Hurricane Sandy! (Watch out, NE)

[Balt]

Some webcams:

http://www.visitob.com/webcams/corolla-nc/

http://thesurfersview.com/live-beac...tlantic-city/itemlist/tag/atlantic city tides

http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/statueofliberty/?cam=liberty_pano

Surge is expected to be the problem with this storm.

 

[DrPizza]

Surge is already a problem. It has already exceeded Irene levels in Maryland, and there's already flooding in NJ, with the storm 24 or more hours away.
edit: and water is already minor flooding in Conn, with the storm 450 miles away. Full moon tomorrow - higher high tides...

 

[JTsyo]

If it makes land fall in NJ, won't it lose much of it's strength when it moves north?

 

[mmntech]

NYC has shut down the subways, which should prove to be a disaster in itself. Bloomberg is well known for freaking out. Lots of flight cancellations and delays too.

It's already raining here this far north with the bulk of it moving in overnight tomorrow it seems. We're supposed to get 100mm of rain by the end of the week here in Toronto. Which is quite literally more rain that we had all summer. It's not supposed to stop until Friday!

What's worse is the further north it gets, it will turn into snow. Could see some blizzard conditions in Northern Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba.

 

[nageov3t]

just read that NYC is cancelling school on Monday/Tuesday?

wonder if Jersey will follow suit... my sister and brother-in-law are going to go bonkers if they're stuck in their house with 2 toddlers all week.

 

[DrPizza]

Later, Sandy will be going across the Gulf Stream. Surface waters are fairly warm - 7 or 8 degrees higher than usual for this time of year. Here's a buoy 150 nautical miles East of Cape Hatteras. http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=41001 Surface temperatures are still 79.9F (at the time I posted this.) Some strengthening can still occur. She's starting to wrap up her Southeast side, but she's too big to intensify the way small hurricanes can. In about a day, Sandy will officially be non-tropical, thus not officially a hurricane. However, that does NOT diminish the power of the storm a bit.

It's not just a nor-easter, as someone above alluded to - it's like a hurricane wrapped up in a nor-easter. Potential now of 10's of billions of dollars in damage. Let's say the value of losses is 50% of that of Katrina - yet people are downplaying this all over. The weather forecaster for Long Island is warning of gusts up to 100mph; yet a poll (on a weather related site for LI) shows that only 32% are making any preparations at all, and the majority are completely unconcerned.

But at least now, Bloomberg has closed NYC schools for tomorrow, and is evacuating the A areas.

 

[IGemini]

NOAA's current model has the eye going right over my area by Tuesday, but they also think it'll be knocked down to a tropical storm by then. I was thinking the nor'easter and hurricane would combine and hover here, but the radar looks like the hurricane grabbed the nor'easter and is pushing that system northwest.

They project 3-6" of rain plus wind damage through Tuesday night. Just raining on and off right now, but one of those stronger cells looks like it'll hit tonight.

 

[DrPizza]

Streaming coverage: http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/livenow?id=8857235

 

[LegendKiller]

NYC has shut down the subways, which should prove to be a disaster in itself. Bloomberg is well known for freaking out. Lots of flight cancellations and delays too.

It's already raining here this far north with the bulk of it moving in overnight tomorrow it seems. We're supposed to get 100mm of rain by the end of the week here in Toronto. Which is quite literally more rain that we had all summer. It's not supposed to stop until Friday!

What's worse is the further north it gets, it will turn into snow. Could see some blizzard conditions in Northern Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba.

When I lived in NYC and later south/west CT commuting into NYC I always thought his responses to things were cautious, responsive and responsible. I wouldn't say he "freaked out" with any of it and I was there for last year's hurricane, prior years' snow storms..etc.

 

[DrPizza]

What a friggin idiot (Bloomberg) - he could have had people evacuating starting last night, but didn't. Now, everyone in Zone A needs to evacuate. No subway or buses after 7pm. Even elevators in public housing will be shut down at 7pm. No school tomorrow. But, "everyone, go to work. You're expected to show up for work."

The storm is going to intensify. It's going to turn sharply toward the west. It's going to become "extra-tropical" - no longer a "hurricane" - and it's going to *intensify* while doing that. And everywhere north of where the center is (Atlantic city-ish on the Jersey shore) is going to have a lot of water piling up on it. Sandy Hook - will break their record for storm surge by several feet. Because of the direction of winds into the Long Island Sound (north of Long Island) - a lot of water is going to pile up, heading into NYC. Ditto south of the city.

Instead of "cat 1, cat 2, cat 3, etc."
If we talk about IKE (integrated kinetic energy), Sandy is now #1 in history.

 

[nageov3t]

PATH service between NJ/NYC also shutting down at midnight.

the official word went out around noon today telling everyone capable of working from home to do so on Monday.

 

[Stifko]

What a friggin idiot (Bloomberg) - he could have had people evacuating starting last night, but didn't. Now, everyone in Zone A needs to evacuate. No subway or buses after 7pm. Even elevators in public housing will be shut down at 7pm...

I do not plan on evacuating and I am in one of those areas.

 

[dmcowen674]

Surge is already a problem. It has already exceeded Irene levels in Maryland, and there's already flooding in NJ, with the storm 24 or more hours away.
edit: and water is already minor flooding in Conn, with the storm 450 miles away. Full moon tomorrow - higher high tides...

Flooding already starting on south shore of Long Island.

Water coming up sewers in Nassau county south shore in Freeport.

 

[TheTony]

NYC has shut down the subways, which should prove to be a disaster in itself. Bloomberg is well known for freaking out. Lots of flight cancellations and delays too.

New York City is particularly prone to storm surge, were it ever to receive a direct hit from a hurricane. While the likelihood of a direct hit is unlikely, this risk has been known for years. However, the storm path is set to take it very close to that, and you also have high tide making matters worse.

The obvious concern is storm surge inundating low lying structures, including infrastructure. In this case, far better to be safe than sorry.

Also, were the tunnels to flood with sea water, the result would likely necessitate much of the wiring to have to be removed and replaced.

 

[lupi]

think bloomy was acting tough after last storm was much more severe to the north than in nyc and finally listened to everyone telling him he was being an idiot.

 

[WT]

I filled up 2-liter bottles and loaded my freezer with them. It's a win-win. That's an emergency water supply and also a method of helping the freezer stay cold longer in the case of an extended power outage. That could buy you an extra day or even more. Remember that a half-full freezer starts to thaw inside 24 hours when the power goes, a full one can go 24-36 hours longer. Also people, remember to turn your freezer and the refrigerator to their coldest possible settings before a storm. The colder they are in advance the longer they can last without power.

Exactly. These guys missed the memo. The 2.5g jugs I bought should last at least 48 hours, which hopefully gets us out of the mess. We also live within a mile of a hospital, so they generally act immediately on downed lines nearby.

 

[dmcowen674]

last radar loop at 1:25pm it has formed a closed eye

 

[Markbnj]

Later, Sandy will be going across the Gulf Stream. Surface waters are fairly warm - 7 or 8 degrees higher than usual for this time of year. Here's a buoy 150 nautical miles East of Cape Hatteras. http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=41001 Surface temperatures are still 79.9F (at the time I posted this.) Some strengthening can still occur. She's starting to wrap up her Southeast side, but she's too big to intensify the way small hurricanes can. In about a day, Sandy will officially be non-tropical, thus not officially a hurricane. However, that does NOT diminish the power of the storm a bit.

It's not just a nor-easter, as someone above alluded to - it's like a hurricane wrapped up in a nor-easter. Potential now of 10's of billions of dollars in damage. Let's say the value of losses is 50% of that of Katrina - yet people are downplaying this all over. The weather forecaster for Long Island is warning of gusts up to 100mph; yet a poll (on a weather related site for LI) shows that only 32% are making any preparations at all, and the majority are completely unconcerned.

But at least now, Bloomberg has closed NYC schools for tomorrow, and is evacuating the A areas.

That's pretty fascinating. 80F water and 75F air 150 miles off Hatteras. I wonder how those buoys sense "mean wave direction?" Some combination of accelerometers and compass I would guess.

 

[gorcorps]

I do not plan on evacuating and I am in one of those areas.

RIP

 

[DAGTA]

Later, Sandy will be going across the Gulf Stream. Surface waters are fairly warm - 7 or 8 degrees higher than usual for this time of year. Here's a buoy 150 nautical miles East of Cape Hatteras. http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=41001 Surface temperatures are still 79.9F (at the time I posted this.) Some strengthening can still occur. She's starting to wrap up her Southeast side, but she's too big to intensify the way small hurricanes can. In about a day, Sandy will officially be non-tropical, thus not officially a hurricane. However, that does NOT diminish the power of the storm a bit.

It's not just a nor-easter, as someone above alluded to - it's like a hurricane wrapped up in a nor-easter. Potential now of 10's of billions of dollars in damage. Let's say the value of losses is 50% of that of Katrina - yet people are downplaying this all over. The weather forecaster for Long Island is warning of gusts up to 100mph; yet a poll (on a weather related site for LI) shows that only 32% are making any preparations at all, and the majority are completely unconcerned.

But at least now, Bloomberg has closed NYC schools for tomorrow, and is evacuating the A areas.

Katrina was a Cat 3 when it hit New Orleans. Sandy is barely a Cat 1 at this point.

 

[BUTCH1]

Katrina was a Cat 3 when it hit New Orleans. Sandy is barely a Cat 1 at this point.

It's not the wind from sandy that poses the worst threat, it's the monster storm surge coming at high tide with a full moon, that combination alone could swamp parts of NYC subway system for a month and since the power is underground they might have to shut it off intentionally if this type of flooding occurs .

 

[zzuupp]

total rain so far was a bit less than 2" at Langley AFB. Newport News airport had a bit more.

 

[BUTCH1]

I do not plan on evacuating and I am in one of those areas.

As long as your prepared your better off staying IMO but make no mistake you WILL be without power, public transportation for an undetermined amount of time plus the inability of local business to operate without power. In 2004, after hurricane charlie plowed through only one station in town had power to pump gas, what a mess, waiting 45 min. for some gas (if they had any when your turn came, lot's of jerry jugs getting filled, gas went quick)..

 

[nageov3t]

down to 2 cupcakes, situation critical D:

I think I may take a walk to Dunkins before the rain starts... pickup some muffins or something to eat for breakfast in case I wake up with no power.

 

[DAGTA]

love your story. Made me laugh.

I still haven't been to the store since I heard about the storm - my son is working double shifts all weekend and he has the car.

only thing I want to get is a fire extinguisher. I have a huge amount of candles and I'd like to have an extinguisher just in case. I've been cleaning and I'm finding all sorts of interesting things left over from last year's hurricane prep.

I've got a case of 6 of those gallon bottles of water. Question - is there any reason to worry about drinking them after a year? Or has the plastic become poisonous?

Plastic does leach some compounds into water that are not good for the body. However, drinking that water would be better than going without water.