Northeastern Amerikans: What Are You Doing For The Hurricane Weekend?

[Dreadnaught]

So Labor Day is upon the Americans, where we take a day off to celebrate three more weeks of slacking off before summer ends and we can become workaholics again.

This weekend I was planning to go with my family to a rented beach house. In fact, they refuse to just stay home. So I'm going out with them, mainly because I'm curious what it will be like to be in a beachhouse right on the water as a hurricane smashes through. And because I'm worried about them going out there.

Anyone else having their weekend plans changed/made suicidal by this hurricane?

For those outside the region, a large Category 4 hurricane is barreling up the East Coast. We only get storms like this once every decade or so.

[wiggin]

Unless late hours in lab and a shitload of cooking count (the wifey's family is in town next weekend, so we're cooking up a storm ahead of time), no. Does it really count as a big deal, though? I imagine there will be flooding and some heavy rains, but I doubt it'll be as bad as Gulf Coast stuff...

[Dreadnaught]

Two schools of thought - we don't get bad storms up here so no big deal. Or we don't get bad storms like this up here, so our drainage/power/etc systems are not used to this kind of pressure.

It's literally a once-in-a-decade-or-so kind of thing that we get a full-on hurricane.

[GGT]

Why do you say Amerikan with a k?

We'd considered going to Annapolis, but probably not with Earl visiting.

[Ominous Gamer]

I'll be spending my storm free weekend laughing at the sky-is-falling coverage this is getting.
Seriously, by the time this thing reaches the true northern states it will barely be a hurricane, and its barely even skirting the states as is, and the entire east coast is on the buffered side of the hurricane. I think the only state that even has a shred of a chance to worry about its coastal communities is NC.
and no one has drainage problems that compare to central and southern Florida, we've studied, graduated, and went back for our PhD to master the ways of horrible drainage designs.

Everyone needs to take a chill pill and grab a boogie board.

[Nessus]

Why do you say Amerikan with a k?

He's mocking left wingers and people whose first language isn't English.

[Illusions]

We only get storms like this once every decade or so.

Only reason I'm paying it any attention. We've recently had 60+ mph winds without a hurricane, and they aren't predicting anything near that yet with the hurricane. At most, I might have to take down a porch umbrella, move some potted flowers off a railing, and the tarp off an outdoor canopy.

[Catgrrl]

Yup, the Outer Banks of NC is wise to evacuate its people, because it doesn't take much to wash out Hwy 12. During Isabel part of the road collapsed, luckily most people were gone then too.

Hooray for living on barrier islands.

I'm not too far from there, but luckily I'm about 25 miles inland. I'm right by a river but the elevation is pretty good in my neighborhood so I don't anticipate flooding. My parents may get some due to wind and high tide though.

But, it'll be gone by Friday night, so this weekend I just plan to enjoy time with the family. My grandmother's cousin turned 90 on Tuesday so there will probably be a cookout on Saturday. It's a friend's birthday on Sunday so I'm sure we'll have a get together then too.

And I'm sure we'll be doing yardwork after this storm drops leaves all over the place.

[GGT]

Everyone needs to take a chill pill and grab a boogie board.

Glad you're not a ferry operator, beach hotel owner, or disaster preparedness planner!

[Catgrrl]

Bah, just wind and light rain here. Looks like it stayed out in the ocean.

Good news is that it should be all sun by the afternoon!

[Ominous Gamer]

Glad you're not a ferry operator, beach hotel owner, or disaster preparedness planner!

hotels around here commonly throw hurricane parties, and disaster preparedness planners seem to be on my side this time around, what with the huge lack of evacuations. Planners who call for premature or overreaction can costs cities and communities hundreds and thousands of dollars, and usually end up without a job next season.

[Catgrrl]

It's a delicate balance. Underreaction costs money too, in rescue personnel having to work overtime to save people who choose not to leave, then call 911 when stuff gets tough. It also can cost lives.

I think NC did the right thing in having people leave the Outer Banks; I wouldn't blame people in Cape Cod or Nantucket if they want to leave too. Everyone else seems safe to stick it out though.

If we had suffered a direct hit it would have been a whole different ball game.

EDIT: Once the rain passes I think all of the Labor Day weekend events are back on; the only thing really canceled today were Christian Schools (public schools start next week) and ODU.

[Ominous Gamer]

It's a delicate balance. Underreaction costs money too, in rescue personnel having to work overtime to save people who choose not to leave, then call 911 when stuff gets tough. It also can cost lives.

People deciding to ignore evacution notifications is a problem, but hardly something to blame on a disaster preparedness planner.
I've evacuated once, and the rest of the times I've sat tight. I don't plan to evacuate again unless we're expecting somesort of super "Florida's going to dissappear" type of storm. I've come to like the thrill of the storm.
Then again, I'm part of the county's deadman disaster response team, so I don't get much of a choice.

[Catgrrl]

I used to be like that, and ya I used to be what they considered "alpha personnel" when I worked for the city. Now with the little one I'll have to think of her safety too when deciding on whether to stay or go.
We've never had to evacuate; we're pretty lucky in our location on the East Coast, but we have had some close calls. My house now is at a pretty good elevation but a Cat 4-5 direct impact would definitely make me leave.

[Dreadnaught]

I'll be spending my storm free weekend laughing at the sky-is-falling coverage this is getting.
Seriously, by the time this thing reaches the true northern states it will barely be a hurricane, and its barely even skirting the states as is, and the entire east coast is on the buffered side of the hurricane. I think the only state that even has a shred of a chance to worry about its coastal communities is NC.
and no one has drainage problems that compare to central and southern Florida, we've studied, graduated, and went back for our PhD to master the ways of horrible drainage designs.

Everyone needs to take a chill pill and grab a boogie board.

Did indeed turn out to be nothing, though the beach did lose about 150-200 feet under water as the storm came through. The winds also made the rental house physically shudder. But otherwise just a giant rainstorm with lots of wind.