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.

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.