New Yorkers post about the "hurricane"

[FLPanhandle]

On Facebook, musician Kyle Saulnier reacted to an early report that only one person was left without electricity in Manhattan: "NY1 reports ONE (1) customer without power in Manhattan. Really, guys? One? If that's true, THAT'S your story right there."

Alec Baldwin, who just moved into a new apartment in Soho with his girlfriend, Hilaria Thomas, 27, apparently lost electricity, among some other minor storm damage he encountered. He tweeted, "Lots of limbs down. No flooding. 1 window blew out of sun room. Only problem is power's out. I can't play Mayor's Hurricane Bunker on Wii."

Comedian Jim Gaffigan, however, tweeted that the storm didn’t live up to the hype: "Hey @aplusk that Hurricane Irene was the best episode of “Punk’d” ever."

Hari Kunzru followed suit on his twitter: "BREAKING #Irene revealed as viral marketing stunt by Duracell, Mag-lite and Poland Spring."

Comedian Andy Borowitz tweeted a jab at both the Weather Channel and Fox News: "If the Weather Channel loses any more credibility it will be Fox. #irene."


Love the last one!

[Lunabelle]

1. Typical old fart like Alec Baldwin

has a girlfriend almost half his age.

[cherokeeprogressive]

9. I think it's cool that her name is "Hilarious". n/t

[Joe the Revelator]

2. Reccd

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. I would give a the Weather Channel bubbas some slack

Its all they do and for a change they were treated as important

[Maine-ah]

4. heh, wonder how funny it would have been to them

if the storm was under-played and they got nailed hard and not prepared for it.

Plenty of areas were hit hard. The storm is just starting up here, and we're over 25k people in Maine with out power. In my county about an hour or two ago it was over 1100. I expect those numbers to go up...along with some property damage. Hopefully nobody will get hurt.

[spin]

8. What you are experiencing is typical of a tropical storm ...

Some minor damage to roofs, trees down, some serious flooding and power out for an extended period of time. Of course, often there are tornadoes embedded in the storm which can cause considerable damage.

However, this storm was over hyped as the storm of the century. It has been pointed out that the storm effected a lot of people, but often a hurricane that hits the Gulf coast will travel across the nation causing considerable damage along its path and also effecting a lot of people.

I'm not trying to diminish the damage this storm caused, but be aware that the hurricanes that often hit Florida, Mississippi or Louisiana are often a lot stronger and do far more damage yet get less media attention. Tropical storms are frequent in Florida and often cause damage very similar to what you are experiencing.

Here's a few pictures from Hurricane Charlie which hit Florida in 2004.











source: http://2004hurricanes.com/misc-charley-photos.html

[Waiting For Everyman]

10. You know what?

You on the Gulf get your attention, and you don't get ignorant mocking from us with it. Maybe next time we can change that for you - and make fun of your suffering? Maybe this is what we do from now on.

And these "comedians" can shove it. I hope they're on their own the next time, to cope with everything out of their own little brains. That would be entertaining!

(Of course I don't mean to include any of those from other areas who have expressed caring and concern - no broad brush intended. There is a big, big difference, duly noted.)

[spin]

16. You mistake my meaning ...

I did not intend to mock you. I do feel sympathy for anyone who has to suffer through a tropical storm or a hurricane. I've had a lot of experience with both and they are no fun. I lost my power for five days and suffered some roof damage from a tropical storm in Tampa and my street was flooded and water almost came into my house. Five days without power and air conditioning is no fun in Florida. Five or six times a tropical storm caused water to come within an inch of entering my house. I've spent a lot of time running around trying to get as many of possessions as I could high and dry in case my home was flooded. It was flooded twice in 37 years, but not by tropical systems. Strong spring cold fronts caused thunderstorms that dumped an amazing amount of rain into the area I lived. For example the first time I flooded was caused by a rainfall of 13 inches in 4 hours.

I was merely pointing out that the difference between a tropical storm and a powerful hurricane might be compared to the difference between a five inch snow fall and a full blown blizzard.

And of course, many of us in other parts of the nation are amazed by how much attention this "Storm of the Century" is receiving from the media. That has nothing to do with you as you don't determine what is on the news.

[Maine-ah]

15. I've been through both hurricanes and tropical storms

I do know that this is a tropical storm, and being directly on the coast of Maine we don't usually get the hurricane, normally. I went through Gloria in '85 when I lived in N.H. and Hurricane Bob in '91 up here.

I do know the damage they can do.

[Graybeard]

5. A Con Ed "customer" can be an entire Apt. house.

I've always understood that when they say customer it doesn't only mean a person but can be a contract with a business or building.

[markpkessinger]

12. Most residential apartments in NYC are individually metered ...

... and thus "customer" refers to an individual household in the vast majority of cases (at least where residential buildings are concerned).

[BeFree]

6. NY'ers were lucky

They should be very thankful the storm weakened. Just thankful and then STFU.

[Bluebear]

7. 15 "dead" so far

[begin_within]

11. Are you sure Baldwin's tweet isn't about his bedroom antics?

[malletgirl02]

13. New Yorkers without power

According to this link about 71,000 New Yorkers are without power. In the surrounding areas it is even higher.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1833170

Here is the original story, it hard to read in the DU thread

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/08/27/us/preparations-for-hurricane-irene-and-reports-of-damage.html

[jumptheshadow]

14. I'm glad we were so well-organized

Better to be "over-hyped" then to be sorry afterwards.

I'm proud we were so well-organized. It saved lives and highlighted why we pay taxes in the first place.