NYC Subway System to Shut down because of Hurricane Irene

[LiNuX]

NY subway to shut
If it hits New York and New England at category two, it will be the region's strongest storm since Hurricane Bob glanced off Massachusetts in 1991, and Hurricane Gloria, which caused extensive damage to New York City in 1985.

The American Red Cross said it was preparing dozens of emergency shelters along the east coast.

States of emergency have been declared in North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.

Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in parts of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and North Carolina.

President Obama also declared an emergency in North Carolina, a move allowing greater co-ordination between state and US federal disaster management authorities.

In the nation's biggest city, New York, hundreds of thousands of people in low-lying and beach-front areas have been told to move elsewhere.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state's transport network, including the New York City subway, would close from midday on Saturday.

That's an excerpt from BBC News - Hurricane Irene: Obama warns of storm (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14686497)

Well I was supposed to start classes tomorrow (yes on a Saturday), and I've been preparing for the past week or so while dealing with so many other things (that's why I haven't been around as much), but looks like I won't have to go.

College just emailed me telling me they MAY shut down the campus, and my professor emailed me and said he's canceling classes because he lives in Long Island and has to evacuate or something.

I haven't seen a hurricane in ages, never one while living in NYC (as far as I can recall). Anyone here directly affected by this?

This should be interesting for me. I live in an apartment on the 11th floor so hopefully I won't have to worry about flooding. But my car is parked in the Cellar garage, if it gets too "floody," I might take my car and park it on the street (or on a hill around here).

Stay safe everyone!

[Muffincat]

I've never been in a hurricane o.o I doubt it will hit up here, but I guess it might? My sister lives in Vermont and apparently they are telling everyone to be prepared for it, even though Vermont isn't even near the coast.

Do you know how far it is supposed to go?

[LiNuX]

Here is a pic of the estimated path. Vermont seems to be in it's yellow and orange zone.

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/338295/HURRICANE-IRENE-PATH-2011-NOAA-2.jpg

[XnewxskinX]

My Guard friends in Mass are getting activated right now as I type this... Kinda sucks...

[Mizel]

lol Something tells me thats a little unnecessary... I have a feeling this is going to be one like one of those days back in school where they predict 5 feet of snow, cancel school the night before and about 5 snowflakes drop from the sky but we get the dayy off anyways xD Dont get me wrong, it's always good to be prepared! I feel like one of those bread and milk people preparing.... stocked up on groceries and plan to have a house-full of friends crashing all weekend cause they cant leave :P

[LiNuX]

lol Something tells me thats a little unnecessary... I have a feeling this is going to be one like one of those days back in school where they predict 5 feet of snow, cancel school the night before and about 5 snowflakes drop from the sky but we get the dayy off anyways xD Dont get me wrong, it's always good to be prepared! I feel like one of those bread and milk people preparing.... stocked up on groceries and plan to have a house-full of friends crashing all weekend cause they cant leave :P

We had a few of those in NY in 2009 and 2010. I had so many canceled classes for no reason. And then when we do get that 5 feet of snow, everything is open.

[egg-whites333]

its a good idea to close them thats a death trap if there open but i would hate to be in new york a main public transit gone.

[paecmaker]

We had a few of those in NY in 2009 and 2010. I had so many canceled classes for no reason. And then when we do get that 5 feet of snow, everything is open.

You are lucky, I have never had a canceled class thanks to snow or anything.

[LiNuX]

You are lucky, I have never had a canceled class thanks to snow or anything.

I've never had one until 2009, then they started overdoing it.

[Fr0stByte]

that must be really scary i remember in 2004, I had just returned to UK from a holiday in Atlanta and Florida when a big storm hit

[LiNuX]

Irene is a low category 1 now, but they say dangers are the same because it's moving slowly.

And so far, 3 people died. One in North Carolina and 2 in Virginia (including an 11 year old boy).

I'm taking a time lapse vid of the clouds. The clouds here seem to be moving, but there is almost no wind on the ground.

[W1CKEDTW1STED]

If you are looking for good radar maps use either the WunderMap from wunderground.com or the radar from intellicast.com. I've always had an interest in weather and natural disasters (I know it sounds sad but for some reason always interested me) and found those two websites (more wunderground) to be very accurate radar maps.

On top of that I'm also very interested in local PD's and FD's so I have the maps up, reading local weather reports from various storm chasers and listening to the local PD / FD as well as the surrounding towns on my scanner. So I feel I'm pretty ready for the storm... With my 12 pack of Shipyard Pumpkinhead and various (cough - junk - cough) foods that don't need to be cooked.

I also live in an apartment on the third floor and off street parking. So I can only hope for the best. :D

[LiNuX]

It's a Tropical Storm now and it didn't do much in my area. My cellar Garage barely saw any water.

I tried capturing it overnight but too dark and window was covered with water. Will post a boring time lapse later of the before and after (with a kind of during).

The worst thing that happened was people not too far from me, reported power outages. I'm glad my neighborhood wasn't one of them.

[Muffincat]

It is very windy and rainy here right now. I have to go walk to work in an hour :(

Super high winds right now D:

[LiNuX]

It is very windy and rainy here right now. I have to go walk to work in an hour :(

Super high winds right now D:

We have high winds here too but it's not that bad. All rain stopped this morning. Irene let us off easy I guess.

Here is my bad time lapse vid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLw7qaYWtNA

Definitely didn't get what I expected. OH well. Next one!

[egg-whites333]

whoa quite a storm never seen that much rain and wind and ive been in a tornado about a 5 min drive where it first hit this is a crazy amount of rain i got a slight bit of rain because i am petty far from it canada didn't get hit well east cost did but just a bit.

[LiNuX]

It wasn't much rain here tbh. We had a thunderstorm here a few weeks ago that dropped more water (for my area only, can't speak for other places).

I've never been in a tornado though. We've had a tornado warning here all night. But I bet it's scary.

[Muffincat]

I think you got lucky in your placement - I saw some videos of some pretty severe flooding D:

Here's one:

All sizes | Irene - West Chelsea | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/scottwitt/6088660707/sizes/l/in/photostream/)

It's from West Chelsea apparently; dunno where that is really.

I don't think it'll be too bad here, though. My boss called and I don't have to go into work XD Poor dili's still working, though p:

edit:

here's a pic from Albany:

http://i.imgur.com/CvDud.jpg

o.o

[LiNuX]

Wow, crazy.

And yeah, my area was definitely lucky. We still had a lot of people around here Evacuate.

[Muffincat]

Here's (http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/08/28/us/20110828-hurricane-irene-reader-photos.html?ref=nyregion#/all) a link with a bunch of photos if anyone is interested! Some areas were worse off than others, but seems like it's mostly a lot of flooding and fallen trees/street lamps causing damage. As opposed to, like, houses being blown away or something.