Hurricane Sandy and East Coast - anyone preparing yet?

[Cogswel_Cogs]

Still very quiet here, but getting ready for some real devastation. I can;t even imagine what this is going to do to some areas of Long Island and Jersey. I am not sure about Jersey but there are many spots in Long Island that are only a couple feet above sea level.

 

[GraceMonica]

Im in Baltimore County, Maryland (north of Baltimore city) its been nothing but light rainfall and a little bit of wind. I know the eastern shore is getting hit hard and my cousins out to the west have been posting about heavy rainfall and a lot of wind.

Its very calm right now.

We didn't do much to prepare. We have city water, so we know we wont lose it. Our hot water heater is gas as well as our stove, so we'll have warm showers and be able to cook. We have a generator, so we did get gas for it. We have a fireplace and a wood stove, so if it gets cold we could always start up those!

I work at a garden shop, and someone came in and bought all of our bags of sand...came to over $1000! im just glad I don't live in an area that floods! We also sold out if lamp oil and sold a lot of firewood!

We have two fridges and a large freezer. My mother had me clean out the small fridge so if the power does go out, we would only have to hook up two instead of three.

A lot of schools cancelled for tomorrow and the governor shut down all public transportation.

I might have to go into work, but there was talk that we would be closing early ...we're all just playing it by ear now! (I would LOVE to have the day off...but 2/3 of the money I make goes into my vacation fund, and it would throw off my numbers!)

I was in New Orleans when hurricane isaac came through. One big difference is they ran out of gas really quick, and around here, gas stations were still open on my way home from work at 9pm tonight. The worst part of it all is just waiting it out. You never know when your power is going to go out, so it's just a waiting game!

Ill come back and update later if anything starts happening!

 

[cornflake]

I dunno what's going on here.

I just went out to the drugstore - then walked to the other drugstore as the nearest one was pillaged - and (at about midnight) passed the M11, 104 and a crosstown bus, all with correct signage, all with passengers, all stopping at stops and taking on people. I'm happy they're running goodness knows, I think our mini mayor is nuts for shutting the system again, but it was decidedly weird. I don't know if they changed the official thing or if drivers just kept going.

Also passed lots of people, a few decently crowded restaurants, and enough delivery bikes to make you think it was Saturday night.

Also amusingly, I stopped in the market, as it was on my way and I was like oh, didn't get bread when I shopped yesterday. They had no bread. Like... NO bread. Entire empty section, save some grissini.

I passed the manager on the way out. He said hi, I said you know you're out of bread? (jokingly), he laughed and said yeah, the truck will be here at 5, it'll be stocked. It has yet to rain.

 

[hereyago]

I am in Newport News Va,southeast part of Va.and like Kimmyann posted it has been more of an Nor'easter. Dd14's school system took forever in announcing they would be closed tomorrow. I wish everyone a safe visit from what will be used to be Sandy.

 

[HelenePA]

We were the last in our county to finally close. Every other school had been closed for hours already when they finally announced no school for us tomorrow.. I had to transfer money from our savings to checking last week, it wont hit until tomorrow morning... so at 5am I will be out there shopping for extras... heaven help me.. at least I got bread and water on Friday!

 

[mamamary]

Im in Baltimore County, Maryland (north of Baltimore city) its been nothing but light rainfall and a little bit of wind. I know the eastern shore is getting hit hard and my cousins out to the west have been posting about heavy rainfall and a lot of wind.

Its very calm right now.

We didn't do much to prepare. We have city water, so we know we wont lose it. Our hot water heater is gas as well as our stove, so we'll have warm showers and be able to cook. We have a generator, so we did get gas for it. We have a fireplace and a wood stove, so if it gets cold we could always start up those!

I work at a garden shop, and someone came in and bought all of our bags of sand...came to over $1000! im just glad I don't live in an area that floods! We also sold out if lamp oil and sold a lot of firewood!

We have two fridges and a large freezer. My mother had me clean out the small fridge so if the power does go out, we would only have to hook up two instead of three.

A lot of schools cancelled for tomorrow and the governor shut down all public transportation.

I might have to go into work, but there was talk that we would be closing early ...we're all just playing it by ear now! (I would LOVE to have the day off...but 2/3 of the money I make goes into my vacation fund, and it would throw off my numbers!)

I was in New Orleans when hurricane isaac came through. One big difference is they ran out of gas really quick, and around here, gas stations were still open on my way home from work at 9pm tonight. The worst part of it all is just waiting it out. You never know when your power is going to go out, so it's just a waiting game!

Ill come back and update later if anything starts happening!

We are in Harford Cty, Md right next to you. We have rain but that is about it. Schools closed here for tomorrow. Now my kids school will also be set up as a shelter so I'm assuming that while it is a shelter there won't be any school for them?????? Or could school be in session while being used? Guess I'lll just have to wait and see.

 

[cornflake]

We are in Harford Cty, Md right next to you. We have rain but that is about it. Schools closed here for tomorrow. Now my kids school will also be set up as a shelter so I'm assuming that while it is a shelter there won't be any school for them?????? Or could school be in session while being used? Guess I'lll just have to wait and see.

I don't know how they do it by you but here it can be both, depending. The classrooms aren't usually used - usually the gym/cafeteria/theatre space is, so if there's not something else that'd stop school, they can have kids eat in classrooms or whatever and skip gym and stuff and it can often be kept separate.

May depend on the school itself and how it's set up too.

 

[bas71873]

Checking in from Central VA (5:30 AM Monday morning). Just raining & breezy right now. News saying tonight & tomorrow will be the worse for us wind wise and NOAA has upgraded our wind speed potential and said the storm has slowed down. We could also have a rain/snow mix overnight, but nothing that sticks. I'm assuming school will be closed again tomorrow, but right now, all's well.

 

[Pixiedust34]

Steady rain, but Sandy isn't supposed to arrive until this afternoon.

The neighbor's trees are still my biggest worry with the high winds. We are as prepared as can be--plenty of food, flashlights, candles, yard/basement (we'll no doubt have a wet basement) ready. I hope the power outages are at a minimum and that the trees in our immediate area stay standing. Keeping all of those in Sandy's path in my prayers! Stay safe.

 

[pooh2001]

We survived Tropical Storm Debbie when we went to WDW this past June/July.
Now Tropical Storm Sandy at home.

We still have electric power 10/29 here in NY
We are supposed to feel the effects of Sandy by this afternoon.
Stay safe DIS'ers !

 

[njmom47]

Still very windy with heavy rain here, but Sandy's not supposed to really hit untill this afternoon.
No work for me today; the 2 towns I would drive through have a non-essential personnel road ban, so that leaves me out!
I've read where some of our local shelters are full already and there's a list of evacuations on the local newspaper website. The Weather Channel is showing the wind pattern, and you can't even see NJ! They are saying LI will be hit hard with storm surges.
Stay safe everyone.

 

[GraceMonica]

Rain is starting to pick up a bit and its a little more windy. Just got a call that my work is closing at 3 and since I work the afternoon shift, I don't have to work today! Woowee.

On a side note, I just woke up from a dream of being a jungle cruise operator! Must be because all this rain I feel the need to dream about driving a boat!

 

[louey]

State of Emergency in Delaware! No driving on roads unless you are essential personnel! Just praying we don't lose power but I think it is inevitable Its exhausting all the running around for supplies, cleaning, and now the worry of what might happen How many days till our Disney trip, I am ready right now

 

[Jedana]

Driving back home from DCL and passing a lot of out of state power trucks heading east.

JEA down here sent up some people and trucks to help out. One of our scout parents is on his way to save the day!

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

A lot of schools are closed here or have at least cancelled after school activities.

My DH's National Guard unit has been on call since 6am and a friend of his who's NG unit is all of the way in Watertown HAS been activated and they are headed to the city.

We are expecting a lot of wind here, but we are a lot farther inland than it seems most you are.

Good luck everyone!

 

[mdsoccermom]

Right now, just really rainy. It's supposed to get bad this afternoon. I out dinner in the crockpot early this morning so it's done early and before the possibility of a power outage.

We have a couple of things to return to Redbox, but neither DH and I are inclined to leave the house to drop them off. Guess we'll just incur the charges.

 

[wvjules]

I sooooo don't want to be at work today! Its dark, rainy, windy...perfect napping, reading, cuddling up on the couch weather! Hopefully we will get released at noon today. *crossing fingers*

 

[KarenB]

Checking in from the ridges and valleys in central PA, right where the storm is supposed to sit before turning north again. Windy, rainy, but nothing more than a dreary rainy day for now.

We are in one of the many towns right along the Susquehanna River that tends to flood often lately. I know we will have a wet basement, which just about everyone will have around here. However as another poster said, I am more concerned with the large tree in our backyard and power outages. Outages are certainly an inconvenience, but I can live with that; it is sump pumps shutting off during those outages. That worries me.

I feel like I can't escape the media. My work is closed and I am trying to find that balance of staying on top of things and ready for the worst and trying to go on with some things that need to be done. Difficult for me.

 

[mamamary]

Right now the rain actually let up. I ran to the grocery store about 1 1/2 hours ago and it was pouring. Now it's just a steady rain. My husband went to work so I'm hoping that if the rain and wind get dangerous that they let the employees go home.

 

[lovin'fl]

I am worried about my mother who went to work across the Key Bridge in Dundalk. I am watching the MDTA for updates. I wish she was at home.

Nothing too bad here yet either. Just a steady rain but not pouring. I think all the melee is supposed to begin later this afternoon.