Northeastern peril

jww · Post by **jww** » Tue Oct 30, 2012 6:22 am

All good here in Ocean Park -- winds were gusting to 60mph and slightly higher at times. Lots of roof shingles ripped off coastal homes that are older properties or which haven't been kept up as well as they might. But these are not year-round homes so that's to be expected. Jim Cantore once again became our favourite TV personality over the past 24 hours. Aside from the sensationalism of things as media is prone to do -- it's actually been an interesting storm. Worse in many ways than Irene to be honest -- much less rain here at the coast but the wind and the way it changed direction sure made things ---- well interesting.

Thanks for the sentiment of support gents!

changabang · Post by **changabang** » Tue Oct 30, 2012 7:42 am

We survived here in west central NH. Lots of gusty wind and hard rain, but minimal damage. No replay of Irene. Glad you made it, Marc. I'm seeing significant damage in mid-atlantic states.

JayTrek · Post by **JayTrek** » Tue Oct 30, 2012 10:31 am

So glad to hear you gentlemen are well. Count your blessings.

ShadowsDad · Post by **ShadowsDad** » Tue Oct 30, 2012 1:40 pm

I realized this morning that there was another factor in our missing the storm.

Wendell, I'm also 100 miles north of you as well as being inland. But I have a favor to ask you next vacation you take to Maine. Could you let me know what week you pick ahead of time so that I can plan for the hurricane?

My friend, your "hurricane luck" is terrible. Or great as long as you enjoy them and find them interesting. I bet you don't get many of them in Ottawa. I don't know if it would be a relaxing vacation, but if vacation means something different it sure would be that compared to Ottawa.

jww · Post by **jww** » Tue Oct 30, 2012 7:55 pm

Brian -- to think we have been coming to Maine for 22 years now and only in the last 14 months hit on Irene and Sandy. However, given the nasty nor-easters you get here, I think we have gotten off quite well. We come three times a year -- spring, summer and fall -- and have often thought of coming in the winter for a few days just to experience the coast in January. Nah -- we'll leave it at that for now.

Sorry to ruin your week with this weather. I now worry about high winds and what damage might occur at our home in Ottawa while we are here. Last night, the death reported in Toronto from a flying Staples sign was only about 5 minutes away from where my oldest son lives. He said it was crazy/freaky surreal when he heard about it and wouldn't go out all evening due to the winds. Smart move, I would say.

ShadowsDad · Post by **ShadowsDad** » Tue Oct 30, 2012 11:00 pm

Wendell, I can't remember the hurricane we had before Irene, but it was many years ago. I remember the hurricane, just not it's name. So it's not you drawing them. Whew!

desertbadger · Post by **desertbadger** » Wed Oct 31, 2012 12:06 pm

Anyone heard from my buddy Clive?
I sent him a PM but I imagine his power is out.

Regards,
David

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Wed Oct 31, 2012 3:58 pm

David, Yeah, probably. He's down by the Jersey shore and so, most likely, got hit pretty hard.
Regards,
Gordon

jww · Post by **jww** » Wed Oct 31, 2012 7:33 pm

We spent the day in Boston -- didn't look like anything happened there at all -- in fact the entire I95 corridor from South Portland to Belmont showed absolutely no signs that Sandy's winds hit here at all.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Wed Oct 31, 2012 8:05 pm

Wendall, It's important to remember, despite the media hoopla, that Sandy was barely a catagory 1 hurricane ( okay, I realize that this is coming from a Florida perspective ) so the wind force wasn't that devastating. What WAS unusual about Sandy was the massive flood surge due to particularities regarding the storm as well as it's arrival right at the time of a full moon high tide. So, in low lying coastal areas, like lower Manhattan or Atlantic City it was pretty heavy. But inland not so much. I experianced a number of similiar hurricanes as a child and as a young adult in the hills of north central NJ and while we sometimes lost power and some tree limbs etc. came down the damage wasn't that great. It's a very different scene when a catagory 3 or 4 storm comes howling out of the Gulf directly at a built-up low lying area like New Orleans....or Tampa. There is always this fear in the back of my mind that one of these years our number is going to come up.
Regards,
Gordon

JayTrek · Post by **JayTrek** » Wed Oct 31, 2012 8:51 pm

bernards66 wrote:Wendall, It's important to remember, despite the media hoopla, that Sandy was barely a catagory 1 hurricane ( okay, I realize that this is coming from a Florida perspective ) so the wind force wasn't that devastating. What WAS unusual about Sandy was the massive flood surge due to particularities regarding the storm as well as it's arrival right at the time of a full moon high tide. So, in low lying coastal areas, like lower Manhattan or Atlantic City it was pretty heavy. But inland not so much. I experianced a number of similiar hurricanes as a child and as a young adult in the hills of north central NJ and while we sometimes lost power and some tree limbs etc. came down the damage wasn't that great. It's a very different scene when a catagory 3 or 4 storm comes howling out of the Gulf directly at a built-up low lying area like New Orleans....or Tampa. There is always this fear in the back of my mind that one of these years our number is going to come up.
Regards,
Gordon

Being from the South myself...I can certainly relate. I live 300 miles from the coast. So most of what I see is the aftermath after traveling to an affected area. But even with some of the particulars of the storm holding. The location that this thing hit was one of the biggest aspects of this story.

That is not to minimize what happened. The destruction was great in an area that really is not normally prepared for such storms. And I would not expect them to be. Even though a couple of storms in the last couple of years have tracked through the general area...reality is that a strong cyclone of any kind going just south of NYC is a rarity...and not something that city planners give much consideration to in the end.

Whether they should give more thought to it is up for debate. In the end though...the city held up rather well considering. There is only so much that can be done about flooding when a large city depends so heavily on an underground mass transit system.

That being said...it is still the best MTS in the world.

wenestvedt · Post by **wenestvedt** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 12:54 pm

I am in northeast Rhode Island, and we only got some wind and a little rain. One block over a tree took out the whole block's power for two days, though we were only in the dark for a few hours.

Most of the vulnerable trees were removed last year, of course. :7)

I am still worried about and praying for the people in NY, NJ, PA, and points south. Anyone who hears from folks there like Clive is encouraged to mention it for everyone peace of mind.

- Will

JayTrek · Post by **JayTrek** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 2:14 pm

I chatted today with a friend who works on 44th Street in Manhattan...and lives off of West 3rd.

It is basically a Tale of Two Cities with points north of 39th Street pretty much back to normal. Power is on and Times Square is bustling. South of 39th...almost everything is dark. A few restaurants down there are running outdoor kiosks on generators, and feeding those who are affected.

Those who live south of 39th are going north and finding ways to grab wifi and charge their phones. Fortunately, Jennifer can charge her phone at work.

She told me she is leaving work early in order to get back to her apartment before it gets dark.

They are being told Saturday on power returning to much of Lower Manhattan.

JayTrek · Post by **JayTrek** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 6:40 am

You gentlemen see this?

http://www.waff.com/story/19981857/some ... y-recovery

Really?

Gene · Post by **Gene** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 7:11 am

I just read about it on a separate news feed. Included in the article was an apology from a local resident.

I have a lot of clients/friends in the NJ/NY area - but they have been radio silent for days...I hope everything gets better soon.

jww · Post by **jww** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 8:35 am

JayTrek wrote:You gentlemen see this?

http://www.waff.com/story/19981857/some ... y-recovery

Really?

We'd love your help - thank you so much for coming.

JayTrek · Post by **JayTrek** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:40 am

jww wrote:
JayTrek wrote:You gentlemen see this?

http://www.waff.com/story/19981857/some ... y-recovery

Really?
We'd love your help - thank you so much for coming.

Wendell...a couple of my own friend were in the group that got rejected.

ShadowsDad · Post by **ShadowsDad** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 2:17 pm

The news from the area is not good, and made worse by the folks elected in some cases.

Bloomberg insists on having the NY Marathon, which means the foilks using those hotel rooms are getting thrown out. They are in the rooms because they have no where else to go. But Bloomberg wants the revenue for the city. Marathoners have begun a Facebook site to boycott the marathon to help the city. At least THEY have sense.

There are also 3 huge generators set up in Central Park for the media to cover the marathon. That while folks are dumpster diving for food because they lack electricity to cook what they have, etc. . Edit: Oh, I forgot, and some residents are deficating in the hallways of high rise buildings. WTF is Bloomberg thinking!!?? Obviously he has the best interests of the residents of the city at heart.

I can't remember the town in Connecticutt, Bridgeport? The Mayor made incendiary remarks about repair crews so when repair crews showed up they were pelted with eggs and such. So they pulled out. They won't go back until they get police protection. Another brain surgeon mayor.... What a moron!

Edit: My wife tells me that Bloomberg has cancelled or postponed the NYC Marathon. He still has a piece of ice where his heart should be, but at least his ears work.

Sorry Wendell, I edited my post before I refreshed the page. Obviously you had more up to date knowledge.

jww · Post by **jww** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 7:09 pm

The thought of running the marathon is nothing short of stupidity -- they are still pulling bodies out of debris in Staten Island -- what is wrong with that????

Saner heads have prevailed --- luckily, only a bit on the late side with the decision.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/03/sport ... times&_r=0

JayTrek · Post by **JayTrek** » Fri Nov 02, 2012 9:06 pm

Found this story on Drudge, Wendell, in reference to the bodies in Staten Island.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/11/02/sons- ... en-island/

Sure sounds like of all the boroughs...they got hit the hardest by a long shot.