuffed into the track has solved that. (Add another thing to their long list of uses). Loads of wind, quite a bit of rain, and a bunch of power outages in the rural areas. Looks to be mostly downed power lines so far, but the worst of the rain is supposed to happen in the next 24 hours.

I think we're pretty fortunate that the trees had already lost a lot of leaves; less area for the wind to catch and propel.

[Leecros]

Here in Central PA, the wind has picked up considerably in the last half hour or so. It's been pretty fine all day long. It rained quite a bit, but the wind itself wasn't that bad.


The wind is starting to get bad now....

[The Glyphstone]

Philadelphia seems to be avoiding the worst of it, if central PA's already getting windy. It rained a lot, but no power loss or winds here I've noticed.

[Mauve Shirt]

Keep losing power for a few seconds then regaining it. It went black, and now I have a White Russian when I did not before. There is a bartending ninja in my house.

[Telonius]

Just a brief power outage here. Stuck out my head to look to see if there was a transformer blown, and when I looked down, my drink was gone. :smallfrown:

[Acanous]

See? This is why I told folks to come hang out in Canada.
One Park Ridge, NJ resident did so, and now she's staying in my garage, nice and safe from the storms.

To those of you stuck down there, good luck, and stay warm.

[Mauve Shirt]

My favorite tweet of this entire event:
http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii197/h0wupdohighknee/Petersagaltweet.png

[Starwulf]

Amazingly still have electricity, though it's been dimming and blinking for the last hour repeatedly. Wind has picked up tremendously and the rain has as well. Roof in bathroom has sprung a leak, and about a 4 foot section is extremely damp, guess it'll have to be repaired after Sandy leaves.

Experts are now saying the Potomac will crest higher then it has at any time since 1996.

[MonkeyBusiness]

I know what you mean, Starwulf. It's weird: I have half a tree sitting on my hottub, and the gutter has been bent into a question mark. But I still have power, and am watching a movie on television. The movie?

Inherit the Wind :smallbiggrin:


.

[Leecros]

Philadelphia seems to be avoiding the worst of it, if central PA's already getting windy. It rained a lot, but no power loss or winds here I've noticed.

It's just getting gradually more windy here. The wind picks up and blows for awhile then slows down. Then half an hour - hour later it picks up again, blowing harder before slowing down, but not as slow as before. We are getting sustained winds here probably between 15-20 mph with gusts up to probably 30 or 40.

[The Underlord]

I can only imagine everyone in New Orleans watching the news and thinking.
http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3rk82f/ edit: picture wasn't loading properly

[IsaacTheHungry]

News from Fairfax, Va

Flooding

IN THE HOUSE :smalleek:


True it is a slightly sunken room so it is only one room at the moment

Edit: we are near the top of a hill so this is from water flowing down the hill and from our gutters

[Mauve Shirt]

Oh no Isaac! :smalleek: Good luck!

[Neftren]

Hah, I'm so glad I'm not home right now. I'm always last to get power back on the outage maps (blasted Pepco).

For some reason, classes were cancelled today (I'm in Upstate NY currently) and it was barely overcast. It's just a moderate rain right now. Lucky me I suppose.

[Slipperychicken]

I'm staying in a hotel in PA. No problems here so far. Power's on, internet's up, lots of food, the cats aren't whining.

Probably not going anywhere till Wednesday, so I don't think I'll need to worry about rain or wind or gloom of night.

[pendell]

News from Fairfax, Va

Flooding

IN THE HOUSE :smalleek:


True it is a slightly sunken room so it is only one room at the moment

Edit: we are near the top of a hill so this is from water flowing down the hill and from our gutters

Noted. Prayers. I'm glad to be on top of Munson hill where flooding is very uncommon.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Alarra]

Keep losing power for a few seconds then regaining it. It went black, and now I have a White Russian when I did not before. There is a bartending ninja in my house.

Nice! I want a bartending ninja! Everything's still good at our house.

[Traab]

So far, so good, a few more flickers is all, my computer didnt even fully shut down this time. Every year this kind of thing happens, I give my thanks that I live on the top portion of a hill. Flooding just doesnt really happen on 90% of my street. Its the wind damage we have to worry about. But even then, I wouldnt be surprised to know that we got the vast majority of our dead wood or easily broken tree branches last year.

[Starwulf]

News from Fairfax, Va

Flooding

IN THE HOUSE :smalleek:


True it is a slightly sunken room so it is only one room at the moment

Edit: we are near the top of a hill so this is from water flowing down the hill and from our gutters

Terribly sorry to hear that man :-(. Will keep you in my thoughts!

[SDF]

Good luck little buddies... I think I am going to stay in Idaho for a little while.

And please be mindful of flying reporters (http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/2012/10/30/09/55/cnn-reporter-almost-blown-away-by-hurricane-sandy)

[AtlanteanTroll]

Not losing power or anything, but even in central Ohio we're getting pretty stormy conditions.

Up North near Lake Erie on the other hand...

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/21759_10151311472459369_527414487_n.png

[Starwulf]

Hmm, power just went out for about 3 minutes then came back on. Is this a prelude?! Stay tuned as we find out shortly here in the life of Starwulf!

[Acanous]

Phone service in some affected areas is now down. There may be posters unable to do so.

[Benson]

Lost internet for a second. Not much of an issue if i didn't have to go outside every hour to clean the leaves out the outdoor drain. Got hit in the face with a branch. :smallmad:

Keep me in your thoughts as I keep you in mine.

EDIT: Just lost power. Mooching internet off neighbor's wifi with phone. TTFN.

My thoughts, you're in them, you stay safe or I'll be sore with you and bring out a switch :smalltongue:

^^

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Not losing power or anything, but even in central Ohio we're getting pretty stormy conditions.

Up North near Lake Erie on the other hand...

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/21759_10151311472459369_527414487_n.png

Perhaps that's stuff from the Noreaster?

Anywho, this wombat's burrow is fine! (I was smart and made my burrow be ABOVE ground - 3rd story). No power loss, no trees down in the parking lot, no windows leaked. Still, I'm a security supervisor and still have to go into work. That will be interesting! Wish me luck.

[Orzel]

No power.
Street light fell near house.
Minor sewer backup.

I hate hurricanes.

EDIT.

Someone had a car accident dodge above downed street light. Called police.

And there goes my fence!

[The Succubus]

Oooo, are we doing haiku based on hurricanes now? Haikucanes? Ahem...

Strong wind and cold rain
Power supply keeps cutting off
I hate hurricanes

[pendell]

No power.
Street light fell near house.
Minor sewer backup.

I hate hurricanes.

EDIT.

Someone had a car accident dodge above downed street light. Called police.

And there goes my fence!

Prayers continue. Here in DC the worst seems to be over. I look outside and instead of wind whipping around the outside appears calm and rain appears minimal. You guys must still be in the path of it.



Oooo, are we doing haiku based on hurricanes now? Haikucanes? Ahem...

Strong wind and cold rain
Power supply keeps cutting off
I hate hurricanes


Hmm....



As the leaves fall down
A mighty wind stirs them up
Rain covers the land



I'm told a haiku needs to include a seasonal word.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Kobold-Bard]

My I.T. support guy is insisting that the entirety of New York City has been evacuated. Can anyone confirm/deny this, because that sounds insane and I refuse to believe him.

[Orzel]

My I.T. support guy is insisting that the entirety of New York City has been evacuated. Can anyone confirm/deny this, because that sounds insane and I refuse to believe him.

Untrue claims.
I am still in New York City.
Only Zone A is evacuated. The "Beachfront" and small islands.

I can't leave my house as a live fallen street light in in the intersection.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

I can deny it. Parts of NYC close to the ocean had mandatory evacuations, but the entire city was certainly not evacuated.

Here's a handy map: http://project.wnyc.org/news-maps/hurricane-zones/hurricane-zones.html

[mattie_p]

My I.T. support guy is insisting that the entirety of New York City has been evacuated. Can anyone confirm/deny this, because that sounds insane and I refuse to believe him.

Umm, where would 10 million people go? He probably just means Manhatten, but even that can't be evacuated, tunnels and bridges are closed, last I heard. NY Times has nothing about 100% evacuation.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Umm, where would 10 million people go? He probably just means Manhatten, but even that can't be evacuated, tunnels and bridges are closed, last I heard. NY Times has nothing about 100% evacuation.

Especially since most of the evacuation areas were inside the city. :smallbiggrin:

[MonkeyBusiness]

Kobold bard, I hope your IT guy is better at IT that at current events and, evidently, common sense.

Pendell, you are right. However, in the second example, "leaves" would be the word. But perhaps you knew that. Crickets and crysanthemums are typical "fall words" in traditional haiku. Maybe you knew that too.

Ahem:

First, down swirled the leaves.
Then, a branch: tree shattered.
****. There go my mums.

Well. It's a work in progress. Like the branch on my hot tub.

Haiku after Basho's "Excuse Me, Toad, While I Plant This Bamboo"

Excuse me, hot tub,
While I remove this damn branch.
Boy, do I wish you had legs.

If only the hot tub were ambulatory. I would have invited it inside.
Or at least had fun watching it run around the yard, sloshing, and dodging the falling branches.

*reads what just wrote*

Hm. You know, a night spent on the sofa did my brain no good at all.

-Tired Haiku Monkey

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Oh, Monkey, I'm just glad you're okay! I'm sorry about your hottub. I had a friend who had a tree fall on their house in similar fashion, and another who's car got crushed 15 minutes before they were getting into it.

[Telonius]

Well, it's morning, and we're not underwater. Cat is no longer freaked out, daughter slept the whole night through (though in our bed) and is now demanding chocolate for having made it through a hurricane. It looks like we only lost power for a couple minutes last night. No major road closures in our city. So all in all, I think we got off pretty easy.

[Leliel]

Well, we over here in WV are fine...

...Except for the trees. Trees everywhere.

I count at least two blocking the road.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Hey, how's everyone doing? I'm okay, but my family back home has no power and they might not for a while--I haven't been able to call them yet this morning. I know they're mostly okay, though something smashed my dad's windshield and there was a downed power line down the block on fire and the basement's probably flooded again. But if that's all I have to worry about then we got off lucky.

[Mauve Shirt]

Wind has died down in PC. We haven't lost electricity thank goodness. A few trees are down in the culdesac. The rain is still coming, and the snowstorm from the west is supposed to come and blow the trees in opposite directions knocking even more over, so we're still supposed to stay inside all day.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Wind seems to be picking up again, but I believe the worst is over. There are some power outages near my work, but my area and the area my family and girl friend live seem to be doing alright and still have power. Praying for the people in the south that are getting heaps of snow, and those without power or with damages. <3

[Ashtar]

I heard from my partner's family in New Jersey, seems they were very lucky. No flooding and only "a light drizzle (...)" and some strong winds (Marlton, NJ). Thank heavens for that!

Hope you are all okay. I hold all you playgrounders in the area in my thoughts!

[pendell]

Had 2 or 3 flickers on the power, but otherwise came through without a problem. I was mildly surprised, because our power grid crashes horribly if there's even the tiniest gust of wind, but my power stayed on all night. 100,000 people were out of power in Virginia overnight. IIRC, that's less than the peak of the big summer storm we had.



If only the hot tub were ambulatory. I would have invited it inside.
Or at least had fun watching it run around the yard, sloshing, and dodging the falling branches.


I could have sworn I saw that in A Nightmare Before Christmas -- or at least the Kingdom Hearts world based on it (Halloween town) .

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Debbie_D]

Is the Giant in the path of the storm?

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Is the Giant in the path of the storm?

The giant is on the east coast, yes. Hopefully he faired well also.

[Traab]

How about this rumor? I heard the ny stock exchange was under 3 feet of water last night. No confirmation on if it was more than rumor though.

[Kobold-Bard]

Umm, where would 10 million people go?

...

You ask a very insightful question that we were putting to him all morning, his answer was "elsewhere in another State" and "anywhere". He is excellent at IT support, but yeah he is a hit of a nutter it seems.

[The Succubus]

If only the hot tub were ambulatory. I would have invited it inside.
Or at least had fun watching it run around the yard, sloshing, and dodging the falling branches.

*reads what just wrote*

Hm. You know, a night spent on the sofa did my brain no good at all.

-Tired Haiku Monkey

You know, "Busted Hot Tub Blues" would be an awesome song.

Tis good to hear everyone's okay so far. Although that business with the car was a little freaky.

So we've moved on from haikus to "Unlikely New York Rumors"? Hmmm, I'm not a Troglander but I'll take a shot:

I heard that New York has been partially evacuated and now armed schools of dolphins are looting and pillaging the waterfront.

[pendell]

I've heard that a tentacled monstrosity has surfaced in new york harbor and no weapons are having any effect on it. Perhaps they'll get an ocean liner to try to ram it. That worked in "The Mountains of Madness" , after all.

Tongue-in-cheek,

Brian P.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Nope, that one is false as well.

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-new-york-stock-exchange-floor-is-not-flooded-2012-10

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20121029-717525.html

[Debbie_D]

now armed schools of dolphins are looting and pillaging the waterfront.

Wasnt that an old Simpsons episode?

[Orzel]

Battling the minions of the Ancient Evils. They got Staten Island.

Send ammo.

[MonkeyBusiness]

Rumor Haiku:

Seriously, now:
It's true. Lower Manhattan
Is staying with you.



No seasonal word, but it will have to do.
My tendency when faced with stupid rumors is to pretend they are true and take 'em to the next level. As in:

IT Guy: Did you hear? They've evacuated NYC! All of it!
Me: I know! Crazy, right? How many are coming to stay with you?
IT Guy: Uh ... what?
Me: didn't you hear the update? Everyone on the east coast is getting at least one refugee from NY or NJ. We all have to do our part. I got five arriving this afternoon. How many you got?


Monkey has little patience for rumors.

.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Battling the minions of the Ancient Evils. They got Staten Island.

Send ammo.

Oh no! They found the fish market! Now they have a pourpoise!

[Ravens_cry]

Oh no! They found the fish market! Now they have a pourpoise!
Sounds fishy to me. Let's fin those fiends and bring down the Wrath of Cod on them. No need to perch like a bunch of clown fish, we shall be their worst anemones! Cry halibit, and let slip the dog sharks of war!
Seriously, I'm not squidding.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Sounds fishy to me. Let's fin those fiends and bring down the Wrath of Cod on them. No need to perch like a bunch of clown fish, we shall be their worst anemones! Cry halibit, and let slip the dog sharks of war!
Seriously, I'm not squidding.

Raven - you need to go here. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=253285) And read the directions carefully. Veeeery carfully

You won't regret it.

(also, have an internet. because this post is awesome)

[Mauve Shirt]

Ms Cry, I'm with the pun police, and I'm afraid we're going to have to take you down to the station for questioning.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Ms Cry, I'm with the pun police, and I'm afraid we're going to have to take you down to the station for questioning.

Officer! Your car looks tired! I don't think it can run in that condition! Here, let me get those off for you. *Sings in sharp notes to make the tires flat and then removes the tires* Good thing I sang in the right key so I could unlock those handcuffs for you, Raven!

[The Succubus]

You'd have to be quick though. Otherwise the dolphins will get her instead.

[Socratov]

forgive me, but why do I read the threadtitle as "East Coasters, Are you ready to ROCK!

for some eldritch reason the severity of this phenomenon escapes me. (it certainly helps that I'm in Europe, may miles away).

for those having trouble because of Sandy, I wish you strength and luck. Mostly luck. May the lady look upon you with the favor she grants Rincewind.

[Ravens_cry]

Ms Cry, I'm with the pun police, and I'm afraid we're going to have to take you down to the station for questioning.
It's probably best if you tuna round now; I can kipper up all day and all night. Pun police or no, I do what I eel, and nothing you can do will hake me stop.

[Orzel]

New York City subways out for 3-5 days according to Hizzoner.

[Kobold-Bard]

New York City subways out for 3-5 days according to Hizzoner.

Train or sandwich?

[Amidus Drexel]

Well, we got a good bit of rain, although I don't remember any wind (granted, I had my speakers up pretty loud almost all day yesterday, and didn't really look outside much). The rain's actually stopped, although looking at the map, I think I'm going to get some more later today (unless the storm disintegrates or something).


Train or sandwich?

Also, nearly fell out of my chair with that one. :smallbiggrin:

[The Glyphstone]

forgive me, but why do I read the threadtitle as "East Coasters, Are you ready to ROCK!

for some eldritch reason the severity of this phenomenon escapes me. (it certainly helps that I'm in Europe, may miles away).

for those having trouble because of Sandy, I wish you strength and luck. Mostly luck. May the lady look upon you with the favor she grants Rincewind.

Huh. I see it as "Are you ready to....RUMBLE!!!!"

In the voice, of course.

[Neftren]

So I'm just browsing through the NY Times. Looks like the damage to Manhattan and Long Island is extensive. :smallfrown:

[Mando Knight]

forgive me, but why do I read the threadtitle as "East Coasters, Are you ready to ROCK!

Whether you were or not, Sandy was. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWaLxFIVX1s)

[nedz]

Train or sandwich?

Both probably.

[Ravens_cry]

Seriously bad puns aside, my heart bleeds for you folks and I hope and pray for the safety of your family, friends and loved ones.
Peace and Long Life,
Ravens Cry

[Dr.Epic]

Man, I feel left out. I live in NJ and my power didn't go out once. My heart goes out for all you guys who did experience loss though.

[noparlpf]

School internet at Stony Brook has been down most of the last twenty-odd hours, about; it just came back a few minutes ago (after the RAs assured us it would be down for the next day or two). School's still cancelled tomorrow. Really, if there weren't any trees around the storm wouldn't have been so bad. The only issues have been from trees downed by the wind; there was hardly any rain on this part of the Island. We lost power for about half an hour late last night, so of course everybody promptly went outside to shout to their friends instead of going to sleep like sensible diurnal animals deprived of artificial light. Reading by candlelight is remarkably cozy-feeling, though, so I kept the candle going after the power came back.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Is the Giant in the path of the storm?

Thankfully the Giant lives in Philadelphia and not Queens anymore so he and Mrs. Giant probably escaped the worst of it.


New York City subways out for 3-5 days according to Hizzoner.

I think it's gonna be longer. I'd say at least a week. There's at least 7 feet of flooding in several tunnels; it's going to take a long time to pump out.

[noparlpf]

I was surprised that I have it less bad out on the Island than my family just outside the city, but I guess the way the storm swerved west before getting here probably caused that.

[Orzel]

Heh. My whole neighborhood has no cable nor internet. The part near the shore is flooded. And electricity is only in certain houses. And I got a bat. The radio is so depressing though.

[The Glyphstone]

Thankfully the Giant lives in Philadelphia and not Queens anymore so he and Mrs. Giant probably escaped the worst of it.



I think it's gonna be longer. I'd say at least a week. There's at least 7 feet of flooding in several tunnels; it's going to take a long time to pump out.

Yeah, Philadelphia didn't get hit very hard at all. I didn't even lose power where I live.

No, I don't know where the Giant lives in Philly. No, I've never tried to find out.

[Togath]

And I got a bat.
A small furry, flying rodent bat, or a wood or metal stick used to hit baseballs bat?

[Dr.Epic]

Thankfully the Giant lives in Philadelphia and not Queens anymore so he and Mrs. Giant probably escaped the worst of it.

The Giant live in Phili? That's less than an hour drive for me. Oh man, I can totally start being a stalker now!:smallwink: Previous girlfriends, your off the hook for awhile.
Just kidding if anyone actually thinks I'm being serious.

[Ravens_cry]

The Giant live in Phili? That's less than an hour drive for me. Oh man, I can totally start being a stalker now!:smallwink: Previous girlfriends, you're off the hook for awhile.
Just kidding if anyone actually thinks I'm being serious.
So the ex-girlfriends *aren't* off the hook?:smallwink:

[noparlpf]

The Giant live in Phili? That's less than an hour drive for me. Oh man, I can totally start being a stalker now!:smallwink: Previous girlfriends, your off the hook for awhile.
Just kidding if anyone actually thinks I'm being serious.

Man, I was in Philly a couple of months ago. I could totally have tracked him down and stayed outside his house for days begging for an autograph or DNA sample everytime he left the place.

[Gamerlord]

Lost power on Monday, just got it back. Besides a tree falling over the driveway and having to throw out everything in the fridge, I'm okay. Hope everyone having issues stays safe. :smallfrown:

[Starwulf]

Alright! I am BACK! Lost Electricity at about 5-6a.m. Tuesday morning, and it's just now come back on about 20 minutes ago, so, just shy of 36 hours without. Quite thankful though, because while they initially had told us we'd have it back last night at 10p.m., this morning they were telling us it could potentially be up to 10 days before we regained it. I was sleeping in a half doze on the couch when my wife shouted "IT'S BACK ON", scaring the crap out of me, and my first response was "You're such a liar". That was due to me dreaming about giant spiders attacking me, and when she said that, I thought she was referring to one of them being back on me.

Anyways, the Potomac river is definitely up pretty high from what I could see yesterday(it was freezing cold in our place, so we went for a ride to warm up), I have no doubt it's going to crest pretty high, maybe even end up flooding the town nearest to me, Hancock.

I'll be reading the rest of the thread here soon, I hope others are doing ok and ended up being safe in the storm.

[Dr.Epic]

[/B]
So the ex-girlfriends *aren't* off the hook?:smallwink:

So long as the restraining order isn't finalized.

[Bill Murphy]

I'm a lucky one. Living in Northern New Jersey, I did not lose power or internet. However, EVERYONE I know is currently out of power. And the streets are not safe for them to get to me to charge their phones and watch the news to see exactly how horrible the damage is. Even my next door neighbor is out of power since we do not share the same power grid.

[Traab]

Yeah, Philadelphia didn't get hit very hard at all. I didn't even lose power where I live.

No, I don't know where the Giant lives in Philly. No, I've never tried to find out.

I used to see The Giant on a regular basis, but something came between us. The venetian blinds.

[scurv]

The wind gusts in sandy were kinda worrying, But aside from a little flooding it was almost a non-event. Aside from the people I met at sheetz who were upset that the campground was closed. But that is an extra special
no-comment moment.

[Razgriez]

Well, survived relatively undamaged at home. Lost power Monday afternoon.

That first night was miserable, no electricity meant I didn't have a working sump pump to get rid of the water that seeped in. So from 8:30 at night, to around 4 Tuesday morning, I had to bail water out about 20+ buckets an hour from the hole where the pump is located, to prevent flooding. Tuesday wasn't so bad, though that night it was rather cold in my house. Just got electricity back Wednesday evening.

[hamlet]

I was right in the path of the northern half of the storm (the worst parts kinda split in two at landfall, one going south, one north) and my town got whalloped, though no damage to me personally. Still without power since about 7:00 on Monday, though. Power company says maybe another week to get it back.

[Zherog]

We still don't have power at our house. It went out around 8pm Monday night and hasn't come back since. And there's no word on when we'll be back - this weekend is the current vague rumor circulating around. Thankfully, my parents are awesome and live about 20 minutes away so we've been camped out in their family room since Tuesday.

There's a fair bit of damage in my yard. Our fence was blown apart, and my front yard is littered with sticks and tree branches. The biggest tree branch that came down was about a foot away from my car. No real damage to the house or cars, though.

I'm lucky. A friend who lives in New York lost everything when a wave tainted with sewage crashed through his apartment complex.

[pendell]

I was right in the path of the northern half of the storm (the worst parts kinda split in two at landfall, one going south, one north) and my town got whalloped, though no damage to me personally. Still without power since about 7:00 on Monday, though. Power company says maybe another week to get it back.

What part of the country do you live in? Power in Northern Virginia typically comes back in 48 hours, although some people were without power for close to a week after the July storm.

ETA: Semi-relevant XKCD link (http://www.xkcd.com/1126/) .

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[hamlet]

What part of the country do you live in? Power in Northern Virginia typically comes back in 48 hours, although some people were without power for close to a week after the July storm.

ETA: Semi-relevant XKCD link (http://www.xkcd.com/1126/) .

Respectfully,

Brian P.

Northern NJ. usually, power would be restored fairly rapidly, but like last Halloween, the power loss was so widespread and pervasive that it's taking forever to get things fixed. That, and local and state goverment are getting into lots of arguments over just whose budget pays for removing which particular fallen tree, which of course slows work tremendously.

[pendell]

According to MSNBC (http://www.nbcnewyork.com/video/#!/on-air/as-seen-on/Sandy-Starved-New-Yorkers-Dumpster-Dive/176839571), it's pretty bad.

Simple question: Are there any relief agencies on the case, and where do we send those dollars?

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Zherog]

My power came back around 4pm yesterday. This was by far the longest we've ever had to deal with a power outage at our house (about 68 hours).

Also, heard from my friend in NYC. Things aren't as dire for him as I was originally lead to believe, thankfully. His car is gone - washed out to sea. He's currently not allowed into his apartment complex, due to raw sewage washing in. But his apartment itself is probably OK because he's several floors up. So it's just a matter of when they determine it'll be safe for them to go in and get stuff.

[Ravens_cry]

What kind of insurance would that come under?

[noparlpf]

What kind of insurance would that come under?

Probably auto insurance. More people have auto insurance. Hopefully that covers it, anyway.

[rredmond]

Sometimes insurance doesn't cover "acts of God", but that's where disaster relief comes in hopefully.

[noparlpf]

Sometimes insurance doesn't cover "acts of God", but that's where disaster relief comes in hopefully.

Isn't there such a thing as storm or disaster insurance too? Though most people probably don't have something like that.

[MonkeyBusiness]

Just got the tree removed from the hot tub. The tub itself seems to be okay, though the lid needs to be replaced. And the tub is full of dirt and leaves and looks like a bog. Still have to replace the gutters the tree ripped of on the way down, and fix the skylight.

And I have a nice, neat stack of firewood I will *really* enjoy burning this winter.

.

[Xondoure]

According to MSNBC (http://www.nbcnewyork.com/video/#!/on-air/as-seen-on/Sandy-Starved-New-Yorkers-Dumpster-Dive/176839571), it's pretty bad.

Simple question: Are there any relief agencies on the case, and where do we send those dollars?

Respectfully,

Brian P.

American Red Cross.

[Lord Magtok]

Speaking of the Red Cross, can you believe they have the nerve to ask for money on an NJ radio station? Because they do. Between insurance company ads letting everyone know how to go about contacting them about claims and temporary repairs, the usual radio folk letting us know where we can find an open gas station, and the benefit concert thing, we were hearing the good ol' American Red Cross asking the people most in need to donate their money to help people in need.

Wouldn't be quite so annoying if I'd heard of them doing anything at all in the area. :smallannoyed:

[Xondoure]

They can't exactly specify who in New Jersey hears that broadcast, and it's quite possible there are people there who didn't suffer as badly and would like to know where to give to help the other residents of their state.

[Totally Guy]

Got back to England today. That storm wiped out power and stuff from my lower Manhattan hotel... Made the holiday much harder than it ought to have been. Plus it ruined my plans to see family during my holiday.

But I met Shyaporn (http://www.youtube.com/user/Shyaporn) which wouldn't have happened if my hotel hadn't been affected.

[The Succubus]

Got back to England today. That storm wiped out power and stuff from my lower Manhattan hotel... Made the holiday much harder than it ought to have been. Plus it ruined my plans to see family during my holiday.

But I met Shyaporn (http://www.youtube.com/user/Shyaporn) which wouldn't have happened if my hotel hadn't been affected.

It's good to have you back safe and sound. I thought your flight had been cancelled though?

[Totally Guy]

No. My flight was booked for yesterday. Enough time for JFK to reopen and catch up.

[Orzel]

Still no power at home. 1 of 65 out houses of the 400+ restored in the area. Estimated Date of Restoration from ConEd. November 9th. :(

I have a few friends a few blocks away. Completely lost their basements and cars. Walked over there to comfort. So depressing. At no one got more a few cuts.

Also the main warehouse at work is flooded. Several hundred thousands lost. At least they promised I'll get paid.

There is a 30+ car line and 50+ person line for gas at the gas station on the next block. It wraps around the block.

A cold storm is heading here this week too. I'm gonna freeze. Might stay at my uncle but I fear the looters.

@Totally Guy. I am glad you got back to England.
@Monkey. Sorry about your hot tub.

[noparlpf]

On campus here everything seems mostly okay, but the surrounding area seems to be harder-hit. As I was biking to the supermarket Thursday, I passed loads of downed trees and electric cables, and the supermarket nearer to me still isn't carrying perishable goods, so I had to bike an extra three miles each way to get to the other one in the area.
Back home they still don't have power, but I think they're expecting it within the next week.

[thubby]

well, im still alive.
a full week and we still dont have power, and i spent most of it chasing off thieves with a hatchet.

im up on campus atm and they have things running smoothly here.
sadly, i have to go back home to cold and dark :smallfrown:

btw, the dumpster diving isn't as bad as you think. food reglations demand that grocery stores cant keep things like meat if the freezer goes above x degrees. it's still frozen. the local food town was "throwing out" (read: leaving to stand by hte side of the building) whole palletes of chicken. still frozen all the way through.

[pendell]

well, im still alive.
a full week and we still dont have power, and i spent most of it chasing off thieves with a hatchet.


Glad to hear it. Also glad your roleplaying experience is coming in handy. :smallamused: I'd prefer dual daggers myself .


Respectfully,

Brian P.

[noparlpf]

btw, the dumpster diving isn't as bad as you think. food reglations demand that grocery stores cant keep things like meat if the freezer goes above x degrees. it's still frozen. the local food town was "throwing out" (read: leaving to stand by hte side of the building) whole palletes of chicken. still frozen all the way through.

Sweet. It would be even better if your freezer were working.

[nedz]

btw, the dumpster diving isn't as bad as you think. food reglations demand that grocery stores cant keep things like meat if the freezer goes above x degrees. it's still frozen. the local food town was "throwing out" (read: leaving to stand by hte side of the building) whole palletes of chicken. still frozen all the way through.
Great, but how are you going to cook it ?

Sweet. It would be even better if your freezer were working.

If its below zero outside (or even inside) then that should be fine for a while. Just don't leave it anywhere the foxes can get it :smallbiggrin:

[Amidus Drexel]

Great, but how are you going to cook it ?


If its below zero outside (or even inside) then that should be fine for a while. Just don't leave it anywhere the foxes can get it :smallbiggrin:

He could light a fire... I'm sure there are plenty of burnable things on campus. :smallbiggrin:

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Ah but do they have ranks in survival?

[rredmond]

Hello all. My wife unfortunately has a funeral to go to on Long Island. Can anyone give us suggestions on the drive from South Jersey. I fear it may be too much.

[thubby]

Hello all. My wife unfortunately has a funeral to go to on Long Island. Can anyone give us suggestions on the drive from South Jersey. I fear it may be too much.

public transport is spotty (the train bridge going north into perth amboy has a boat on it), but roads are largely clear.
i would seriously recommend filling gas cans and bringing them with you. gas is rationed and even then the lines are HUGE up here.

last i heard, the new york area was largely back up.


Great, but how are you going to cook it ?


If its below zero outside (or even inside) then that should be fine for a while. Just don't leave it anywhere the foxes can get it :smallbiggrin:

we still have gas and safe running water around where i live. so the stove is good. I have charcoal, lighter fluid, and I've also been piling up fallen branches for firewood if it comes to that.

and ya, its cold enough to keep refrigerated stuff good, but good luck freezing anything.


Glad to hear it. Also glad your roleplaying experience is coming in handy. :smallamused: I'd prefer dual daggers myself .


Respectfully,

Brian P.

as much as i apreciate the levity, chasing off men larger than me with an axe to protect our fuel isn't exactly funny.

[hamlet]

Day 7. Still no power in northern NJ.

Temperature expected to drop to 24F tonight.

Going to have to drain all the pipes and shut off the water to avoid frozen pipes.

Yay. Living in the stone age is lots of fun.

[noparlpf]

I don't know about directions to get to the Island from NJ, but if you bring empty gas tanks you can probably fill up out here, depending on how far you go. Parts of town around here are still out power, but the gas station I passed on the way to the supermarket on Thursday was open and running as normal.

[rredmond]

Thanks!
Our Kia has great mileage. We can make it to LI and back again on one tank. I was worried about lights being out or other road issues. It sounds like she can go and I don't have to worry.

[noparlpf]

Thanks!
Our Kia has great mileage. We can make it to LI and back again on one tank. I was worried about lights being out or other road issues. It sounds like she can go and I don't have to worry.

I'm further east, at Stony Brook, so I don't know what it's like over nearer the crossings from the mainland where the storm hit worse. Out here most (not all yet) of the trees and electric cables seem to be cleaned up, and the bigger roads seem to be running fine. Not that I've gone out much besides the one supermarket run.