I came in to work this morning, we are closing the Museum at noon and will be closed tomorrow. Not too bad out here yet, rainy but not bad winds yet. Glad once I get home I won't have to go out until Wed at the earliest. Have a small leak in my bedroom but so far none in the living room. Guess my landlord got at least one fixed.
Sandy's Coming
First- a new idea--just occurred to me- I might heat some hot water and store it in at thermos so we could have the comfort of hot tea or instant drinks without the hassle of the stove. Maybe we'll turn the hot water heater temp up a bit too, store the heat in case we lose power. We normally run it at the min 120.
Judy I do of course include you in all wishes for safety from trees. Did you lose a big one last year? We all hope that meant it was the only weak one. And that the season means that most leaves will blow off first, as opposed to summer storms where all the leaves catch the wind.
One might think in this day of insurance and lawsuits, that the newspaper companies would prefer to call OFF deliveries and avoid being sued if a deliverer is hurt. Then again, in marginal weather, (which this clearly seems NOT to be) some deliverers would rather take the risks than lose the pay for the day.
Yes David I enjoyed the story too, when we found out you both had been able to have coffee and breakfast.
Don't call me an expert BUT
We have a small generator - Mark and his airplane co owner had bought it for use in the plane hanger - so we bring it here in storms. He wired up a special extension cord with male plugs on both ends. Then he turns off the breaker for one circuit for the sump pump and then plugs the cord in to the outlet in that circuit. That way we ensure power for the sump pump AND we isolate the power from going anywhere else in the wiring. That's important so that later when workers are working on wires they assume to be dead, that there is no power going into them from our generator.
One of our cats is very vocal and demanding. He was just driving me nuts, following me and crying to go outside. I finally caved, but first mentioned to the sixteen yr old that I wanted to let Chester out. Kevin said. I've already let him out THREE TIMES and every time he runs out and runs back in ROFL! Darn cat! So now CHester is on the deck up against the house watching the rain. I bet he'll be begging to come in next time I pass through the kitchen.
Mark just drove over to his moms apt building- will report back if anything interesting in the local outside world. We thought her safest situation would be in a large new building in a known senior housing where County will be on alert to help.
Now back to working on an article...
Just checking in for a second, wind is picking up here in South Central NJ and the Joint Base and the State have issued emergency status, so I am in to stay.
My kids are both considered essential personnel so they have been out and about all morning delivering and picking up things for the shelters. One thing Lynn had to do today was to get some small goat cages out of storage at the Horse Park and give them to a woman who has to move her goats. I worry so about the animals.
My silly Charle loves water, so he is running in and out the doggie door and my place is a bit wet when he comes in and I can not catch him before I dry him off. Charle is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and you know how they love water. I did not go for a walk today, just did not feel like getting wet.
We have had some rain but it comes in waves as the storm progresses. Another two hours and it should get rather nasty here. I do hope you are all safe and please say a prayer for those on the coast who already are feeling the flooding. Most of our Island people are inland and in shelters because they have closed all roads into the barrier island towns, but their homes will be totally a mess when this is over and Mother Nature goes back to
normal. See you all later. JB
So far, so good. I do kinda just hate to play the waiting game though. Made an apple pie while we still had power. As ready as we are gonna get. Some of the gusts are well pretty gusty. And it is only going to get gustier. We've passed the 3" mark of rain so far.
Solar lights are on my list of things to get for the future.
Keeping you all in my prayers.
I can hear a distant or maybe high in tall trees ' roar ' starting an d the gusts are building. And i seem to be driven to either cook or eat and can t decide which as i am not hungry.
Mark drove to moms only to discover that the other sibling decided to take her to their house. So he came home bringing a bottle of Pinot grigio.
:-D
Way to go, Mark!!!!!
Checking in. All is well here so far. Just waiting for the worst to come and go and deal with the aftermath, whatever it may be. It looks like the pond will overflow and go over the emergency spillway. Happens once or twice every couple of years. Biggest concern is how many trees will come down, but it is just one of those things when you live in the woods. Meals are ready, the portable generator is gassed up, have buckets of water for the toilet tanks, candles, and parents up the hill who now have a whole house generator in case it gets really bad. Hunkered down watching movies on a very rainy afternoon. Glad to hear everyone else is pretty well prepared. Take care!
Wind is starting to gust here too--in waves....My windows rattle now and then.
Rain hitting on the windows like a noisy shower..
I already see a couple, small dead branches down. Nature's pruning....
Funny thing--all the wind is coming from the West!
I thought this storm was going to blow from the East????
My trees are swaying somewhat....I am sure the trees will not fall over--
after all, their roots are all over my back yard. Good support!
It is the main branches that I worry about....However--I should not spend my
energy in worrying about everything--as I cannot do anything about any of it.
Judy, Sally, Teri, and everyone else with trees--Be safe!!!
Me too.......Me too.............Gita
our area recorded the highest gust so far, over 40mph
lost power for a few mins around 1
The rain gauge only shows 2"s, but it seems to be more. May be because half the time it's coming down sideways. There is water standing everywhere. My rain barrel (pool) has been disconnected from the down spouts for a couple of weeks and it is still overflowing. The wind is gusty but not much damage as yet, The power is on, we are warm and dry, and so definitely not suffering from empty nest pangs. LOL Ric
Gita: My understanding is that based on the storm's counterclockwise rotation, that you are right -- the wind should be coming from the west.
Boardwalk in Atlantic City...Gone
Thanks, Sally! I'm ashamed that I didn't think about putting some hot tea into a thermos. I bought an enormous one for my wife's birthday; since she's no longer drinking coffee I will "borrow" it.
I was going to have a bunch of trees cut down and a gutter protection system installed. Serves me right for being a slacker.
Our power has flickered. Our ailly reaction was to turn off a few less essential lights that were on. Like trying to appease the gods of electrons.
Oh no Jen I know people will return to the beaches as always but the cost of these losses on top of the current economy...uggghh
Medlarman, we put in our own gutter leaf guard system (2 different kinds ) and they have worked pretty well for us. Like the ones made of stiff metal screening that snap to gutter edge and are hinged so can open them to clean if needed. Mostly we sweep them off and they do not displace like the plastic ones, or deteriorate in the sun. Our roof is fairly accessible and not steep.
Wind picking up, visibly and audibly.
Happy and Gita et al Sure would like some attention to wind direction and why....but I think I heard one forecaster say that as Sandy meets up with storm coming down the jet stream from Canada the wind is being sucked into the eye from the south like a giant vacuum cleanerfor the last several hours. And then there is the upper atmosphere and what we feel here on ground. I tried to park our cars with windshield away from main wind direction or stow some things on the leeward side of the house.
Evidently Sandy is picking up speed and may make landfall sooner than thought.
May camp the nite in our camper van instead of basement. Hey, we can run engine for some heat and a radio report. Might be better than restless sleep attending to every bump in the night as a tree letting loose from its mooring and then see what we see in the am.
Just passed on the thermos tip to Wayne who drinks a ton of tea.
Power outages doubling every half hour, Bay Bridge closed.
Sally, only one of my neighbors trees came down in last storm and landed within 5 feet of my house. The other rotten half is still standing but will no longer reach here. Newspaper carriers are all "independent contractors" so company has no insurance liability for carrier safety only the contractual bottom line to publish those ads.
I too want to eat or cook. Ate a whole box of mac n cheese yesterday because it was so, well, comforting! Some say it is the anticipation of endorphins that gets them flowwing. What kind of pie did you bake Jan? And how's that new grandchild?
Keep checking in..you all keep my spirits up
Judy
PS Wondering if any of us will see snow?
This message was edited Oct 29, 2012 2:56 PM
hi guys, we just had a flickering of electric already.... didn't think we may lose power this soon... it's been pouring all day and now the winds are picking up. I wish we weren't surrounded by so many trees. Scared about a window crash. We tried to park our cars in the most open spots.
we filled our bathtub with water and have a big pot on the stove with extra too. now, if we only had a porta potty!!! we could not find one anywhere. We can't flush w/out power...sigh... the next few days ought to be interesting
and I could kick myself for not harvesting a bunch of seeds before all this rain and wind. I'm sure the seeds were sent flying to you guys in MD!! lol
I have a friend in Wildwood who has 4 foot of water outside her door already and rising. And family who have houses on LBI that they are worried about, but at least they are not in those homes. I did hear of a lot of LBI residents that stayed though. This is really bad and quite life threatening for those so close to the ocean and bay areas...
good luck to all in Sandy's path!!
I can't believe anyone stayed in LBI
Some great pics on here
Check out the photo comparison between Irene and Sandy
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2224655/Hurricane-Sandy-update-Floodwaters-breach-rivers-submerge-towns-storm-century-barrels-East-Coast.html?ITO=1490
Snow in mts of VA already
From http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/liveblog/wp/2012/10/29/live-blog-hurricane-sandy-news/?hpid=z2:
Evening winds pose dangerous threat
At least three trees have fallen on homes in northwest D.C. A wind gust of 55 mph was just clocked in Takoma Park, Md by a WeatherBug station.
As wind gusts increase as high as 60-80 mph, more trees will fall overnight. If you’re house is surrounded by trees, you might consider sleeping on the lowest floor tonight.
Here’s some sound advice from Bryan Norcross, meteorologist at the Weather Channel:
For folks staying home, if you’re riding out the storm in a house surrounded by trees, stay on the opposite side of the house from the wind on a low floor. Close the curtains to cover windows facing the wind… but still be very careful near any glass that could break.
WOW Jen great pictures. Still all good for us and our family
Wind has been picking up. Have a few trees, but glad the wind direction is favorable in case they fall.
It was an apple pie. Made muffins yesterday and chocolate chip cookies. Little Thomas is doing well. He gained half a pound last week.
Thinking about you all. Thankful we still have power. Sure we will lose it though.
wind dont you know you can flush with a bucket?
5 inches our current rain total in a bucket in the middle of the yard
Hartzell (Heather) up in Mount Pleasant PA has started a continuation thread for us over here
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1286242/
Lets all move over there and if we get around a hundred posts again someone else do a continuation thread please and thankyou. We are fortunate to have so many ways to keep in touch these days.
Judy
So far so good here. Lots of wind and rain. Thank God.
Wind really picking up...Until just an hour ago--there was not much new.
Sounds like someone is banging on my windows...They are the "old" kind of windows--
with the storm windows behind the regular ones. So--everything rattles.
I think sandy has arrived over Baltimore....
I was just looking at an amazing link that, i think coleup posted. Lots of shots from NY and Atlantic City
and all kinds of other places. Beaches and flooded streets......Please re-post it here.
Where was that link posted????????? i wanted to forward it to a couple people.
I went out of it and now I cannot find it.
Gita
[quote="coleup"]Hartzell (Heather) up in Mount Pleasant PA has started a continuation thread for us over here
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1286242/
Lets all move over there and if we get around a hundred posts again someone else do a continuation thread please and thankyou. We are fortunate to have so many ways to keep in touch these days.
Judy[/quote
]Gita and Grow...We have moved. Join us on new thread. Thanks
Gita, check your history for recently closed links...
Hey all. Everybody is good here. No power and a few pines down. But all is good.
Stay safe.
Paul
Never mind--I found it! FlowAjen posted it. Gita
Paul
We have moved our discussion to over here.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1286242/
Please join us on new thread Thanks
Checking in! Will catch up later if our internet stays up.
We got some impressive wind & rain, but nothing really dangerous. Power was out for less than 24 hours, internet stayed out another day, but hopefully we're back in business now.
Hope everybody is safe!
Glad to hear you, critter and glad you are doing well
made it okay at our end...whew. we still have a few neighbors w/out power who are on a separate power line than us.
Sally, our sewage/water gets pumped to the street with an electric pump after passing through a holding tank...since we live so far back from the street. otherwise, I'd love to do the 'ol bucket flush trick lol
our family with homes on LBI are biting their nails since they can't go down to see the damage for at least 10 days.
I'm still waiting to hear from my friend in Wildwood. She stopped posting on Facebook once the water got too high around her house and she lost power. She had a big dog with her too to worry about. I hope they're okay.
oops...sorry. didn't realize you moved the discussion! I'll go find u
My heart is broken for those effected. Continuing to pray for God's Grace.