Where are you and how are you getting ready for IRENE?

This is my first attempt at a thread so if i screw it up bear with me.

We are all aware of the Hurricane making it's way up the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. That little ladies name is Irene.
The boards are lighting up, so to speak, with threads about the storm, evacuations, etc.
I live just south of Boston, Ma (and yes, the beans are delicious.)
Thankfully there have been no calls for evacuation in my area (not that I would expect there to be, but you never know...)
I am, however, getting prepared. This is probably the first major hurricane of my "Adult" life.
The last really big storm I remember was Bob in august 1991. I was only ten years old and, to me, it was fun. Before that would have to have been Gloria in 1985. If you do your math right you'd see i was four during that one. Probably much scarier to me than Bob but I hardly remember it.
There have been other storms but looking through the list it's plain to see that we haven't been hit with anything major in 20 years.
I've know, with each passing hurricane-free year, that it was only a matter of time until we were hit with something substantial.
If you care to check it out, here is a link to wikipedia that details New England hurricanes.

en.wikipedia.org...

"The Hurricane of 1938" was particularly deadly

"wikipedia" en.wikipedia.org...

In 1944 we had "The Great Atlantic Hurricane"

"wikipedia" en.wikipedia.org...

In 1950 the was "Hurricane Dog" (great name, terrible storm)

"wikipedia" en.wikipedia.org...

In 1954 we were hit with TWO Category 3 Hurricanes in two weeks "Carol":

"wikipedia" Hurricane Carol - Category 3- wind gusts of category four strength in southeast Rhode Island and south coastal Massachusetts in the Buzzards Bay area west of Cape Cod. 60 killed. Extreme damage in coastal south Rhode Island and south coastal Massachusetts. Buzzards Bay damage rivaled 1938 storm.

and "Edna"

"wikipedia" second Category 3 hurricane in two weeks in New England made two landfalls, eye over Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod then again on coast of Maine where very severe losses occurred. Winds recorded at the hourly reading at 90 mph New Bedford Airport, New Bedford, Ma; 100 mph at Taunton, Ma. 112 mph at Milton Ma, and 125 mph at Chilmark, Marthas Vineyard Island.

Hurricanes in New England are uncommon mostly due to the colder waters this far north and tend to dissipate before or shortly after making "landfall". But, with the right conditions, we can get hit rather hard.
We aren't unaccustomed to extreme weather in these parts. Winter can be brutal, and I am not looking forward to the snow.
So what have I done to prepare?
I've checked my supply of batteries and candles.
Went grocery shopping and picked up the essentials.
Bought propane for the grill in case we need it.
Put away all the lawn furniture and any loose items in the yard.
I'm charging up the laptop battery.
Gathering a few things to pass the time with.

Nothing major. I'm not preparing for the zombie apocalypse or anything.

I am worried about damage to my property; both car and home.
Luckily my house is basically flood proof but we also happen to be surrounded by a dozen or more massive trees. All pine except one large oak.
The pines, i hope, will be fine. They've stood the test of time... so far. and I think they will make it through this one.
To be honest, it's the Oak I am worried about. It's already half dead. It's on the neighbors property so if anything happens at least i won't be responsible (and with any luck, if it falls it'll fall on his house-he's a rotten old man.)

I'm surious as to what other might be doing to get prepared. Who is evacuating and who is staying put. What supplies do you have? What sort of damage do you expect?

i'm hoping that the storm doesn't turn out to be as bad as it looks. We'll have to wait to find out though.


One word od advice. DON'T GO OUT DURING THE EYE.
Too many people assume it's over. We don't need anyone visiting Oz (or whereever Hurricanes take you.)

First of all Dorothy was taken away to Oz by a tornado.

But to answer your question it sounds like you are preparing pretty well. I am somewhere between Boston and Providence. I went and filled up my gas tank in my car today. I drew 10 gallons of water out of my well and am storing it in a few of those powerade type coolers with the push button nozzles. I will be parking my car parallel to my house in an effort to shelter it from flying branches or falling trees. We have recently went food shopping, and I have a gasoline generator if we end up losing power for any length of time. I pulled the generator out and started it for 15 minutes today to make sure its working.

Remember to go outside and take down any flags, hanging plants, take in lawn furniture, etc. Make sure there is nothing that can be easily blown around the yard. I personally am in somewhat of a low spot locally. We have only a shallow well, and a seasonal creek next to the house. If we are expecting 10-12 inches of rain in 24-48 hours, flooding is a big concern for me. Remember to take anything of any imporance out of the basement, or at the very least pick it up off the basement floor.

ETA: I forgot to add that I am planning on going camping up in New Hampshire next weekend for Labor Day. I decided to organize and prepare all my camping gear a week or two early. Having rope, lanterns, knives, fire starting materials, backpacking tools, other wilderness survival gear, etc. Its all in a neat pile in my bedroom at the moment.

Just checking the Weather Channel's website
they have "Hurricane Central" keeping track of the storm. I expect we won't be hearing much from the Carolinas for a little while. Hope everyone is staying safe.
If you want to follow the hurricane using "Hurricane Central here is the link:

www.weather.com...

Looks like Hatteras is dead in it's sight right now.

reply to post by MuchTooSerious


I don't even know if I am doing much prep for it. I live here in NY and they have evacuated only low lying areas. I actually live on Long Island, but I think we're safe for the most part, we live near the water but we live high on a high I doubt the water would reach up that high.

Do you have any good websites for tracking the hurricane? Thanks a lot

Originally posted by IntegratedInstigator
First of all Dorothy was taken away to Oz by a tornado.

i know that! Thats why i said "or wherever it is HURRICANES take you". I figure if Tornados take you to Oz, Hurricanes must take you...well, somewhere (over the rainbow). either way, I was just kidding around.

Sounds like you better prepared than I am!
We must be "near" eachother. I'm near Blue Hills myself.

Im from MASS but spending the summer with my folks here in Queens, NY just half a mile from LGA. im sure even if Irene doesnt hit hard, we will still get flooding since this area used to be swamp anyways. we stocked up on food and water and batteries.

im mostly worried about how long power will go out for, and also, looting and break-ins and shooting.

i already heard a few shootouts on the street just minutes ago. the cops are scared to come around sometimes, because some got shot over the years around here.

oh, and the local stores are all emptied out practically.

I live in NY, and I'll probably go buy some beer.

Do you have any good websites for tracking the hurricane? Thanks a lot

Did i beat you to the punch? haha. I figured it's be good for people to track it themselves instead of waiting for the local news.
Long Island tends to get hit hard when it comes to hurricanes/tropical storms. The Island is set up like the pawns on a chessboard. (not calling Long Island a "pawn", but you know what i mean.) Kind of like a shield. You must get the brunt of whatever comes your way.

Damn, I forgot the BEER!

Doesn't sound like very much fun there in NY if there is the potential for that sort of thing.
It amazes me how some people act, expecially during times like this.
Isn't part of being a human striving to overcome that animalistic side of ourselves and always try to be "better"? *sigh* If only the rain would wash away the garbage in society like it does the garbage on the street.
I'll hold out hope that people act in a civil fashion. With a SoE the cops/N.G. can shoot first and ask questions later.
But now I'm off-topic.
The best thing to do now is use your brain.
Stay safe.
I don't know what I'll do if the power goes out. I used to be fine with it but with the pervasivness of technology in our day to day lives I'm going to feel naked without my computer, phone and TV.

I live in Virginia Beach. We are gonna ride it out. Our house was built to withstand up to cat 4 so I think we will be ok. But I never underestimate mother nature lol. It is what it is, and it will be what it will be. Be safe.

Its just crazy how theyre hyping up the hurricane, I've been through a category 2 while visiting St. Maarten and it was intense, but I feel like many of the buildings in Queens can actually withstand a category 2. Who knows lol.

Originally posted by MuchTooSerious
Just checking the Weather Channel's website
they have "Hurricane Central" keeping track of the storm. I expect we won't be hearing much from the Carolinas for a little while. Hope everyone is staying safe.
If you want to follow the hurricane using "Hurricane Central here is the link:

www.weather.com...

Looks like Hatteras is dead in it's sight right now.

I'm just barely west of I-95, and most of the stations on TV here are saying the danger in NC lies east of I-95, but we have still taken precautions. stocked up on extra food and water, put bricks on the trashcan, brought in some deck furniture and put bricks on the other stuff to keep it down. i trimmed the only branch i could reach that looked like it may be dangerous. bought a flashlight and batteries, and candles. i think that's about the best i can do for not being in the 'danger' zone. besides, i grew up on the coast and have enjoyed hurricanes most of my life...

reply to post by MuchTooSerious


Oh I didnt mean to come off as demeaning, but I better understand how you worded the phrase now. I would edit my comment but I feel that sometimes lacks integrity. You are probably closer to my mothers house near Wachusett. I Myself am closer to the RI line, 15-20 minutes to Providence, 45-50 minutes to Boston. Closer to south eastern mass. Nice to meet some local ATSers!

Good first post BTW, it read easy, included links and external text with history etc. You will definitely be an asset to ATS.

I am also not doing terribly much to prepare. Most of the stuff I did was pretty easy and took very little time. All I have to do is move the car. I was already planning on going camping so why not pack early. Drawing water was easy while I was watering the garden (which reminds me, I planted in 5 gallon containers. They are all going to have to be moved to the garage tomorrow). I am living with my father temporarily, so Id rather be able to give him a hand in case of the worst. You know how it is.

I live on Long Island. Many of the people that live south of me have been told to evacuate. I think the main concerns here are the wind and how much water surge it causes. The low areas can really tend to fill up and cause lots of water damage. The other problem this year is the amount of rainfall we have had. The ground is soaked and saturated already and so when the wind and more rain hits those old oak trees with all the leaves still on them.... they come down and usually take a poll with them. That takes care of the lights and phone for awhile. I have chosen a few good books to ready during the daylight to pass some time and plan to look in on some neighbors to see if they are OK or need any help with something. Stay safe all

I am soo freaked out about this storm,.
that I decided to book a round trip for my wife and I
to Hawaii for 6 days just to unwind..
Thats how I am getting ready

reply to post by Lil Drummerboy


Right on man, that certainly is a way to 'escape danger'. Just pray there arent any pacific EQs with tidal waves, or Hawaiian volcanic eruptions during your visit.

Any excuse to get the wife and Self to Hawaii right? *Wink* ; Now is as good a time as any!

Certainly is an expensive method for preparing, but to each his own right? I wont judge, lol.

ETA: that :lol : emoticon really does seem to be laughing at you no? Perhaps ATS could come up with a better emote? Maybe swap :duh : out with :lol :? (remove spaces after to see emotes)

Originally posted by IntegratedInstigator
reply to post by Lil Drummerboy

 

Right on man, that certainly is a way to 'escape danger'. Just pray there arent any pacific EQs with tidal waves, or Hawaiian volcanic eruptions during your visit.

Any excuse to get the wife and Self to Hawaii right? *Wink* ; Now is as good a time as any!

Certainly is an expensive method for preparing, but to each his own right? I wont judge, lol.

ETA: that :lol : emoticon really does seem to be laughing at you no? Perhaps ATS could come up with a better emote? Maybe swap :duh : out with :lol :? (remove spaces after to see emotes)

Seriously, This is our second trip,.
the first time I was playin with the lava,. as she was yellin at me from behind the yellow markers..
If that place were to have ANY activity like you mentioned I would be overjoyed.
In fact if it were up to me, I would have gone to the east coast to stand in the storm..
as we had a vacation planned in Maine on wednesday.. But NOOOO, she wants sunshine..