Hurricane due to hit NYC Sunday

Sscarllet...I'm so so so very sorry to hear that.  

I have family in Nags Head, NC and they are basically laughing about this.  They only got a small amount of rain and said the wind was slightly stronger than what they get in evening thunderstorms.  Here in central VA we had some drizzle earlier and not expecting much else.

Also, in case it hasn't been observed, Irene's been downgraded to a Cat 1.  It was predicted to be a Cat 3 at this point.

TWC says even at tropical storm level, the destruction could be wide just based on the size of it.  They're predicting it could take up to 24hrs to complete pass over certain locations.

ETA:  I should elaborate on these family members by saying that they are outside grilling in 50+ mph winds and complaining that they had to move their Hurricane Party indoors.   

I've never heard so much excitement on the TV since I came home without buying milk at the store.

In NYC tunnels are closed, the subway is shut down, buses are not running, patients have been discharged from the hospitals but fear not the credit card companies are still working as normal to get their 22.4% interest on their credit card loans by staying and printing their bills. It is wonderful that people are able borrow money if they don't have jobs and need food and medicine. The banks are there to help.

Cheers

Tunnels aren't closed, just got back to Manhattan thru one.

Tunnels aren't closed, just got back to Manhattan thru one.

That was ment to be tongue in cheek

We are glued to CNN TV to see how this pans out.

I think 8 people are dead so far from this hurricane.

For surfers this is a chance of a lifetime.

9 people dead now.

I'm in eastern PA and we were told to expect the worst between 5am-10am Sunday.  I spent most of today securing or removing objects outside the house.  I'm ready for Irene! 

The venue cancelled on us.  8 months of planning down the drain.  11 people from the UK are here, some of my family made it up from MD.  My officiant can't make it. 

My mom did work some magic and we managed to move it to a near by hotel.  My DF and my mom spent all afternoon replanning the whole thing so that I could get my nails done. 

We might be saying our vows via skype. 

I'm so appreciative of my mom and Edward.  Everyone who is here couldn't be more amazing.  I just can't believe that the nice event we planned is gone. 

Oh Sscarllet, I hope your day is magical no matter what! And that the venue gives back your deposit!!!

Oh Sscarllet, I hope your day is magical no matter what! And that the venue gives back your deposit!!!

We're getting back every penny.  It's actually saved us several thousand dollars. 

We're getting back every penny.  It's actually saved us several thousand dollars. 

I hope your wedding turned out ok, under the circumstances, and that everyone stayed safe.

That was ment to be tongue in cheek

The first year I lived in NYC, the tunnels and bridges were closed due to heavy rains and wind (not a hurricane), so it does happen.  The difference was that was during the actual weather event and not in preparation.  However, seeing how it has happened in the past, I wouldn't be all that surprised they were closed as a pre-emptive thing, although I'd hope they'd do it closer to the actual storm hitting.

Hoping that everyone out there stays safe & well as this hurricane passes!

Not that this is so much solace with the dreams and money invested in it, but the most important part of the wedding is you and your fiancée.  I hope it is a beautiful day for you regardless of complications.

Agree with this!

We're getting back every penny.  It's actually saved us several thousand dollars. 

Good thing is that you two can use that money now for something else very special of your choosing!  I hope your wedding day ended up being wonderful - although it's understood how disappointing it must have been that your original plans all went awry, for a stupid hurricane of all things!  Your day will certainly have been all the more memorable for that & hopefully you'll get to the time when you can look back & laugh about it.

We had another forum member some years back who had a horrible tragedy connected with her wedding, whereby an important member of the wedding party/family was killed in a car crash just on the eve of the wedding itself.  Very sad for both her & her husband.  So as long as you & Edward, your families & friends are all safe and well, and you got married (!!!!) - that is the most important thing!

Congratulations!!! 

So sorry about your wedding Scarlett.  

My dad spent Friday putting all the furniture and appliances in the beach house up on cinder blocks.  That house has flooded countless times before, so we're less worried about that.  Mostly hoping nothing gets sent flying through the new windows! Here at mom and dad's house we tied down all the deck furniture and took the plants inside.

That said, we haven't had anything too crazy here in North Western NJ.  Lots and lots of rain, but the wind has been pretty mild compared to what they were originally predicting.  The river is definitely flooding the end of the road, but that happens during a normal storm anyway.

Hoping it stays relatively mild for us.  Also hoping everyone else gets through it with little incident!

Heavy rains and some winds here.  But not too bad.  Eye of the storm supposed to past through this area though- few hours to go.

My aunt and uncle are on a cruise around Norway and they have CNN International on the ship. They were watching the news and saw my other uncle's house on the Outer Banks! I have NO idea why they would show his house over anyone else's. It's just a normal house in the middle of a neighborhood, not even beach or sound-front!

I received an update from my dad who is a volunteer with the Red Cross in Central New Jersey. It is a bit lengthy but thought it was interesting to hear a first hand account ...


Good morning,
Now at 0530 of day 2 of Irene's visit has her making land fall at Long Beach Island.  The last time LBI was seriously hit was in March 1962 - I remember it well! Here is there is not much wind - 29 mph at Belmar - but lots of rain as Irene will be in NYC in a few hours.  Monmouth County now has 4 shelters filled to capacity at high schools Colts Neck, Holmdel, Neptune, and Wall.  Some 830+ residents in Wall, almost 400 at Colts Neck and Holmdel is full at 415.
 
Yesterday, spent part of the morning searching for a propane filling station for the tanks on the forklift.  Found one in little Silver.  Then loaded 3 trucks with Cambros - insulated container in which prepared food can be stored and distributed.  I got a parnter a 74 year old widow. We went to Edison to Merry Makers to get food and left there at 1530 to delivery it to 4 locations.  Bridgeton, Vineland, Richland and Absecon.  At the last place we were to deliver food for 300 people.  Unknown to us the Salvation Army had fed them and they refused the cooked food but took the fruit, salad and bread. The Salvation Army man said that they had 5000 meals and couldn't use our food.  That's about 5 days of food for 300 people.
 
 We got back at 2230.  It wasn't too difficult driving - kind of like any heavy rain storm - until we were on the Parkway heading back when the wind really picked up.  The parkway was empty.  We must have gone 25 miles with out seening a car.  When I stopped for gas at 2200 the attendant said we were the 5th customer since 1500.  When I got back I came straight home and was asleep before midnight.
 
Today I suspect the work will be resuppling the shelters with water and food.  The other big activity will be damage assessment - there are supposedly about 800,000 houses without power in NJ but I don't know where exactly.  There are travel restrictions - but not for us.  The damage assessment will help let the people in the shelters know when they can go home or at least go to clean their houses if the power is not back on.  Flooding is the big problem.  So some people may be in the shelter for a couple of days.

I received an update from my dad who is a volunteer with the Red Cross in Central New Jersey.

Does NJ have a budget short fall like every other government body?
I have a suspicious mind and when I hear governor Christie thinking of asking for billions and billions of dollars from the federal government for the clean up, I'm thinking?