According to every city official, meterologist and news anchor, New York City is in for a wild ride on Saturday night into Sunday afternoon, as Hurricane Irene passes over us.
Here are a few questions for you, dear Readers, as we are waiting the arrival of this monster storm.
*Are you taking the hurricane warnings seriously or are you just going to wing it?
*Did you stock up on bottled water, batteries, granola bars and peanut butter or any other useful stuff?
*Are you in an A Zone and have to evacuate?
*Are you planning on staying with friends or heading to a shelter?
*How are you going to manage without the subway?
*If you stay put, what are you doing to prepare for the worst?
*Have you ever experienced a hurricane?
Though I am taking all the warnings with a grain of salt, I did go to the store to buy some non-perishable food, some bleach in case there is a disruption of our water lines and have three flash lights at the ready and gotten some cash in case there is a power outage and the ATMs don't work.
Over on Pardon Me For Asking's Facebook page, some readers had other useful information.
Reader Nick is going to plug up his cellar drain pipe in case there is a back flow of water. Reader Cynthia bought a drain stopper to fill her bathtub in case flushing becomes an issue.
Do you have any useful tips for the rest of us?
Let us hear them.
And if the power doesn't go out, let me know what you are up to during the storm and send me pictures from your part of the neighborhood before and after the storm. (Whatever you do, don't go out in it, of course.)
Would love to hear from you.
I'm about as ready as I can be, and I am taking the warnings seriously. I'm staying home in CG, and I'm just beyond Zones A-B-C.
ReplyDeleteWe're fully stocked with batteries (which I picked up on Monday before the last-minute rush), bottled water, duct tape and tarps (just in case), the fridge and pantry are stocked, and I even purchased a small water pump in case the cellar floods.
Because we have satellite tv and we will probably lose the signal during the worst of the storm (if not the entire dish!), I bought a portable 7-inch digital tv to keep up with the latest news.
The backyard is ready...removed and stored the patio umbrella; bungee-corded the patio chairs around the table (the table is very well anchored so they aren't going ANYWHERE); sheltered the potted plants against the retaining walls, dismantled and stored the grill, etc., etc.
We have 3 camping lanterns that I purchased after the big blackout of 2003(?) but never had occasion to use them (and I hope they remain unused). Flashlights and portable radio have fresh batteries, cell phone and laptop fully charged.
We've got a few more minor things to tackle in the morning and also secure the front yard, but aside from that, we're done, don't you think?
As for the subway, I do take it to/from work, but if I can't get in on Monday, I can work from home assuming my laptop can connect to the network.
Let's hope Irene becomes a a mere shadow of her former self as she approaches NYC. Good luck to all and stay safe!
Fairway was a bit of a zoo this afternoon, but not too bad considering everything. I got there around 3.30, and the only shortages were the lack of shopping carts and large water bottles. Oh, and rotisserie chicken, too. Everything else seemed to be well stocked, and some shelves were even being re-stacked with new goods. The staff, although a little rushed off their feet, were courteous and helpful – several remarked how they had never seen the store this busy before.
ReplyDeleteThe trip around the store took a little more than an hour, negotiating the jam of people and carts, and then maybe another 20-30 minutes to wait in line. As I left around 5pm, I could see that the volume of people traffic had definitely increased by 20-30%, and some tempers were starting to get a little frayed.
Wow, Anon. It sounds as though you are really, really, REALY prepared. Can we all come over to your house?
ReplyDeleteDT,
ReplyDeleteThat's good to know.
I just thought this morning that Fairway will certainly get hit hard because of the store's proximity to the water. I wonder if they have to evacuate since it is definitely in a zone A.
Got the last weather radio at Radio Shack and some of the last candles at Jack's. Court Street stores took care of the rest.
ReplyDeleteWill manage without the subway just like I do every weekend. Workweek is another story but a few inches of rain messes up the F train and don't expect to be in the city until at least Tues/Wed. They're storing some of the trains in tunnels and not sure what the impact will be if the tunnels flood.
Haven't been in a hurricane before but have been through dangerous earthquakes and storms that seriously damaged buildings and infrastructure and am taking this seriously without panicking. Thought was all stocked up but have an immense craving for fresh peaches and heading out now...
There are still great tasting rotisserie chickens at the Shop Rite in my neighborhood. Only 2 things I did to prepare was to turn my freezer and refrigerator up so if we do lose power, the contents will be colder longer and take the plants off my stoop. Am I so neurotic that I keep all the other recommended items on hand all the time?
ReplyDeleteNo, not neurotic. Just well prepared. We should all have those items handy at all times.
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