Hurricane Sandy

[Paul T]

Howdy Folks,

Just a quite note to any of our North American viewers (including up into Canda) who're being affected or are due to be affected (or folks that have friends in the area) by Hurricane Sandy..... I hope it won't be as bad as they're predicting.  At present on our TV they're talking massive storm surges and flooding, blizzard conditions as air is dragged down from the north, power outages over a wide area, and a third of America being affected by this storm system.

So, from a very long way away in a very different part of the world, my thoughts are with you and I hope it isn't as bad as they're forecasting.

All the best everyone.

[Maggi Young]

Just watching the reports on the news here about Hurricane Sandy as well, Paul.

Just heard that the storm may even gain strength when it hits land, rather than becoming weaker as it does so. Really frightening and we must all hope for the best for those caught up in its effects.
So many killed by the storm already in the Caribbean-  it's not good news, is it?

[Paul T]

Not good news at all!

[ArnoldT]

I'm siting about 150 miles from the eye and the wind is howling outside.

Gusts to 50-60 MPH.

Our electricity has flickered a number of times but still on.

What makes this particular storm so violent is the combination of a full moon high tide and a cold front to the west of the storm.  There are reports of snow falling in parts of Virginia.  Parts of lower Manhattan are flooded around Wall Street.  All modes of public transportation are closed along with tunnels and bridges.

Tomorrow may be worse.  Glad I had my beeches pruned two months ago.

[johnw]

It would seem that from northern New England south is bearing the brunt of the Hurricane.  A bit of wind and drizzle here but we will get up to 100mm by Friday as it passes north on its way east and back out into the Atlantic.  Hopefully Arnold and Mark et al are weathering it well but we see masses of trees down in NJ and Mass.  Even 2ft of snow predicted in the Appalachians.

We know all too well the power of these storms as we took a direct hit from Hurricane Juan at the end of Sept. 2003, some reported gusts of 245km/h, most big trees lining this street came tumbling down lifting sidewalks, flattening cars and damaging houses. That one happened just after midnight and lasted only 1.75 hours

johnw

[Paul T]

They say that tonight's full moon tide will be the worst time, which I am guessing is probably somewhere about now?

Had live coverage from an Aussie reporter in lower manhatten, standing in ankle deep water, showing the stormwater drains with water flowing into them....... then informed us they were not stormwater drains but were the ventilation for the subway.    So the subway system is currently slowly filling with water, and they hadn't even reached high tide at that point I think, and the storm surge was still building.

[Anthony Darby]

Had an email four hours ago from a friend in Howard Beach, NY. This is what he said:

"power failed around 8:30 p.m., water continued to flow in till almost 10 p.m., reached 4 feet outside then was gone from the streets with the receding tide (all 4 feet of it !) by 11:30 p.m. and when I opened my front door the water was pouring out of my house from the basement. What a mess - totally flooded out basement, 7 feet of water down there  (and man is it cold water!) wall to wall, all my animal tanks turned over and sunken, don't know if anything has survived as of yet. Out stuff is floating everywhere! Total loss of whatever was down there.

Will see how long it takes to pump me out and get the house going again. No power or heat? Don't know how long this will take to get out under from. Forget the clean up !"

[Paul T]

Ouch.  Not good, particularly where animal tanks are involved.  Heartbreaking!!

Keep us posted if you get the time Anthony.  Would be nice to know how they're going.  Unfortunately they have the next high tide to contend with as well most likely.

[Jonny_SE]

Thinking of this autum...when i constantly complained about getting 50mm of rain...puts it all in another perspective.....Hopes it soon will be over that storm......//Jonny

[ArnoldT]

Here's one shot of what many area look like today.  This is 100 feet from my home.

If you take note the trees fail where curbs or sidewalks are replaced.  Tree roots are cut and there is no support on that side of the tree.  You can see the sharply cut root flare on the tree base just below the sign.  That sidewalk was replaced last year.

[Paul T]

Arnold,

You can't miss that little detail, can you!!    Not good.

[johnw]

Arnold  - Quite the mess there.

Yesterday before the storm started we arose to find the natural gasline crew sawing the asphalt of a neighbor's driveway.  As we are getting gas too I phoned the trenching company to make sure they were not trenching down my driveway what with large trees just a few feet away and close to the house, qwind and rain and trenches don't mix.  He assured me it would not be done until next week.  This morning with both car and truck in our driveway they were just about to start trenching when we stopped them in their tracks, how they intended to proceed with vehicles in the driveway along with countless flats of plants is beyond me.  Upon agreeing to return after the rains another workman appeared saying "I think we sawed the wrong drieway yesterday morning, wrong blue house".  I didn't like to point out there are different numbers on each house.

johnw

[astragalus]

We just got our power back.  Without it we have  no water, phone, heat, computer etc.  We escaped serious damage because we had the tree people in a month ago getting rid of trees in trouble, dead wood, hangers etc.  They were here for a day and the timing was serendipitous. Our son in Connecticut had a neighbor's tree crash through the roof and into the guest room.  Everyone OK and they never lost power, amazing, but what a mess it will be.  There is so much damage around them who knows when everything will be back to normal.  People are just thankful to be alive.  The sound of the wind was terrible and we weren't in the worst of it.  New York City was hard hit but our daughter never left her apartment and is fine.  The devastation in New Jersey is really terrible.
Arnold, so glad you're OK.
Checked the garden for damage this afternoon and there is a bloom on Gentiana angustifolia.  It should get an award!

[Anthony Darby]

Something to be said for the old phone system. Didn't rely on the mains supply. We could still use the phone during a power cut. Modern phones have to have power to their base for charging plus they don't work if there is no mains supply.

[ArnoldT]

Here's a shot today of another old tree that was blown over.