Hurricane Irene – Day 6
Position: 28.3N 77.3W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: North [350°] near 14 mph [22 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 115 mph [185 kph].
Wind Gusts: 150 mph [240 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 290 miles [465 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 80 miles [130 km].
Minimum central pressure: 942 mb ↓.
Currently about 490 miles [ 785 km] South-Southwest of Cape Hatteras, NC.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Grand Bahama, the Abaco Islands, and coastal North Carolina from Little River Inlet north to the Virginia border.
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the coast from the Virginia border north to Sand Hook, New Jersey.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the coast from Edisto Beach, South Carolina to Little River Inlet, North Carolina
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point northward and the tidal Potomac.
Irene is a huge storm, almost 600 miles across. If it just moves up the coast with the eye 100 miles off shore it will cause massive destruction. It is forecast to spin up to category 4 sometime today, but it doesn’t need any more strength. It is over warm water and moving fast enough that upwelling of cooler water from the depths is not a problem.
They are now showing a more easterly track that earlier. If you live on the East Coast north of Georgia, you should be watching this storm.
Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.
[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]
4 comments
They’re saying 5-10″ of rain for us. That’s like 20 feet of snow……..I’m really glad it’s not cold out!!!
Well, put out some buckets for water to wash with, because the power is apt to be out for a week or more. Power crews will come in from all over, but this track is going to mess up so much of the Northeast, that if you aren’t near a main feeder line, it will be a long wait in the dark.
Get as much cash as you can because ‘plastic’ is worthless without power or phones. Fill up your cars, because gas pumps require power. Canned food is best, and prepare to grill.
The stuff in the frig is good for about 48 hours if you don’t open the doors. If there is space in your freezer, fill it up with containers of water and turn it to the maximum setting to help keep things cold when the power is out.
Heavy rains turn the ground into mud which greatly reduces the wind it takes to uproot a tree or utility pole.
Oh, yes, get a gallon of your favorite ice cream. Since you don’t want it to spoil, you will be forced to eat the whole thing during the storm before the power finally goes out. It’s another of the things you have to endure in tropical weather zones … like Pennsylvania … 😉
Stay safe.
Waiting for Pat Robertson to proclaim that Irene is punishment from God for gay marriage in 3… 2… 1….
SIGH!
Yeah, I lived through a few hurricanes in Louisiana and North Carolina. One thing I’ll note: Have the big barbecue and toss out the majority of your perishables *BEFORE* the hurricane arrives, assuming you have trash day between now and then (otherwise it just gets thrown around your yard when the trash cans get blown around). Stock up on canned and dry stuff that can easily be cooked on a propane camping stove. And so forth. All old hat to former Gulf Coast denizens, but you folks above North Carolina may need refresher courses :).
– Badtux the Sometimes-wind-blown Penguin
It must be my imagination, but it seems the bad weather has a habit of hitting states with Republican governors hardest. Who would have imagined that the first earthquake in Virginia in decades would be in the district of the Republican majority leader in the House?
It almost makes you wonder who G*d supports …