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come on, irene
(I expect I am the nine frillionth person to use that subject line.)
So this hurricane is coming. We've been hearing about it for days, actually even since before we got earthquaked, but of course the more time goes by and the more it wallops Puerto Rico and then the Bahamas the more they're able to do projections that don't say things like "well, there's a five to twenty percent chance it'll hit somewhere between here and here" [pointing to spots @500 miles apart]. It is, as you'll have noticed, in North Carolina now, and it's going to come through the DC area about this time tomorrow and then land with a big wet whomp on New York, New Jersey, and New England. (But listen: I don't expect any of those New places to get hit as hard as New Orleans did. I'm not saying it's not going to be bad up there; I am, however, saying category 1 is not category 5 and low-lying areas are not reclaimed below-sea-level swampland. I'm glad everyone is being reasonable - and that, apparently, everyone who ought to be getting out of the way is able to do so. Only there's not likely to be sufficient impact on New York to make me actually willing to compare this storm to Katrina. ... It could happen. God forbid. But it's really not likely, is it.)
We get fringes of hurricanes up here from time to time, but we don't often end up right under them. Even so, though, I happen to live on the second floor of a building on relatively high ground a long way from open water, so I am never in any danger from flash floods (because I have the sense not to walk or drive into water across the road, as well). When I was right in the path of Hurricane Isabel in 2003, I taped up my windows, and it turned out to be a) unnecessary (and probably unhelpful if it had been necessary, really) and b) a massive pain in the ass to get the tape off again. So these windows are staying untaped, and if they break, they break. I rent. Basically, then, all I'm looking at is a power outage.
But then they evacuated parts of New York, which is like unheard of. And I thought, huh. If New York is freaking out, it may be that freaking out is actually indicated. I should take this thing more seriously than I've been doing. (not us, no not us we are far too young and clever)
Still, everything I said about where I live is true. Only it seems likely that my power failure will be longer than I thought. I now figure I'll lose power some time Saturday night into Sunday, and get it back maaaybe midday Tuesday? Hard to say, really - the score to beat, as I said elsewhere, is four days, but in this instance a) there aren't massive snowdrifts keeping the guys from the things they need to fix and b) there are more guys, because (miracle of miracles) Pepco twigged that recognizing you're going to need help and asking for it ahead of time means you can get started fixing things as soon as it's safe instead of asking for help when you start working and keeping the customers waiting for the reinforcements to arrive. And c) I'm on the same bit of grid as an important traffic light, so they really should get it (and thus me) back online as nearly right away as possible.
So. I bought extra bottled water on the way home (there still was some!, which shocked me). I know where at least two flashlights are, and I have extra batteries for both. I have not bought perishable food items any of the times this week it has occurred to me to do so. I can charge my phone in the car if I need to.
... I'm pretty well all set. But it's because I'm not going to get flooded. Y'all north of here, stay safe and above water, willya? Good luck, you guys.
So this hurricane is coming. We've been hearing about it for days, actually even since before we got earthquaked, but of course the more time goes by and the more it wallops Puerto Rico and then the Bahamas the more they're able to do projections that don't say things like "well, there's a five to twenty percent chance it'll hit somewhere between here and here" [pointing to spots @500 miles apart]. It is, as you'll have noticed, in North Carolina now, and it's going to come through the DC area about this time tomorrow and then land with a big wet whomp on New York, New Jersey, and New England. (But listen: I don't expect any of those New places to get hit as hard as New Orleans did. I'm not saying it's not going to be bad up there; I am, however, saying category 1 is not category 5 and low-lying areas are not reclaimed below-sea-level swampland. I'm glad everyone is being reasonable - and that, apparently, everyone who ought to be getting out of the way is able to do so. Only there's not likely to be sufficient impact on New York to make me actually willing to compare this storm to Katrina. ... It could happen. God forbid. But it's really not likely, is it.)
We get fringes of hurricanes up here from time to time, but we don't often end up right under them. Even so, though, I happen to live on the second floor of a building on relatively high ground a long way from open water, so I am never in any danger from flash floods (because I have the sense not to walk or drive into water across the road, as well). When I was right in the path of Hurricane Isabel in 2003, I taped up my windows, and it turned out to be a) unnecessary (and probably unhelpful if it had been necessary, really) and b) a massive pain in the ass to get the tape off again. So these windows are staying untaped, and if they break, they break. I rent. Basically, then, all I'm looking at is a power outage.
But then they evacuated parts of New York, which is like unheard of. And I thought, huh. If New York is freaking out, it may be that freaking out is actually indicated. I should take this thing more seriously than I've been doing. (not us, no not us we are far too young and clever)
Still, everything I said about where I live is true. Only it seems likely that my power failure will be longer than I thought. I now figure I'll lose power some time Saturday night into Sunday, and get it back maaaybe midday Tuesday? Hard to say, really - the score to beat, as I said elsewhere, is four days, but in this instance a) there aren't massive snowdrifts keeping the guys from the things they need to fix and b) there are more guys, because (miracle of miracles) Pepco twigged that recognizing you're going to need help and asking for it ahead of time means you can get started fixing things as soon as it's safe instead of asking for help when you start working and keeping the customers waiting for the reinforcements to arrive. And c) I'm on the same bit of grid as an important traffic light, so they really should get it (and thus me) back online as nearly right away as possible.
So. I bought extra bottled water on the way home (there still was some!, which shocked me). I know where at least two flashlights are, and I have extra batteries for both. I have not bought perishable food items any of the times this week it has occurred to me to do so. I can charge my phone in the car if I need to.
... I'm pretty well all set. But it's because I'm not going to get flooded. Y'all north of here, stay safe and above water, willya? Good luck, you guys.