Batten Down the Hatches Bobbin

[Mojo]

It looks like your area is going to get the remnants of Irene. I will say a prayer for you that everything is OK.

I am on standby at the moment. Some very close friends of ours home is on the outer banks and is right in the eye of the hurricane. Their home is 1/3 mile off the beach. They have evacuated to SC. I have the bus loaded and will fill it with tools and head out on Monday if their home is damaged badly or flooded. I plan on towing the car up and driving home but may fly back instead.

If Irene stays on course it could really cause some serious damage in NYC and NJ. I hope anyone who lives in this area will be safe. Thoughts and prayers go out to all of you who maybe close.

Chris

[bobbin]

Preparedness plans here include:
1.)  drawing some potable water
2.)  putting the freeze thingys in the freezer so we can put items in a cooler if we have to
3.)  fill the Aladdin oil lamps so the wicks will be saturated and ready to go
4.)  put lawn furniture in the barn
5.)  retract the awnings if the wind dictates it. 
6.)  pick up some batteries today.

I don't get too worked up about stuff like this. 

[Mike8560]

If wi probly just be. TS when it get there.  I got all worked up when nob canme to town in the 80s extra lines on my boat ect.  Turn out to be just some ei d and rain. 
Pegasus went and left key largo  so I gueeseit a welcome to me for him.

[kodydog]

We were living in Charleston in 1989 when Hugo struck in September. The hardest thing to get was ice. May want to put an extra bag in the freezer.

The bridge to the islands is a rotating type. A police officer, speaking in the paper, said he had just driven over it onto the mainland when the bridge breaks let loose and the thing started spinning. When we got back it was at a 45* angle with part of it laying in the water. They wouldn't let anyone back on Sullivans Island or Isle Of Palms for about two weeks. Home owners were pissed but anyone that was caught was arrested. Just saying Chris, they may not let anyone back as soon as Monday. Chainsaws were in high demand and hard to find.

The biggest hassle was being without power for 3 weeks. A tree knocked down our service line and the power company wouldn't hook back up until a certified electrician came out and reattached everything back to the house. Of course electricians were in great demand and short supply. If you have over head wires Bobbin you may want to check for branches above them.

When we got back from evacuating to Columbia SC, the first place we stopped was our shop. We rented one unit of a seven unit shopping center. When we looked through the front window it was a disaster. When you looked up toward the ceiling you could see sky. We were out of work for 6 weeks. The phone literately rang off the hook.

The amazing thing was our house. It sat on 3/4 acre with about 30 big trees (oaks and pines). We lost half of them, but not one fell on our house. We had an old Datsun 210, a big ole pine tree fell smack dab down the center of the car. Crushed it like a soda can.

Our neighbors (native Charlestonians) stayed and rode out the storm. They said they were in fear for their lives, trees crashing down all around them. They said they would never do that again

When they say MANDATORY EVACUATION, don't try to be a tough guy, leave.

[Mike8560]

When Charlie hit here in 04 trees were all over the place I seen heavy metal sign I beam twisted right over to the ground   Power out and places giving out water lilucily my
sop was just to the left of the eye and it was ok the storm was small but cat 4

[bobbin]

Kody, we had the power lined buried when we built the barn so everything is underground in our yard.  The lines down the road are pretty clear, too, but power outtages aren't uncommon for us.  Usually, though, it's in the winter when we can easily get hit with an ice storm.  We have two very nice woodstoves and plenty of wood so the house won't freeze.  We have a chainsaw and a pond so water for toilet flushing is easily available.  ;)

We don't live on the water and we put a lot of thought into drainage (our lot is very low) when we were building.  A few places in the yard will accumulate water but it will be gone within 24 hrs., I have little sympathy for the millionaires with fancy homes in places where they shouldn't have built in the first place.  Pisses me off that my insurance rates are affected as a result.  If I had my way Federal Flood Insurance would go "bye-bye" tomorrow!

[scarab29]

I'm on the shore in jersey near asbury park. They have gone nuts closing things up here. As of 8pm tonight they are closing the parkway southbound and have removed all tolls today to try to keep the shore traffic flowing away from the coast. Went to the ,market last night and it looked like a hurricane hit there. Not much left. Antlantic city expressway is being closed eastbound as are the interstates. I'm as prepared as I can be with supplies and hope it takes a turn to the east but they've got everyone running up here. Better yet I have a wedding to go to tomorrow , I hope they postpone it. Bum deal there for sure.

[jsquail]

Im in southeastern VA. I hope everyone stays safe.

[Mike8560]

We had a busy season back in 04 afger charly they just kept commi g at Florida

After putting up shutters I was up all night watching. The dtorntrack online watching for thenline to move a little tis wau or that.   
I hope you all are safe but get some work out of this 
At the end of the season that would be nice   

[fragged8]

i'm thinking of you guys, i hope everyone is ok.

on the plus side it's gotta be good weather for canvas repair work :-)

Rich

[jsquail]

i'm thinking of you guys, i hope everyone is ok.

on the plus side it's gotta be good weather for canvas repair work :-)

Rich

I guess its kinda like our "consolation prize"

[Mojo]

I'm on the shore in jersey near asbury park. T

That's ironic. Last night I was watching the weather channel and they were interviewing your Mayor. The beach and business area was a complete ghost town.

Interesting you have had the same Mayor for 14 years. :) He must be a good one.

Bobbin:

Our friends who live on the outer banks have no insurance. The costs are to prohibitive so they are self insured. If his house is destroyed then he will have to write the checks. He was #2 at Western Union so should be able to write them. But it is still heartbreaking to lose so many of your personal things. Family mementos and heirlooms cannot be replaced. Homes and furniture can.

Alot of the coastal dwellers ( millionaires ) are self insured. The cost for insurance is out of this world. I have heard some have investment funds that they put would be insurance premiums into and if damage occurs they pull from that fund to repair their homes.

Chris

[Mike8560]

I had just moved here beforehrricsne Charley Charlotte harbor took  a direct hit.  Indodnt know when moving how busy I'd be. There was work everywhere I'd go see one place that called me and all the neighbors came out and called me over after.  That was a good year

Just for anyone that dosent know 50 mile one way or another can make a big difference
Charley was a small storm with 145mlh winds.  Being on the front right side of the storm is worse with the couterclockeise winds and forward motion. Stronger winds and the storm surge on the left side less wind my home and shop were bolth left of the eye and had little dammge.  I did have a stop sign in the corner in front of my house blown over on a 45* angle   I couldn't push  p so no kid hithere heard on a bike.  Of course on the right side of the eye I saw stop signs twisted. Off and hoses blown out.

[SHHR]

Living in the Ohio valley, we don't experience hurricanes. However, ones that hit the gulf coast (Mississippi, Louisiana) will often dump a large amount of rain up here. 4 years ago though, when Ike hit the gulf we had a cold front come through here and the hurricane rode that front all the way up here never losing strength. 70 mph winds with 100 mph gusts. I've been through tornados before that is destructive, but neve experienced sustained winds for hours like that. Power was out for two weeks. At the time I was a maintenance Foreman at a local hospital. For that reason we were running on generator power, so I loaded up our 24' camper and we lived in it Plugged into my maintenance shop.
The one thing I remember was I walked outside of our house during the brunt of the wind and a piece of vinyl siding from somewhere blew by and put a large scratch on my forehead. I just went back inside and took a nap ??? Anyway, my wife is from Florida and hurricanes were a way of life for her growing up. I think I'll keep our spring tornados and leave you costal professionals to the big winds!
Kyle

[ragtacker]

We were told to evacuate Long Beach Island yesterday.  (Sat on the beach through the earthquake - felt like a bumpy plane ride).  We left early enough to avoid the major traffic, and got home to the Hudson Valley in record time.  Now we are all battened down, shop (fortunately, for once) is on the 2nd floor, lawn furniture secure, generator primed and ready (DON'T want to lose the sump pump!) and we are awaiting the deluge.  We are about 70 miles north of NYC and are supposedly on the edge of the hurricane.  We'll see....