Zomg a big storm is coming!!!!111!!!!1!

[tropicsgoddess]

I get that hurricane Irene is coming to New York and projected to hit NYC but for fuck's sake, let's quit with the chicken little reporting!!! It's just a Cat 1 hurricane with 85mph winds. Big fucking deal!

[protege]

I've noticed that too. The media is constantly going on about the impact to NYC...and totally forgetting that the rest of the East Coast is getting hit as well. Yet, you don't hear anything about the southern part, or even the part *above* NYC.

[AdminAssistant]

If it were making landfall in Florida or the Gulf - no big deal. Those folks are used to hurricanes, prepared for them, and have building codes and standards that are meant to withstand hurricane force winds. People in New York, New Jersey, and up along the northern East Coast are not used to hurricanes, they aren't prepared for them, and NYC high rises aren't built to be "hurricane proof." Add that with the high concentration of people in NYC, and it could be a very bad situation.

It's like people in California scoffing at folks on the East Coast freaking out about the 5.8 earthquake last week. Or my friends from Denver and Pittsburgh hiding in the shower every time there's even a hint of a tornado warning. Or me freaking out during my first severe Midwest snowstorm. Sure it's no big thing to you, but to people not used to it, it's a big deal.

[protege]

People in New York, New Jersey, and up along the northern East Coast are not used to hurricanes, they aren't prepared for them, and NYC high rises aren't built to be "hurricane proof." Add that with the high concentration of people in NYC, and it could be a very bad situation.

They've had a couple come up that way--Donna (1960), Dora (1964), Agnes (1972), David (1979), Gloria (1985), Bob (1991), Fabian (2003), and Noel (2007). Usually by the time the storms reach the Northeast, they've lost much of their destructive forces. However, they're still deadly.

Even here in SW PA, we've had some hurricane-related damage. Ivan brought lots of flooding here--the town of Millvale was completely flooded, and nearly wiped out. Also flooded, were Sharpsburg, Aspinwall, and other river towns. They recovered, but Millvale still hasn't. Several years later, many businesses still haven't reopened, and probably never will.

[Greenday]

85mph winds. Big fucking deal!

Yes, exactly. Where on Earth do you encounter 85 mph winds on a daily basis? I wasn't aware there was such a place.

But hey, when my hometown floods and all the other coastal towns in NJ flood, I'll just remember "Big fucking deal!" and that'll put me in my place.

On the news out here, they were mainly talking about North Carolina, DC, and a lil bit about NYC.

[IDrinkaRum]

The last hurricane to do any damage in my little part of Virginia was in 1972 with Hurricane Agnes. People are freaking out at the moment and though we didn't have anything to tie our grill and deck items down, we do have them all gathered together on side of the deck. Neighbors next to us, haven't moved anything off/around their deck.

Fortunately we still have electricity as about 2,000+ neighbors in the western part of the county are without.

[tropicsgoddess]

Yes, exactly. Where on Earth do you encounter 85 mph winds on a daily basis? I wasn't aware there was such a place.

But hey, when my hometown floods and all the other coastal towns in NJ flood, I'll just remember "Big fucking deal!" and that'll put me in my place.

On the news out here, they were mainly talking about North Carolina, DC, and a lil bit about NYC.

I'm saying that the media is making a big deal out of nothing (and almost always does). It's a Cat 1 hurricane, it'll do a small amount of damage but of course in some areas flooding would be an issue along with high amounts of damage to mobile homes or buildings that can't withstand hurricane force winds. To me it's not a big deal since I grew up in Florida and been through tons of hurricanes, thunderstorms and tropical storms. Though I'll admit I'll be the one going ZOMG! with the snow in NY (I'm 300 miles from NYC btw).

[dendawg]

But hey, when my hometown floods and all the other coastal towns in NJ flood, I'll just remember "Big fucking deal!" and that'll put me in my place.

More than likely by the time it reaches NJ, it'll be a tropical depression...hurricanes tend to lose their power when they make long-term landfall.

I get that hurricane Irene is coming to New York and projected to hit NYC but for fuck's sake, let's quit with the chicken little reporting!!! It's just a Cat 1 hurricane with 85mph winds. Big fucking deal!

Thank you! Even the hurricane I lived through in 1983 (Alicia, Cat. 3, I was in Houston) was a bigger deal than this. This barely even qualifies as a hurricane. Ike was a hurricane. Katrina, Bob, & Andrew were hurricanes. This is nothing, relatively speaking.

[Greenday]

More than likely by the time it reaches NJ, it'll be a tropical depression...hurricanes tend to lose their power when they make long-term landfall.

Hurricane, tropical depression. When tons of towns are below sea level and flood from ordinary heavy storms, does it matter?

[dendawg]

Hurricane, tropical depression. When tons of towns are below sea level and flood from ordinary heavy storms, does it matter?

Umm...aren't there levees in these towns below sea level to minimize flooding?

As for it mattering, yes it actually does, primarily in wind speeds. A Tropical depression has sustained winds of 38 MPH or less, ie a bad thunderstorm. Whereas a Category 1 hurricane has sustained winds at a minimum of 74 MPH.

So yes, there actually is quite a substantial difference.

[Hyena Dandy]

More than likely by the time it reaches NJ, it'll be a tropical depression...hurricanes tend to lose their power when they make long-term landfall.



Thank you! Even the hurricane I lived through in 1983 (Alicia, Cat. 3, I was in Houston) was a bigger deal than this. This barely even qualifies as a hurricane. Ike was a hurricane. Katrina, Bob, & Andrew were hurricanes. This is nothing, relatively speaking.

Yes, relatively speaking. The difference is, those hurricanes occurred in areas that are used to hurricanes.

Its like the amount of snow required to cancel school in different areas. Around Boston (Lexington, specifically) we never canceled school for less than 8 inches. My friend's school in Texas would cancel school for 2-3 inches. That's because here in Lexington, we have the infrastructure to deal with 8 inches of snow. They don't in (I think it was Lubbock, but I may be wrong), so they had to cancel for that.

Similarly, Florida has the infrastructure to deal with lower levels of hurricane, because that happens a lot in tropical coastal areas. Here, we don't have that infrastructure. So we can't deal with it.

Seeing as the OP is named Tropicsgoddess, I hope its not presumptive of me to assume that she lives in the tropics, where there is infrastructure, building codes, etc, for this style of storm. Whereas here, we're likely to be harder hit, even if the storm's weaker.

[Andara Bledin]

Well, considering that it's still a hurricane with the eye currently over Virginia, and is projected to be a Tropical Storm from somewhere around New York and well into Canada, the definition of Tropical Depression is utterly irrelevant.

Interactive Radar Map with projection at Wunderground.com

^-.-^

[dendawg]

Yes, relatively speaking. The difference is, those hurricanes occurred in areas that are used to hurricanes.

Its like the amount of snow required to cancel school in different areas. Around Boston (Lexington, specifically) we never canceled school for less than 8 inches. My friend's school in Texas would cancel school for 2-3 inches. That's because here in Lexington, we have the infrastructure to deal with 8 inches of snow. They don't in (I think it was Lubbock, but I may be wrong), so they had to cancel for that.

Similarly, Florida has the infrastructure to deal with lower levels of hurricane, because that happens a lot in tropical coastal areas. Here, we don't have that infrastructure. So we can't deal with it.

Seeing as the OP is named Tropicsgoddess, I hope its not presumptive of me to assume that she lives in the tropics, where there is infrastructure, building codes, etc, for this style of storm. Whereas here, we're likely to be harder hit, even if the storm's weaker.

You do have a point. However, maybe it's me being arrogant, but shouldn't a coastal city/state already have the infrastructure necessary to deal with a potential storm that big, regardless of how often it may or may not hit?

[Lachrymose]

I realize it could have been much worse, but let me show you what Tropical Storm Isabel did to downtown Baltimore in 2003:





More pics here: http://www.computervice.com/gerulaitis/Isabelle.htm

We're dealing with a Cat 1 hurricane at the moment. Who knows what we'll wake up to find. It may actually be better though, because the storm is centered further east.

[Andara Bledin]

However, maybe it's me being arrogant, but shouldn't a coastal city/state already have the infrastructure necessary to deal with a potential storm that big, regardless of how often it may or may not hit?

There's a finite amount of time, money, and labor. You put the bulk of it to what you have to deal with every single year. If you have anything left over, then you throw that at the maybes and could happens.

^-.-^