Quick update: somehow still have power. Skies are mostly cloudy and there are still some occasional moderate winds, but for the most part, it's relatively calm. There are branches and leaves everywhere.
No word yet on status of my house or the conditions (road/flooding) in Virginia Beach, so I'll stay put until I hear anything.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Hurricane update
Conditions have improved significantly for my immediate area in Chesapeake. Winds have died down to a fraction of what they were earlier this evening, although we got some pretty strong gusts around 10-11 pm that scared me a bit.
As of a few minutes ago, it was estimated that 371,000 customers in the Hampton Roads have lost power. What's surprising is that 379,000 customers have lost power in the Richmond area, which probably was hurt more by the winds. We benefited from a number of lulls in the storm (there was a significant die-down in the winds in the later part of afternoon), but it seemed like Richmond really got pounded, as well as a strip from Isle of Wight county southwest to Franklin.
I intend to return to the house either tomorrow afternoon/evening or Monday. My supervisor, who is staying down the road at our office, has informed us that she will check on it (and other refuge facilities) to see if it is safe to return. I'm not sure what to expect; I haven't seen anything in the news from most of VB except areas right along the ocean. Sandbridge seems to have been hit really hard and even had a tornado. It was strange to see places I drive pass every day show up on TV.
Well, it's bedtime for me. I'll update tomorrow and throughout the week to show the damage that Irene has caused.
As of a few minutes ago, it was estimated that 371,000 customers in the Hampton Roads have lost power. What's surprising is that 379,000 customers have lost power in the Richmond area, which probably was hurt more by the winds. We benefited from a number of lulls in the storm (there was a significant die-down in the winds in the later part of afternoon), but it seemed like Richmond really got pounded, as well as a strip from Isle of Wight county southwest to Franklin.
I intend to return to the house either tomorrow afternoon/evening or Monday. My supervisor, who is staying down the road at our office, has informed us that she will check on it (and other refuge facilities) to see if it is safe to return. I'm not sure what to expect; I haven't seen anything in the news from most of VB except areas right along the ocean. Sandbridge seems to have been hit really hard and even had a tornado. It was strange to see places I drive pass every day show up on TV.
Well, it's bedtime for me. I'll update tomorrow and throughout the week to show the damage that Irene has caused.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Hurricane Update
I'm still here in Chesapeake. Somehow, we still have power, but it's pretty windy and the lights have been flickering on and off. I still don't have my camera because, quite honestly, I afraid to go outside for fear of getting struck in the head by one of the many branches flying around. The lawn and the streets are absolutely covered in leaves and branches. Since this afternoon, a group of robins has taken shelter under my car.
About an hour ago, we got reports that the eye of the storm was passing just to the east of Knotts Island, home of Mackay Island NWR and whose staff I have worked with on a few occasions. The eye then passed just to the east of Virginia Beach and is currently moving north in a direction parallel to the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
Meanwhile, I have been reading a book on wombats and enjoying a marathon of Warehouse 13. At this point, I've become significantly less nervous and am much more optimistic about the situation, though I remain very cautious. I'm anticipating significant damage to my house and am anticipating a very harrowing drive home tomorrow or Monday.
That's all for now; I will keep you updated as the storm progresses.
About an hour ago, we got reports that the eye of the storm was passing just to the east of Knotts Island, home of Mackay Island NWR and whose staff I have worked with on a few occasions. The eye then passed just to the east of Virginia Beach and is currently moving north in a direction parallel to the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
Meanwhile, I have been reading a book on wombats and enjoying a marathon of Warehouse 13. At this point, I've become significantly less nervous and am much more optimistic about the situation, though I remain very cautious. I'm anticipating significant damage to my house and am anticipating a very harrowing drive home tomorrow or Monday.
That's all for now; I will keep you updated as the storm progresses.
Hurricane update
I arrived at my friend's house in Chesapeake about midnight. It was already raining a bit when I started driving, but the rain didn't get really bad until about mid-morning today.
According to the news, winds are gusting about 40-50 mph. There are a number of small branches down, but we still have power. The news says we have about 5 inches of rain; I believe it. I left my camera in the car, but I'm afraid to get it from all the debris flying around.
Other updates from people in the area: a tornado has hit Sandbridge with damage to several houses. My supervisor and her family are doing okay in one of our offices, which is now running on a generator. As the office is down the street from my house, I can assume we lost power.
According to the news, winds are gusting about 40-50 mph. There are a number of small branches down, but we still have power. The news says we have about 5 inches of rain; I believe it. I left my camera in the car, but I'm afraid to get it from all the debris flying around.
Other updates from people in the area: a tornado has hit Sandbridge with damage to several houses. My supervisor and her family are doing okay in one of our offices, which is now running on a generator. As the office is down the street from my house, I can assume we lost power.
For those of you who live outside the Hampton Roads, you can find out more about the situation here at local news outlets like wtkr.com. National news isn't covering us at all. Thousands throughout the region are without power already, and there's been one death from a falling tree. The eye is expected to pass almost directly over us at about 8 this evening.
I will keep everyone updated. The worst of Hurricane Irene is yet to come.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Hurricane update
We evacuated the office today; we closed at 12 (but closed to the public yesterday). We put shutters over the windows and doors of the visitor contact station and have distributed vehicles to those employees who live in areas that are less prone to flooding. I also went through our maintenance compound (which is a mess to begin with) and made sure there was nothing that could either float away or cause damage being blown around. For example, I put a number of relatively thin metal items in garages and other buildings. I also tied our portable toilets to the building.
I'm currently taking a break in the midst of hurricane-proofing my house. I'm pretty sure I'm going to lose power, so I (unfortunately) have to throw away EVERYTHING IN MY REFRIGERATOR. Luckily, there's nothing I'm too upset to toss, but it's still rather depressing.
If you think what I'm doing is a little overboard, you should know that I have lost power four times this summer (more than anyone else I know), all of those during relatively routine summer thunderstorms. I'm generally one of the first houses to lose power and the last to get it back.
In anticipation of flooding, I have moved my bike from the shed to my apartment. There's really nothing else of importance (the first floor is vacant) except the lawnmower, but there's nothing I can do about that.
In anticipation of high winds, I have moved my outdoor trash bins to the shed, which of course will only work if the shed doesn't blow/float away. At work, there were several buoys lying around, so I secured some them with rope (because I'm going to be the guy who has to get buoys out of a tree after the storm).
I plan to leave the house for at least the first day/night of the storm, but I'm also preparing for my eventual return. Again, I anticipate not having power for a while, so I'm filling up the bathtubs and any container I can find with water to flush the toilet/shower with when I return. I've got several 5-gallon containers of water either here on in my car, and I have plenty of nonperishables to last me a few days.
Well, it's back to packing. I'll continue to update as much as I can.
Thanks for reading.
I'm currently taking a break in the midst of hurricane-proofing my house. I'm pretty sure I'm going to lose power, so I (unfortunately) have to throw away EVERYTHING IN MY REFRIGERATOR. Luckily, there's nothing I'm too upset to toss, but it's still rather depressing.
If you think what I'm doing is a little overboard, you should know that I have lost power four times this summer (more than anyone else I know), all of those during relatively routine summer thunderstorms. I'm generally one of the first houses to lose power and the last to get it back.
In anticipation of flooding, I have moved my bike from the shed to my apartment. There's really nothing else of importance (the first floor is vacant) except the lawnmower, but there's nothing I can do about that.
In anticipation of high winds, I have moved my outdoor trash bins to the shed, which of course will only work if the shed doesn't blow/float away. At work, there were several buoys lying around, so I secured some them with rope (because I'm going to be the guy who has to get buoys out of a tree after the storm).
I plan to leave the house for at least the first day/night of the storm, but I'm also preparing for my eventual return. Again, I anticipate not having power for a while, so I'm filling up the bathtubs and any container I can find with water to flush the toilet/shower with when I return. I've got several 5-gallon containers of water either here on in my car, and I have plenty of nonperishables to last me a few days.
Well, it's back to packing. I'll continue to update as much as I can.
Thanks for reading.
Hurricane Irene
At times, this blog as served as a host for rants about the environment, poltical commentary, movie criticism, and descriptions of what I consider my mundanely unique life. Today, it takes on a new role.
Hurricane Irene is quickly making its way towards the Hampton Roads area. As of the latest projection, it looks like it is going to make landfall somewhere in North Carolina and is pretty much going to pass directly over the area. NOAA has published the following map...
...which looks really scary even if you don't know what it means, mainly because everything is bright red.
I plan to use this website to keep people updated on how the storm is progressing through the area. I, for one, will NOT be staying at home during the storm; the chance of flooding is way too high for my liking. I don't mind the wind so much as I hate the idea of being stuck in a house surrounded by rising floodwaters. I will most likely be staying at the home of a coworker in a higher area of town.
Well, I've got to head to work now; I spent much of yesterday perparing the office and our maintenance compound. The office I'm in has shutters on all the windows and doors except one, and we're distributing vehicles to people who live in higher-ground areas. I will keep you all updated on the situation.
Thanks for reading.
Hurricane Irene is quickly making its way towards the Hampton Roads area. As of the latest projection, it looks like it is going to make landfall somewhere in North Carolina and is pretty much going to pass directly over the area. NOAA has published the following map...
...which looks really scary even if you don't know what it means, mainly because everything is bright red.
I plan to use this website to keep people updated on how the storm is progressing through the area. I, for one, will NOT be staying at home during the storm; the chance of flooding is way too high for my liking. I don't mind the wind so much as I hate the idea of being stuck in a house surrounded by rising floodwaters. I will most likely be staying at the home of a coworker in a higher area of town.
Well, I've got to head to work now; I spent much of yesterday perparing the office and our maintenance compound. The office I'm in has shutters on all the windows and doors except one, and we're distributing vehicles to people who live in higher-ground areas. I will keep you all updated on the situation.
Thanks for reading.
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