WWYD???? (Wedding question)

[novajeanjellybean]

I don't post much, however I have a question.

My cousin is getting married this weekend (Sunday). She is getting married on the beach in the Outer Banks, NC. She has a whole wedding weekend planned from Friday afternoon to Sunday. As many of you know, there is a hurricane predicted to hit the Outer Banks area Thursday night, Friday morning. As of right now, she has no rain plan. Half of us that live in Houston, TX are driving in to arrive Friday morning (23 hours, leaving Thursday morning) The other half of us are flying into Newport News, VA on Friday morning and driving down. We have asked her what her plans are and cannot seem to get a straight answer. We are leaning towards not going at all only because we live in Houston, TX and do not take hurricanes lightly. BTW the bride lives in Pittsburgh, PA. We are needing to make a decision on what to do and I wanted opinions on what to do.

Should we go or should we not go? TIA

 

[SaraJayne]

Personally, I would be staying home.

 

[Aimros]

Could you wait a couple more days when the weather forecast will be more clear, and maybe drive in a day or two late so you make it to the wedding on Sunday? That way you wouldn't have to miss the whole event, and hopefully by the end of the weekend Hurricane Earl will be on the way out.

 

[minkydog]

If you can wait 24 hours you might have your answer. Communities along the whole coast of NC are starting tsome early evacuations due to the fact that this is a category 4 storm. Even if it passes 100 miles off shore, there will be considerable wind and wave action, probably at least a cat 1 at Nags Head. If you've never been on the OBX during a gale, it's a scary thing. The blowing sand will just about take the first layer of skin off(and I'm not exaggerating, either). Should Earl turn more toward land, they will surely make evacuations mandatory. If that happens NO ONE is getting married there this weekend.

 

[Mimi1965]

No way I'd try to GO to a place that people are LEAVING from due to Hurricane evacuation!
She needs to have a plan-inland

 

[momof1princess]

personally, i'd send a nice gift and stay home. the hurricane earl predictions i saw this morning put it at category 3 when it hits the NC coast friday morning, and if evacuations are already starting, that's not a place you'd want to travel to.

 

[Mimi1965]

The other thing is lots of people who dont HAVE to evacuate-will do so(elderly, sickly, scared) so hotels will be booked for miles inland all up and down the coast

 

[kirstenb1]

I live in Richmond, and we're going to Virginia Beach this weekend. Our local news is treating this storm like a non-event. Regardless, the storm is passing through Thurs night into Friday day. Her wedding Sunday should be fine. We're driving down Friday and staying through Sunday.

 

[JessicaR]

Could you wait a couple more days when the weather forecast will be more clear, and maybe drive in a day or two late so you make it to the wedding on Sunday? That way you wouldn't have to miss the whole event, and hopefully by the end of the weekend Hurricane Earl will be on the way out.

This is what I was thinking too.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Eh, I probably go.

 

[novajeanjellybean]

The idea to go a day or two late is great, however half of our group is flying. I wonder if the airlines would reaccomodate them on a different day.
However, I understand the weather will be nice after the hurricane, but what about damage? When Ike hit, our beaches were trashed and we (us personally) didn't have power for 2 weeks.
I appreciate the suggestions. Thanks for the input.

 

[rigs32]

Why does the whole group have to make the same decision? The drivers leave first, I'm guessing. The weather report should be clearer 1-2 days from now about what is likely to happen. If the flight is delayed/cancelled because of weather, the airline has to fly you when stuff is available, but unless they add flights you cant be sure when that will be.

 

[luvsJack]

I haven't been keeping up with it and don't know a lot about NC anyway, so how far is the wedding from where Earl is expected to come on shore?

With a Cat 3 there is a whooollllee lot more to worry about than just the storm itself. I saw a little on the internet that described Earl as a "monster storm" (those words sure do bring back horrible memories!). If its a big storm, there could be damage in a pretty large area.

Try to get some idea of what is forecasted for the exact area you will be in.

Being from Houston, I am sure you have a whole different outlook on what this storm means than the bride does. I would be strongly suggesting to her that she take a look at what might be happening.

 

[liamsaunt]

You don't want to be on the Outer Banks during a hurricane.

That said, I would wait one more day to decide. The track of the storm is still uncertain at this point.

 

[kirstenb1]

The last forecast I saw showed it staying out to sea. There will likely be high winds/waves on the coast, but I'm really not even sure we'll lose power. (we're staying in Sandbridge, which is a spit of land directly north of the Outer Banks).

 

[minkydog]

I haven't been keeping up with it and don't know a lot about NC anyway, so how far is the wedding from where Earl is expected to come on shore?

My family has lived in the OBX since the 1740s. I have personally seen the entire beach road underwater up to Hwy 158 from a nor'easter. It's not usually as bad as that, but even in a 45mph gale there will be water crashing over the road and the beaches are trashed. Last time we were there in a gale we saw 4 beach front houses fall into the ocean

 

[scrapquitler]

The idea to go a day or two late is great, however half of our group is flying. I wonder if the airlines would reaccomodate them on a different day.
However, I understand the weather will be nice after the hurricane, but what about damage? When Ike hit, our beaches were trashed and we (us personally) didn't have power for 2 weeks.
I appreciate the suggestions. Thanks for the input.

I think you should call the airline and see what their plan is. I'd guess that if they know the hurricane is going to hit that area, they are planning ahead to not have flights going in at that time, and also a plan to have any planes that are there on the ground getting out of there before the hurricane hits.

I'd guess that those of you flying won't have to make a decision...the airline will do it for you.

 

[ksjayhawks]

Here is a website with info:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at2.shtml?5-daynl

Here is another:

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/01/evacuations-as-hurricane-earl-approaches-u-s/

If they are evacuating people from the area and tourists are leaving the OBX--I would check with bride about the plans before driving that far. If you do go, I would throw in air mattresses, sleeping bags, pillows, etc as who knows where you might end up at.

 

[RadioNate]

With Fiona coming up right behind Earl on nearly the same path I seriously doubt this wedding will be proceeding as planned. Sure it is projected further out to sea but coming so close behind Earl is a bit concerning.

The bride has no plan? I'm sure her wedding coordinator or the resort or someone from the area has been in communication with her. They had to have been.

What about your hotel? Are they evacuating guests? If it is beach front, they may be.

Hurricanes are nothing to mess with. I always laugh at the idiots standing on shore during the storm. Fay, which wasn't even a hurricane, caused 15k worth of damage to my significantly inland house. A Cat2 totaled DHs car.

Some of the spaghetti models have this thing coming pretty close to shore. I'd be very very wary before driving all the way from Texas.

 

[Octoberbride03]

The cone has changed. The weather front on land is keeping Earl a bit farther out to sea than expected. The wedding should go off fine. Fiona is behind him but not close enough to impact the wedding weekend. The waves will likely be rough, but doesn't look like much of an event weatherwise on land. Come on over and enjoy.