Hurricane Sandy and East Coast - anyone preparing yet?

[monkeybug]

Every time they update hurricane reports the forecast for here changes. One minute they say we will be hit, the next we wont. Who knows!

No kidding!! So frustrating!
This is our first experience with a hurricane, and I always thought they were kind of predictable. Rookie mistake I guess.

 

[JessicaR]

They just changed the timeline at 6 p.m. from it hitting us head on Monday night to it now hitting us head on at 6 a.m. Monday!

I did laundry today, my DH cleaned all the items off the basement floor and moved everything up high, moved branches and trash cans and outdoor items into the garage; refrigerator is stocked; plenty of bottles of water; lanterns ready with batteries and plenty of candles; pitchers filled with tap water for the dogs; and tomorrow I am filling all empty (cleaned) trash cans and water bins with water for washing and toilet and other necessary in case we lose power.

We also stocked up on canned items, soda, juices, breads and wine!

I'm taking this very seriously since I used to live in Miami and lived through many a dangerous hurricane. They are predicting 75+ mph winds, 10+ inches of rain, flooding, high tides (we live near a river) and massive power outages. Areas to our west are expected to get two feet of snow!

The governers in the tri-state area have all declared states of emergency and asked cars to be off roads by 6 a.m. Monday morning, but yet none of them have told us what they plan to do with the government offices and state universities!

Good luck to all and stay safe.

Well that's a drastic change.

 

[HelenePA]

Newest sandy info comes out at 11pm. I'd much rather a major snow storm right now. At least I know what to expect from those

 

[RedSox68]

Well that's a drastic change.

And at 10:10 p.m. they backtracked and are now saying it will his us Monday night. The storm speed and path keep changing. Now I don't think they know what to expect!

 

[Mokat76]

Dang it!!! I was just sitting here congratulating myself for being totally prepared and suddenly it occurred to me I need oil for my chainsaw. I'm in the Tidewater area of VA, also on the Peninsula. I know I'll want the saw later in the week when I try to clear stuff. Can't believe I have to go out in the morning. Ugh. I'd go to Walmart now but i just can't face that right now. Nothing against Walmart, just can't do two trips in a day. I'll go early in the morning.

 

[HelenePA]

And at 10:10 p.m. they backtracked and are now saying it will his us Monday night. The storm speed and path keep changing. Now I don't think they know what to expect!

They are say we will see signs of her Monday morning but it was gradually get worse thru the day because of how big she is.. I really hope my kids schools don't pull the stunt of them going when everyone else is closed like usual in the winter.

 

[monkeybug]

Dang it!!! I was just sitting here congratulating myself for being totally prepared and suddenly it occurred to me I need oil for my chainsaw. I'm in the Tidewater area of VA, also on the Peninsula. I know I'll want the saw later in the week when I try to clear stuff. Can't believe I have to go out in the morning. Ugh. I'd go to Walmart now but i just can't face that right now. Nothing against Walmart, just can't do two trips in a day. I'll go early in the morning.

My husband went to the Suffolk Walmart early this morning and said it wasn't bad at all. Maybe if you get there early enough you'll be good?

My facebook status this morning was
"Sending my husband to Walmart on the day before a hurricane. If I'm posting from divorce court next week, you know why"

My friend responded "I'll be surprised if he waits that long to file" LOL!

Walmart before a big storm can be more frightening than the storm itself!

 

[awoogala]

water, non-cooking type food purchased, 4 water jugs.
roof checked, all outdoor stuff away or tied down.
flashlights, glow sticks, candles ready. Phones charged, cars full of gas.
tomorrow I will fill the tub and pack an emergency suitcase or two. Most likely prep a room for a friend that needs an evacuation crash pad. Probably more than I need....but I'd rather be prepped. Worse comes to worse, I have a canoe.
we have never flooded yet, but dh has thousands of dollars of musical equipment in the basement, so he is thinking of moving it anyway.

 

[fitzy819]

Dang it!!! I was just sitting here congratulating myself for being totally prepared and suddenly it occurred to me I need oil for my chainsaw. I'm in the Tidewater area of VA, also on the Peninsula. I know I'll want the saw later in the week when I try to clear stuff. Can't believe I have to go out in the morning. Ugh. I'd go to Walmart now but i just can't face that right now. Nothing against Walmart, just can't do two trips in a day. I'll go early in the morning.

DON'T GO TO WALMART!!! Wading through the chaos at Walmart will probably be worse than the storm itself. The Home Depot in Newport News was relatively calm today, you could try there in the morning.

If yall still need groceries we found the Kiln Creek Farm Fresh and Trader Joes to be very calm as well and there was still plenty of stuff left on the shelves.

 

[fitzy819]

No kidding!! So frustrating!
This is our first experience with a hurricane, and I always thought they were kind of predictable. Rookie mistake I guess.

I'm thinking were just going to have flooding and power outages. Last year the "hurricane" that hit us was lame. The noreaster from 2010 was way more exciting, lol. According to the most recent prediction we are out of the warning cone for the storm hitting us but it could be totally different when we wake up in the morning

 

[HelenePA]

I'm thinking were just going to have flooding and power outages. Last year the "hurricane" that hit us was lame. The noreaster from 2010 was way more exciting, lol. According to the most recent prediction we are out of the warning cone for the storm hitting us but it could be totally different when we wake up in the morning

I'm in direct line with the cone I do NOT like this at all, my house was NOT made for 95mph gusts... its 80+years old!! thank god my roof is newer...

https://www.facebook.com/NepaHurricaneSandyWatch Here is a page for NEPA peeps on facebook

 

[LBIJim]

I love that APP.com states "authorities say Monmouth/Ocean counties will be hit the hardest." Yay. My dd just moved to Tuckerton about a mile from the Seaport....I don't know about that area during storms. I hope she and dgd will be ok!

The town of Tuckerton and most of the surrounding area should be free of any flooding. However, if she's in Tuckerton Beach no doubt there will be mandatory evacuation. That's a very low area and sometimes gets flooded in a run-of-the-mill heavy rainstorm.

Jim

 

[bas71873]

We are near(ish) you, (on other side of James River bridge) and also just moved here. I think we are supposed to get 30mph sustained winds and gusts to 50. That isn't bad compared to the storms we've had in other places we've lived, but people around here are saying that it's enough to knock power out. Blech! We have food, water, flashlights, batteries, our stove is gas, and the house came with a generator. Oh, and we have wine! Lots of wine!

Yep, you aren't far from us at all. We have lived here for three years so not that long either. We previously lived in apartment and never lost power during any of the storms that came through but many people I worked with lost power for a week+. We moved in to a house about a month ago so I guess we will see if we keep power here. Every time they update hurricane reports the forecast for here changes. One minute they say we will be hit, the next we wont. Who knows!

I've been in my current house in VA for 3 years and we've lost power twice now for several days at a time. Once during those Spring storms this past June and last summer during Irene. And we have underground lines. It sucks. I lived in Alabama during Ivan and in NOLA during Katrina, so I'm on the side of better safe (prepared) than sorry. I don't panic, just get ready.

I'm thinking were just going to have flooding and power outages. Last year the "hurricane" that hit us was lame. The noreaster from 2010 was way more exciting, lol. According to the most recent prediction we are out of the warning cone for the storm hitting us but it could be totally different when we wake up in the morning

May have been lame for you, but not for us. We were without power for 4 days and my parents had 2 trees on their roof. Nothing lame about Irene here in Central VA where it wasn't supposed to be that bad.

 

[crazyme5kids]

Checking in from NJ.
Hoping the weather stays OK through tomorrow (Sun) so we can go see Newsies in NYC!
I just want to be able to get in, see the show and get out (via NJ Transit) without issues!

If it's a matinee, you'll be fine. If it's an evening performance, at this point it will be very iffy, looks like they might start shutting train and subway systems down around 7pm, although there hasn't been an official decision yet.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Well, the laundry is going and going, and I am cleaning and cleaning. I went food shopping but still have to get a few things. Please tell me I am not the only one who bought chips like we were never going to have them again? I am going to need an intervention soon! I plan on cooking a bunch of stuff today that can be left out in case we lose electric. I need to get some firewood inside and then I think we will be good. I have candles, batteries, flashlights, and I will be charging all the video games/istuff today. Let's hope Sandy goes back out to sea.

 

[lovin'fl]

So, I went to the store, did the laundry, cleaned the entire house (if power's out I won't be able to vacuum), went to the package goods for beer and wine, brought up all the outdoor stuff and cleaned the gutters (myself...not DH). DH snapped at me that he didn't have time...he did have time to see nephew's volleyball game an hour away and to spend all day yesterday with our DDs' softball team doing some sort of evaluations and he also caught the Buckeyes game last night (while drinking the wine that I picked up)....hmmmm. We may be with Monkeybug and her DH in divorce court next week.

 

[Shutterbug]

Wow, look at the size of it!

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Wow, look at the size of it!

Yikes!!!

 

[njmom47]

The town of Tuckerton and most of the surrounding area should be free of any flooding. However, if she's in Tuckerton Beach no doubt there will be mandatory evacuation. That's a very low area and sometimes gets flooded in a run-of-the-mill heavy rainstorm.

Jim

Thanks Jim, I knew I could count on you!
She's only 20 and as young people generally are, was kindof clueless until I mentioned the storm, how she should make sure she has water, non-perishable food, plenty of diapers for her dd, etc. Then she freaked out! She is familiar with where to evacuate to, though, if she needs to.
We are watching the Weather Channel, and they are in Asbury Park and Point Pleasant (which is the next town over). I went to the grocery store and it wasn't too bad at all, but that was at 730-830 this morning. DH cleaned off the deck. Our town has a curfew as of 11:00 pm (or midnight, depending on where you got your information from) tonight.

 

[AnnaS]

Laundry is more or less always an ongoing thing chore here. Have many non-perishables items in the house.

Candles, flashlights, radio ready. Filled up many plastic containers/bottles for the freezer. Small water pump and hose attached for the yard and bought some other huge plastic tube attached it to one of the gutter things coming down from the roof - attach/extend it to let it go towards the front of the house.

Nothing outside either where things can go flying.

Let's hope for the best and good luck to everyone.