Saturday, August 27, 2011

Hurricane Irene

This is a dynamic post (will be updated if possible).  For current post, click on "Read More"
General information
  • Projected to hit NYC as a Category 1 hurricane Sunday morning.
  • Track the hurricane, along with other data via Google's Crisis Response Map. Also see the Weather Channel's live tracker here.
    Weather.com's Hurricane Tracker
  • Con Edison Storm Center - power outages map.
    ConEd's Power Map
  • Subway, bus, and rail information for the MTA (site is in limited capacity to handle increased volume - often done to prevent the site from crashing, as nyc.gov learned a day ago).
    MTA's reduced site showing all service suspended (began Sat noon)
  • NYC.gov - again, running in reduced mode.
My Situation
  • 8/27/11 16:24 - Normal. Moved stuff around, packed bags with clothing. Dad bought pack of water other day. Flashlights. Covered stuff with bags and moved some stuff away from windows.  Parents were taping a big "X" across windows; upon researching this on the internet, I told them it was "useless." Cars parked in driveway away from trees. Bored. 
  • 8/27/11 23:00 - Cable TV and internet returns after almost more than an hour out.  Apparently due to several reported power outages in area. Going to sleep soon.
  • 8/28/11 04:10 - Received an automated message from NotifyNYC, an emergency notification system set up a few years back, that "The NWS has issued a Tornado Warning for BK and QN. Immediately go indoors to the lowest possible floor for shelter. Stay away from windows." I was outright scared for the next half hour or so and every time I heard the wind howl loudly, I opened my eyes and stayed alert in case I did have to run downstairs. I eventually fell back asleep.
  • 8/28/11 10:48 - Woke up intermittently throughout the night. Yes, I was afraid from time to time whenever I heard some noise or the relatively high winds.  Irene was downgraded to a tropical storm and passed NYC by the time I woke up (an hour ago). Leaves and small branches strewn throughout the street. Luckily, no flooding in my house. Backyard was flooded but waters are receding. I won the bet I made with my parents that the hurricane would not be as bad as was predicted, and in fact it was downgraded! Suck on that, 24-hour media hype.
    ConEd power map showing aftermath of hurricane
    MTA pictures of the authority in action yesterday; click on "Newer": Flickr - MTAPhotos' Photostream - IMG00225-20110827-0734
    My favorite photos: the one with the aquadam that LIRR employed to prevent water from flowing into the underwater tunnels into Penn Station; in a rare instance, an empty Grand Central Terminal, and the good planning by the MTA in preventing rainwater from entering the subway tunnels before and after.
  • 8/29/11 00:22 - Found a collection of some pretty shocking user-submitted photos of the hurricane on The New York Times.
  • 9/1/11 - Local blogger ScoutingNY went shopping around in the late hours Saturday and made unscientific, but satirical remarks, on what NYers bought.
Post 210 (Dated Today, see 200th post for reason) Creative Commons License

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