I worry for the folks living closer the river then.
EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA, BITCHES. I live right next to the river.
That said I've been through a number of hurricanes and my major concern for this one is less of the river flooding and more that 1) our roads flood super quickly 2) high winds and people not taking in the things from their patio (we don't have a whole lot of trees near us BUT we do have patio stuff and other such people-stuff) 3) there's a distinct possibility of off-spin tornadoes and lastly 4) people being irresponsible because they assume nothing will go wrong. Walking and/or driving around town at night during when the storm is supposed to hit? Yeeaaah I think I'll pass. Everyone else SHOULD as well. Just chill out, be logically and responsibly prepared, and you'll most likely be a-okay.
It's only going to be a CAT1 or tropical storm by the time it reaches us Viga. Serious, but not too bad. That said I have stocked up on water, just in case.
Well, Carolina's and Va, you're fucked maybe Maryland and NJ as well. But I think the damage from DC to NY is being hyped because the media is glad to have something to talk about that isn't retarded politics. However if it isn't hype, that's what insurance is for. If you never bought Car/Renters/Home owner's insurance, I pity you. Not much anyone will be able to do for you. I just don't buy that non conformist, "Insurance is a scam" attitude.
Insurance is more like putting a money on the long shot horse. Most of the time they're gonna take your money, but every once in a while it pays off big.
Just for reference, Churba's Cyclone Barry was a Category One on our scale. Yasi and Larry were Cat Four. Irene is expected to be Category 2 when it hits NC, and Category 1 when it hits NY. So, don't panic, but take it seriously. The DC damage is not "being hyped;" people need to know what to expect. The costliest Atlantic hurricane ever (Bob) was Cat 2 when it made landfall in RI, and the damage was severe enough there that President George HW Bush declared the state a Federally-Recognized disaster area.
Ok, preparedness talk now. I have a bunch of things on the back patio that are too large to bring in doors. Most notably the large glass table. I'm thinking of flipping that over and putting it on the hot tub cover. The idea being to both weight down the hot tub cover to keep it from blowing away and also to keep the wind from getting underneath the table and flipping it into the air. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Good idea or are there unexpected pit falls I'm not anticipating? Also, I'm planning on laying the garbage can on it's side against the fence. It's empty at the moment. If it's going to need more to weigh it down all I have are some tires.
Insurance is more like putting a money on the long shot horse. Most of the time they're gonna take your money, but every once in a while it pays off big.
Yes, your horse won, sir, but we're not going to pay because the horse is brown.
/Insurance is flawed and the insurance lobby has insulated itself by buying Congress.
@George: Remember that wind shear is going to make things behave oddly. An upside-down table might pinwheel away when the legs catch gusts. Can you remove the glass and tie down the table frame? Do you have any paracord or anything?
@George: Remember that wind shear is going to make things behave oddly. An upside-down table might pinwheel away when the legs catch gusts. Can you remove the glass and tie down the table frame? Do you have any paracord or anything?
I wasn't thinking the legs could generate enough torque to move the table even with 100mph winds. Upon closer inspection I think the table is actually small enough to come inside. But what about the hot tub cover? Would 4 tires (roughly 100lbs) be enough to weigh it down you think?
I wasn't thinking the legs could generate enough torque to move the table even with 100mph winds. Upon closer inspection I think the table is actually small enough to come inside. But what about the hot tub cover? Would 4 tires (roughly 100lbs) be enough to weigh it down you think?
Tough to say. Depends on the dimensions of the cover, I think. A Cat 1 or even tropical storm is more than enough to toss things around haphazardly. The only other tropical storm I went through hit in upstate NY, and that sonofabitch knocked down some rather large trees.
But if the thing is sufficiently dense, it should be OK.
Just for reference, Churba's Cyclone Barry was a Category One on our scale. Yasi and Larry were Cat Four. Irene is expected to be Category 2 when it hits NC, and Category 1 when it hits NY. So, don't panic, but take it seriously. The DC damage is not "being hyped;" people need to know what to expect. The costliest Atlantic hurricane ever (Bob) was Cat 2 when it made landfall in RI, and the damage was severe enough there that President George HW Bush declared the state a Federally-Recognized disaster area.
That's because Our scale is Measured differently, being based on ten minute sustained winds averaged, rather than one minute of winds averaged.
It's hard to compare the two for that reason - because while the sustained winds of your category Three might be "faster" than ours, you measure and average out over a minute, rather than ten minutes - we measure for roughly the same amount of time and average out to gauge gusts, and the gusts of Our category three max out to a faster wind-speed than your Category three - The US scale, apparently, being up to 113 Knots(209 KPH) in a category three, with our Cat three gusts maxing out at 121 Knots(224 KPH) - which, if we measured exactly the same way as the US does, with the Saffir–Simpson Scale, would put it firmly in Category 4. Yasi Would have clocked a five, if measured on the Saffir-simpson scale rather than the Australian scale - with one minute sustained gusts of up to 285 KPH - and Larry would have clocked a four, gusting at 215 km/h.
It's hard to compare the scales, because they don't overlap in a sensible way - For example, our Category one can be either a tropical storm or a Cat one on your scale, but Our Cat Three can top out midway into a Cat Four on your scale.
@George: Maybe. I would put the tires on it and then use ropes and stakes to hold them. Flat roofs and flat surfaced objects pose the biggest threat of being ripped from their bases, so something like a hottub with a cover needs to be especially well-secured.
@Churba: Yeah, I had some difficulty figuring out our equivalents for those storms. Luckily, Wikipedia had SSHS ratings figured out for all of those cyclones.
Yeah, I had some difficulty figuring out our equivalents for those storms. Luckily, Wikipedia had SSHS ratings figured out for all of those cyclones.
It's pretty fucking hard, even with that worked out for you - How do you sensibly compare one minute averaged to 250 KPH winds, to ten minutes averaged to 205 KPH winds?
Easier idea - Just note which scale you're using. It's not hard - for American Hurricanes, it's SSHS, Down here, it's the Australian scale. No need for comparison, just say which it is.
So Australian hurricanes are usually more badass than their American "equivalents"? Somehow I don't find this a surprise.
I don't fuckin' know, I'm hardly a meteorologist. We measure our estimated gusts the same way the americans measure their sustained winds, but gusts are also a different and specific thing, we do our one minute sustained slightly differently, etc, etc. I can attest that either way, they're pretty fucking high on the "pants-shitting terror" scale when you're young and in a less-than-modern, rickety seeming sort of structure.
So Australian hurricanes are usually more badass than their American "equivalents"? Somehow I don't find this a surprise.
What's more, the Australian hurricane is poisonous, can live in hibernation for up to 20 years, is born both feral and rabid, can camouflage itself to blend in with its surroundings before pouncing, and THERE IS ONE RIGHT BEHIND YOU OH GOD RUN.
Superior master race reporting in. Not living in hurrican territory or on a fault line. Natural disasters only happen once every couple of decades, and we have legal drugs and whores. Your turn.
How can you be Superior if you are not tested and battle hardened by weather?
We don't need to wait and hope for bad shit to happen to harden ourselves. We build dykes so we could set up more challenging shit than having to deal with pussy-ass water dripping about everywhere.
Defenses are for cowards. At my college, we have Tornado Parties, where everyone goes to a bar and drinks until the all-clear sirens sound. We know no fear.
What's more, the Australian hurricane is poisonous, can live in hibernation for up to 20 years, is born both feral and rabid, can camouflage itself to blend in with its surroundings before pouncing, and THERE IS ONE RIGHT BEHIND YOU OH GOD RUN.
IF THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES DO NOT CALL FOR AN EVACUATION FOR YOUR AREA DO NOT EVACUATE. Unless you have somewhere you'd much rather be, but really the "oh shit something bad might happen" thinking clogs the shit out of highways, and just causes general problems. Also if the storm goes overland, it'll be much better in general. Hurricanes ten to die pretty fast once they get over land
Defenses are for cowards. At my college, we have Tornado Parties, where everyone goes to a bar and drinks until the all-clear sirens sound. We know no fear.
It is downright common on the gulf coast to have hurricane parties. Really if you're not in a coastal zone and don't have a house to worry about, party it up. Just be 2nd floor or up.
New Yorkers: I am very unfamiliar with your most excellent city, and as such don't know a whole lot about hurricane zoning there. I also don't have proper internet access at work (I'm on my phone). If someone could tell me if 845 Third Avenue is in one of the evac zones and, if so, which zone it is in, that would be massively helpful.
Comments
/Insurance is flawed and the insurance lobby has insulated itself by buying Congress.
But if the thing is sufficiently dense, it should be OK.
It's hard to compare the two for that reason - because while the sustained winds of your category Three might be "faster" than ours, you measure and average out over a minute, rather than ten minutes - we measure for roughly the same amount of time and average out to gauge gusts, and the gusts of Our category three max out to a faster wind-speed than your Category three - The US scale, apparently, being up to 113 Knots(209 KPH) in a category three, with our Cat three gusts maxing out at 121 Knots(224 KPH) - which, if we measured exactly the same way as the US does, with the Saffir–Simpson Scale, would put it firmly in Category 4.
Yasi Would have clocked a five, if measured on the Saffir-simpson scale rather than the Australian scale - with one minute sustained gusts of up to 285 KPH - and Larry would have clocked a four, gusting at 215 km/h.
It's hard to compare the scales, because they don't overlap in a sensible way - For example, our Category one can be either a tropical storm or a Cat one on your scale, but Our Cat Three can top out midway into a Cat Four on your scale.
@Churba: Yeah, I had some difficulty figuring out our equivalents for those storms. Luckily, Wikipedia had SSHS ratings figured out for all of those cyclones.
Easier idea - Just note which scale you're using. It's not hard - for American Hurricanes, it's SSHS, Down here, it's the Australian scale. No need for comparison, just say which it is.
Keep calm and carry on, ladies and gents.