Hurricane sandy

[OhYouBigBadBeast]

Looking potentially very serious indeed for the eastern seaboard of the US, perhaps including NYC if some models are correct. The storm will probably be extra tropical but nevertheless if it interacts with a trough modelled off the east coast that could bring down arctic air then the result could be approaching catastrophic, with utterly torrential rain, severe blizzards, hurricane force winds and severe storm surges all being possible.

I think people will be getting very worried about this. Mon tues weds are the days to be watching. Lets hope the storm turns east away from the us coast.

Oh, the worst is how muggy and hot it can get, vix. And you can't go outside for all those damn mosquitos.

And no water. If you haven't done a lot of camping or outdoor stuff, you will soon realise how much water you get through. Not being able to shower when it's bloody 100 degrees out with 99% humidity is gross.

VERY noisy, yes. And the damn things always seem to make landfall at night. So you're up all night.

We had an eye pass over us once and it was the weirdest thing in the world! I wondered where all the birds went. You could have heard a pin drop out there.

Then it started back up again.

It's the tornadoes that are dire, though.

I imagine that was terrorfying! If you had children it must have been worse.
Tornados also scare me. We had warnings in MA when I lived there, but no actual touchdowns. The US really does have its share of harsh weather...

I'm far more fearful of tornadoes than hurricanes, tbh. I lived in Colorado for years and tornado warnings scarred the daylights out of me because if there's a warning funnel clouds have already been identified.

And where the hell do you go if you're living on limestone or bedrock?

There's far less time than with a hurricane.

For those w/o much spare water. We always fill the bathtub(s) before hurricanes. That way if flooding does force you to go under a boil order/whatever, you have a bit more to work with.

Expat, we were always told to go to the innermost room in the house...well, I would spent ages trying to figure out exactly what constituted the innermost room..

Have landed up at a random hotel with DH while we wait to see if we can get out of here tomorrow. Will just have to see tomorrow morning as no - one is really sure how bad it's going to be.

Much to the yes of tornadoes being worse. Hurricanes have a season, and there's warning. Tornadoes just drop from the sky like nature's way of suggesting you should never get too comfortable. One afternoon, when I was all of ten, I was home alone for a few minutes while my mother went to pick up my father and siblings. A tornado popped up out of pretty much nowhere and tore the roof off our house. I heard the sirens in time and hid in the bathroom with my dog, scared out of my mind. Scared the hell out of me, but I think it scared my parents a hell of a lot worse. Not. Fun.

I read a good tip: make ice and store in the freezer in sealed plastic bags. it will keep food cold once power goes. Can then use melted ice for drinking/cooking etc.

Signing in. I'm not in the US but my friends parents and siblings will be in NY next week as they were doing a charity climb of the statue of liberty. They're currently in Colorado.

DD1 is in DC at the mo, living and working. The day she arrived the big derecho hit and now this. Hopefully we will be able to stay in phone contact. I'm not sure if DD1 could figure out how to use a can opener if she ran out of refrigerated or frozen food, so hoping her roomies are domestic types [hsmile]

I'm in the affected area. We did our grocery shopping on Thursday, and the market was a madhouse, even though the storm was still 4 days away. Now everyone is just hunkering down.
I have a very bad feeling about this storm. I'm almost 48, and have been through several hurricanes, without being scared, but this one is somehow different. The way they're talking about this one is frightening.
During past hurricanes, low-lying neighborhoods in our town ( fortunately for us, at the opposite end of town ) had voluntary evacuations. For the first time in my memory, the evacuation is mandatory. The police don't have the manpower to force people to evacuate if they absolutely refuse, but refusers have been warned that, if they need emergency aid during the storm, none may be forthcoming.
We even received an automated Emergency Communications Warning over the phone at 9 p.m..That's also a first for us. It's almost 1 a.m. , but I don't think there'll be much sleeping here tonight. Since a State of Emergency has been declared, there will be no work or school anyway.
Stay safe, fellow East Coast US Mumsnetters ! Will be keeping everyone ( and their worried out-of-area loved ones ) in my thoughts.

Meant to say, Stay Safe, fellow East Coast US Mumsnetters AND Family !

Meant AND FAMILIES, not Family. My mind is really not functioning at the moment.

Stay safe, y'all.

My BiL has officially been up too long. He's got a webcam set up in the window of his place in Delaware, and now he's enacting Playmobil hurricane pageants on the window ledge, complete with a Lego generator and a plant mister in lieu of rain.

Your BIL sounds fab! but I hope he got some sleepy otherwise hell be do-lally by the end of tomorrow!

lots to catch up on in the thread and news!

My uncle is in conneticut all their street have evacuated except them, his wife says the waves are going over the sea walls. They must be mad staying not sure I'd be that brave!

From what I've read at least this hurricane shouldnt generate too many tornadoes. The only small positive I can really find at the moment.

Expat, I'm in awe of your description of your garden turning into an electrical storm. I'm hoping that everyone over there is catching some sleep at the moment. Wildwood NJ seems to be already flooded according to a fb picture I've seen posted.

wishi, I think its actually a brave decision when you do evacuate as you are leaving all your property to goodness knows what without being able to keep an eye on it, though of course life and safety is absolutely the most important thing, it takes a leap of faith to trust the experts when they say it will be bad, you need to get out of there.

I hope that they stay ok.

I think he was do-lally when this started. ;) But yeah, he and his partner are taking turns at sleeping, so that at least one technically rational adult is awake to keep an eye on things.

DS flew out to Washington on Friday on a school trip, was due to drive to NYC today. I haven't heard from him since he left so called his hotel just now and they said there's rain there but they're not expecting the storm to hit until later today.

It will be at its peak overnight mumblechum. Has he water and food supplies?

Marking place, DH currently in NY, in a Times Sq hotel on the 25th floor . Desperately want him home, so worried.

Given that one big risk associated with this storm is flooding, PinkPussyCat, at least he's up well high! The main issue in Times Sq is likely to be power outage, and how long it lasts. A hotel that size probably has a generator, one hopes.

OYBBB, I'm assuming that the hotel/the trip organisers have sorted out water etc. The receptionist at the hotel sounded remarkably laid back.