Hurricane Sandy

[AnneM]

Hurrican Sandy looks to be a whopper of a storm, with some branding it a sno-eastercane; part snowstorm, part nor'easter and part hurricane.

I read that the expected rainfall will cause a 500-1,000 year event in the mid Atlantic, the expected storm surge will be approximately 10 feet around Manhattan, and that snow up to 4 feet is expected in West Virginia.

All public transportation in Manhattan and public schools will be closed. Yet the NYSE will remain open. I wonder how the people who work there will be expected to show up on Monday morning, as so many take the train or subway.

Are any of you in the path of the storm? What are you doing to prepare?

Anne

[AnneM]

Whoops, just saw there was another thread on this.

[mtnlaurel]

We are prepped and anxious.
And I'm burning off nervous energy looking up Donald Trump photos (see Donald Trump thread)

Right now I'm so wound tight I just want to run around my house screaming 'Frankenstorm' at the top of my lungs.

Kids school cancelled Mon & Tues.
I heard trains stopping at 7pm tonight.

Friends from Mexico told me to day they read in Mex. news that incoming NYC flights are being cancelled and someone said that was because airlines don't want to have their equipment here during the storm.

The suspense is intense.
I'm in central jersey and getting cooler, overcast and breezy/windy. No rain yet.

[catherine]

I'm also in Central Jersey:

We made sure everything is as off the floor in the basement (as much as it can be, on pallets and cinderblocks). (although if we get more than 8 inches of water in the basement, it won't matter and we'll have to move things upstairs).

We have food, and we're charging up flashlights and electronics like phones and computers.

We don't have bottled water, but we're going to start filling up bottles and buckets with water.

I hear the Raritan water basin is going to be greatly impacted. I guess we'll see pretty soon!

[Float On]

Friends in NYC have been posting photos on FB of the city getting ready.
Catherine I saw some photos of people storing water in ziplock bags because they couldn't find bottled water in town.

[bunnys]

I live in Central VA and am hoping the predicted path continues north (sorry, those of you in NJ but I think there's no way you're going to avoid this.)

I don't want to lose electricity but I got a new generator after the derecho in June and so I can handle that. However, I don't want to lose a tree as they take 100-150 years to grow and I've lost 8 oaks (half of the total) in my yard since I moved into this house 10 years ago. I don't live in a flood plain or have a basement so not worried about flooding--just the trees. Just read an article that the city is now prepared with water treatment plant improvements since a disaster during Isabel 9 years ago. So not worried about gathering water.

They haven't cancelled school for use yet but we expect it sometime this evening. I don't know whether or not I'd rather go in. Don't want to spend the day peering nervously at the swaying branches...

I feel like I've wasted the day looking at the news and weather.com over and over again, waiting for the ax to fall...

Ah. Just got the call. No school tomorrow.

[catherine]

Catherine I saw some photos of people storing water in ziplock bags because they couldn't find bottled water in town.

Great idea! I've got ziplock bags!

[pony mom]

NW NJ here, with lots of giant old trees everywhere. While driving around today, I noticed how everything looked to compare it to how it will be the next few days. We're in a condo with only one external wall, so sometimes storms don't seem as bad until I go out the door on the other side. We also have a creek less than 50 yards from us and I expect that to get wider but probably won't reach us (fingers crossed).

I just hope we don't lose power; my mom and I are fine, but my dad lives and breathes television even though he's sort of zoned out in front of it most times. The weather isn't too cold so having no heat won't be a problem. Lots of ice cream in the freezer to get through if we have no electricity.

Right now it's all a bit exciting, seeing the storm develop and get closer. This excitement will end about an hour after it hits us full force--it will then turn to worry. The size of this storm boggles the mind and even if you're not in its direct path, like NJ is, most of the east coast will feel some of the effects.

[Gregg]

I know people that store water in zip lock freezer bags and then freeze them flat, so they can be stacked up. By doing that you have water AND ice. Water frozen in empty milk jugs or something similar will last many times longer than ice cubes because the mass thaws so much slower.

It sounds like people are taking this one seriously. That is a good thing. Hang on tight if you're back east!

[SteveinMN]

All public transportation in Manhattan and public schools will be closed. Yet the NYSE will remain open. I wonder how the people who work there will be expected to show up on Monday morning, as so many take the train or subway.

Articles on NYC newspaper Web sites indicate that NYSE trading will be electronic only on Monday; no one is expected to be on the floor. Common sense prevails. That day, at least.