Well, Hurricane Isabel is on its way.

The coast: NJ expects only 'remnants', but I was at the beach this morning and the waves were already kicking up and at that time Isabel was 650 - 700 miles away! Waves heights are expected to be up to 19 or 20 feet high by tomorrow, causing beach erosion and powerful rip currents. Ever see a twenty footer? I have. Let me tell you, it's something you'll remember. Looks like a snow-capped mountain, even from far away, only it's moving. Fast. The worst of the Hurricane will be overnight Thursday/Friday. We're expecting winds to be at 35 - 40 mph with gusts past 50-60. Evacuation routes and emergency staff have all been placed on alert and readied. I heard saws and hammers on the usually quiet beach and didn't need anyone telling me that plywood is real popular right now. We have small craft advisories and Surf Advisories in effect now, but it's only a matter of time before the Red Flags decorate the beaches and Gale warnings are posted. Flooding is expected all along the coast. The Shore businesses had one of their worst years in 50 years due to all of the rainfall this season. A record amount. Last year we had drought. This year everything's still wet around here and resevoirs are at or near capacity. It won't take much to start the flooding.

Inland: The track of the storm looks like it will take a toll on the inland part of the state too. Mostly flooding and downed trees and power lines. We lose power where we are a lot unfortuantely (there are a lot of big trees around here!) and we've lost three really tall Oaks to past storms. I spent all morning getting ready and I was already mostly prepared! I guess Y2K was good for something after all ;-) BTW, last month I got the last of the Y2K TP out...guess I overdid that a bit ;-)

Anyways, I thought I'd post and let youz guyz know what was happening. If we lose power for more than a couple days, don't worry, I'll come back and post when I can. As far as the story, I figure I'll have plenty of time to think up an ending.

This should be interesting.

-- Rob Michaels (thesonofdust@yahoo.com), September 17, 2003

Answers

(((Rob)))

Here's hoping your weather goes more lightly than expected!!

(We have frost tonight, BTW)

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), September 17, 2003.

Frost? Yikes!

This morning I woke up early to do all of the last-minute preps. I took out both window-unit air conditioners then put down all of the house's storm windows. I have storm screens for the outside doors so I put them in too.

We have a big yard and lots of trees. Yesterday there was hardly a leaf on the front lawn since I had just mowed it recently. This morning it's littered with leaves. Tree-tops are dancing.

I spent a while getting all of our outside stuff into either the garage (I put everything except our cars in the garage ;-) or in the garden/tool shed. There's so much stuff now in both out-buildings that it's hard to walk around in either.

I'm taking a break now. Next will be checking that the gutters are all clear. I cleaned them well in the early Spring so they should be ok still since most of the leaves are on the trees, but I have to check anyway. After that comes a big job. Getting everything in our finished basement off of the floor in case the power goes out and we flood. If it happens, it happens. The thing we're most worried about are the trees. Hopefully, they'll all stay where they are!

I just heard that New Jersey and several other states have been declared to be in a state of emergency. The Hurricane is going to make landfall down in North Carolina, and then the estimated track will take it into Virginia and up into PA, then NY and eventually eastern Canada. The problem is it is a really big (in terms of miles) Storm. So even though landfall will be far away, it's going to affect a very wide area.

Well, that's it for now. We're ok, and are doing everything we can. In a way it's kind of exciting. I remember in February I was posting about the Blizzard, and how it was colder here than in Alaska.

Now it's Isabel. I've heard a lot of things said about New Jersey, but no one has ever said things are dull around here!

-- (thesonofdust@getting.ready), September 18, 2003.

Whoa, Robbie! A hurry-cane, and a BIG 'un too. Be sure to bring in the gill nets and trot lines, and don't fergit the chickens. Chickens go in the kitchen, goats in the bedrooms, and hogs in the indoor bathroom, if you got one. (bathroom, that is; who ain't got hogs?)

I fergot to bring in a big hog once, and we found him two days later, 20 foot up in a Chinaberry tree. Stuck good - weren't nuthin we could do but put twigs and such all around him. A fam'ly of Blue Jays adopted him and fed him bugs and wurms fer a month. I didn't never think they would get him to leave the nest, but boy, when he finally flew off it were a sight to behold! 'Course, fer months later, we did kinda have to watch out for them pig bombs. I mean, getting splattered by a seagull is one thing, but flying hogs, boy, can flat ruin a good feedstore gimme hat!

(well, it's ever bit true - as true as frost in September - SNARF!)

-- Lon Frankenstien (evil@the.bayou), September 18, 2003.

Hmmph! Dear Mr. Frankenstein, if you refuse to believe me, maybe you'll believe Environment Canada? http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/forecast/city_e.html?yxd

Yesterday's high in Edmonton was 3.4C (about 39F) and the low -0.3C (about 31F) and since it's usually about 2C cooler out here in the suburbs, it did indeed freeze quite well last night. Nor was it much above freezing during the day. It's an unusual September that we don't have frost by now. So the bugs die off and the birds head south - I saw geese honking their way into v formation last week, they'll soon be gone.

Rob, sounds like you're a busy man - I hope the storm goes lightly over you. And no news from Kritter yet... she stays in our prayers!

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.net), September 18, 2003.

Some pictures from New Jersey:

Wind-driven waves crash over the stones along the shoreline in Avalon, N.J., Thursday, Sept. 18, 2003. The state received tropical storm force winds from Hurricane Isabel. (AP Photo/Daniel Hulshizer)

Bob McGuigan, left, and an unidentified man, right, flee waves crashing against the boardwalk in Atlantic City, N.J., brought on by Hurricane Isabel Thursday, Sept. 18, 2003. Waves reached 10- 15 feet and forecaster predict 2-4 inches of rain to fall across the state in the span of 12 hours. (AP Photo/Brian Branch-Price)

-- Gayla (stay@safe.Rob!), September 18, 2003.

We're ok. It was a long and noisy night, but we still have power and so far didn't lose any big trees that I can see but I haven't been out yet. Don't know what happened yet at the shore. Hopefully things will be ok there too and stay ok here.

-- (sonofdust@hunkered.down), September 19, 2003.

It's over. We were lucky. There was a lot of clean up today (yesterday was still real windy all day) but we managed to get most of the cleanup out of the way by late this afternnon. Bag after bag after bag of leaves/twigs/small branches and some big braches too all had to be cleaned up. Our garage door got hit by something that knocked a panel clear out but I was able to fix that too. So all in all we were very lucky. Duct Tape Rules!

Now maybe I can start thinking again about finishing that silly ol' story soon ;-)

-- (sonofdust@lucky.thisTime), September 20, 2003.

Thanks for letting us know Rob. Even if some of us haven't been here, it doesn't mean you've not been on our mind-cuz you have been. I am grateful you are safe and sound. Now for Kritter! We might have to send ya over her way to check on her!

-- Aunt Bee (Aunt__Bee@hotmail.com), September 22, 2003.

Yeah, she's been on my mind everyday now, at least since the 16th when she wrote about having the cath surgery scheduled. I thought I saw something about her moving so don't know if she's still around here or not, but I'd like to know. IT would be great to meet another FRLian. Anyway, guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts. There were, as of yesterday, still thousands of people without power not too far from here and there is still some cleanup outside that needs to be done! We were real lucky though, it could hve been a lot worse.

-- (sonofdust@storms.over), September 22, 2003.

Glad your family came through the storm okay Rob. After seeing the pics on TV we felt incredibly sorry for all those who have lost so much.

-- Carol (c@oz.com), September 22, 2003.

So maybe Krit is alright, but she hasn't the "power" to tell us so. I'll still continue to keep her in my prayers though, and hope she will find a way to at least, let one of know she is ok.

-- Aunt Bee (Aunt__Bee@hotmail.com), September 23, 2003.

Glad to hear you're ok, Rob! I hope Krit reported in on one of the other threads, I still worry about her.

-- Tricia the Canuck (jayles@telusplanet.ent), September 24, 2003.