If You're Going to Leave, Leave Now

[LuvNewcastle]

If you're in the projected path of Irene and you plan to leave, you need to get on the road or to the airport as soon as you can. When we have a major storm here, the roads going north to Jackson and Memphis and northeast to Birmingham and Atlanta can become so clogged that traffic comes to a standstill and it can take hours to travel 100 miles. I can just imagine how many cars will be headed north and west out of NYC and Boston. The closer you get to the hurricane's landfall, the worse the traffic will be. Get the jump on every one and get out now.

[Taverner]

1. At first I thought this was in response to the GBCW posts...

But yes, take care and take shelter!

[muffin1]

2. I thought the post was about the "lefties" leaving the Dem party!

:D

Edit to add: K&R - Good advice!

[Arctic Dave]

5. LOL, I must be a cynic like you.

Good advice from the OP.

[joeybee12]

20. same here...my first thought...nt

[Le Taz Hot]

33. I thought EXACTLY the same thing!

"Oh christ, not again!" :eyes:

[Generic Other]

38. Oh My

I also thought it was a call to purge! hahaha.

[muffin1]

39. Wow. At least four others thought the same thing.

Hmm...:)

[myrna minx]

3. My heart is with our East Coast friends. K&R n/t

[Aerows]

4. And don't stay unless you have to

Take your kids, the elderly and the infirm. It's hard enough on hale adults.

Take your pets unless you have a direct (within walking distance) neighbor to care for them. When the road is gone, your brother across town isn't going to be able to get to Sparky, and honestly may forget. I recommend taking them with you in any case. Even your neighbor might have problems (if their roof is blown off, they may forget about Fido, too).

[soleft]

6. I've never been in an evacuation situation before

And I'm wondering if I will have to leave. I leave 2 blocks from the beach on the Jersey Shore.

[obxhead]

8. From the latest projected path

I would get out living only 2 blocks from shore.

It looks like the eye might go right over your house.

[LuvNewcastle]

9. That's a good question.

The models that they have now project it to go in further west, but given your proximity to the beach, it's probably a good idea to leave. If you wait until they recommend evacuation, then you've already waited too late. Traffic will be a nightmare.

[Bonhomme Richard]

11. I have a house in Avalon that my nephew is using.

The house is on the bay and he is securing things as we speak and will leave Sat. morning.
Good luck.

[FarCenter]

15. We are in a time of high tides

If it is still a Cat 1 or 2 as it reaches NJ (and Cat 1 seems very likely), then the high tide is likely to be several feet above normal high tide. Sandy Hook, Sea Bright, Monmouth Beach and similar low lying shore areas will be underwater from ocean to bay. Low lying areas around rivers and inlets will be underwater for a few miles inland, except for the highest grounds.

The New Jersey shore area is really flat. Wind driven storm surges can go miles inland.

[TBF]

17. Can you take off tomorrow and leave tonight?

Maybe stay inland with friends/family over the weekend?

Take any insurance policies, your ID, hard-drive.

Even if it misses you it will be a nice weekend with family.

Take care.

[soleft]

29. Yikes, you're scaring me!

I'm suppose to fly out Monday afternoon to Chicago to play next week in the gay world series. My parents live a few miles inland and was thinking I could go there Sunday if things get really bad. Wish I could take off tomorrow but lots of work to do since I'll be out next week. Will definitely start battening down the hatches tonight.

[TBF]

35. Maybe fly out a little earlier if possible?

Not meaning to scare you, just from personal experience ... the roads can get clogged with folks leaving & flights will get cancelled if the storms are bad. The first time we evacuated (Hurricane Rita) it took us 24 hours to drive from Houston to Dallas (normally 5 hour drive). I understand the workload thing - we go through that every time we evacuate (luckily my husband's company has an office in Dallas so we head to north Texas so he can go in if need be). I'd just keep an eye on it and leave tomorrow night if you can.

[JHB]

19. If nothing else, be packed and ready to leave on short notice...

...and do anything you need to do to your place (boarding up or taping up windows, etc.). Get together any important papers you have in the house (birth certificates, insurance, etc.).

If Irene goes farther east and your area won't be affected too much, all you'll lose is some time. If your area will be harder hit and you are advised to get out, you'll be ready and will lose a lot less to wind or flooding damage (unless you're hit hard enough for basic precautions to be irrelevant).

Since you're only 2 blocks from the beach, if you've got some place farther inland you can go, it's probably a good time for a visit.

You may not need to, but by the time you know if you need to, it's too late.

[Glimmer of Hope]

22. Someone posted on Latest Breaking that officials will decide tomorrow

whether to evacuate parts of NYC.

[soleft]

30. That's pretty scary too.

It's also where my son lives - so obviously I can't go his place!

[Whiskeytide]

23. On the Gulf Coast, we have...

... a saying. "You can hide from the wind, but you have to run from the water". If you're 2 blocks from shore, the surge of a wide storm running up the coast and rotating counter clockwise is going to bring in a lot of water very fast. Get a hotel room for the weekend in Pittsburgh.

[soleft]

31. Pittsburgh???????

Surely you exagerate?

[babydollhead]

43. Pittsburgh! Yes! Plenty of room and a NICE place to be!

[Dappleganger]

25. How badly does it flood there?

Here in FL, if I was two blocks from the coastline I would be gone.

[soleft]

32. Since I've been here we've had a few tropical storms

The ocean has reached the boardwalk but never gone over. One important lesson I learned was don't wear shorts to the beach during a tropical storm - extreme exfoliation!

[jpak]

28. Better get ready and move as soon as they issue the evacuation order

Fill your car up NOW and get some cash out NOW

[FedUpWithIt All]

37. If i were located where you are, i would leave.

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2011/20110825en.html#en47196

Good luck to you. :hug:

[dixiegrrrrl]

41. go here and look at these maps/charts all on the page.

It should tell you what you need to know.

http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/54158/hurricane-irenes-impacts-on-ea.asp#.TlZuqrw9ju8.twitter



If that doesn't convince you, look at this:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/09/one_year_after_hurricane_ike.html

If you decide to stay, you will get a first hand lesson in the term "storm surge".

[rocktivity]

7. The storm's projected to go further west than predicted yesterday, I see

With the DC and NYC area taking a direct hit -- on the heels of an earthquake...

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/152235.shtml?5-daynl?large#contents

:(
rocktivity

[closeupready]

10. It's very dark suddenly here, whereas this morning, it was fairly sunny and clear.

Very ominous. :scared:

[rug]

12. I thought this was another vote Obama or else post.

[TBF]

26. Nope, we got more important things to talk about today.

:)

[Harmony Blue]

13. Good warning indeed!

Please heed this advice!. You either stay put or get out as soon as possible. Worst case scenario is to be stuck in traffic while the storm passes.

[Bonhomme Richard]

14. Storm moving west is not good. The heaviest winds are on the right

side of the hurricane which means more people will be affected by the wind velocities. The heaviest rain is usually on the left side so no one will be spared the rain.

[TBF]

16. It is Thursday - and if this were headed towards Galveston

with an arrival time of Saturday I'd be packing to leave today (my hotel reservation would've been made days ago), and we'd be leaving after dark (cooler to drive overnight).

I will be thinking of you all - please stay safe and heed the warnings. These storms can be brutal.

Edited to add my hurricane preparedness thread from yesterday: http://journals.democraticunderground.com/TBF/54 (very basic stuff but may be helpful to those who haven't been through this).

[hedgehog]

18. This is getting bizarre. The latest projection shows a good

chance Albany will be in the path of this storm and a slight chance that Syracuse and the Adirondacks will be!

Holy shit! A 5% chance that BUFFALO will be tagged as well!

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at4+shtml/152235.shtml?tswind120#contents

[TBF]

21. It is crazy,

but we've seen a lot of crazy weather this summer. I'm still convinced some of this is caused by nuclear particles in the air (Japan). At any rate, I'd keep an eye on Stormpulse. I guess up there you'd prepare for flooding and loss of electricity.

[florida08]

24. Good advice

I remember when Floyd came up the east coast of Florida in '99. People waited to late and there was gridlock on the expressway..couldn't move to even get back home. Millions on the coast trying to leave because no one knew where it was going in. Wound up hugging the coast 100 miles offshore and went in at N.Carolina still skirting the coast. Irene is tracking pretty much the same only further off our coast, but this one will be stronger




http://flhurricane.com/googlemap.php?1999s6">Floyd

[Earth_First]

27. Good thoughts.

My sister in law left Norfolk about three hours ago for Wester, New York.

[lapislzi]

34. Can't decide.

If it wasn't for Sugar Cat (diabetic kitty), I'd be out of here first thing tomorrow to my husband's place in Ohio. I live about 65 miles north of NYC, in the Hudson valley. While I'm not scared of flooding (except the basement), losing power will be a problem because without it, no water (well). I have no neighbors and I live alone in a heavily wooded rural area. What I am scared of is a tree falling on me.

But 8 hours in the car with Sugar Cat will be a nightmare. I am hopeful that Good Friend who owes me a favor will take Sugar Cat for the weekend. She is in a better location, and she and her husband have a generator.

[TBF]

36. Hopefully your friend will take Sugar Cat -

or maybe a local Vet who boards? We have kennels here that shut down, and others that ride out the hurricanes with generators.

[Odin2005]

40. iI the center of Irene is forcast to come near you, LEAVE. Don't try riding it out.

[Harmony Blue]

42. Agreed

This is a major beast of a hurricane.

[texanwitch]

44. I am setting here in Houston watching Hurricane Irene and thinking of Hurricane Ike.

There is one article that might be useful, solar lights.

The kind you put in your yard.

When the power goes out the solar light can light up your yard and inside of your house.

I had many to use for Hurricane Ike.

Good luck guys.