Worst Storm in 100 Years Seen for Northeast U.S.

[Purveyor]

Hurricane Sandy will probably grow into a “Frankenstorm” that may become the worst to hit the U.S. Northeast in 100 years if current forecasts are correct.

Sandy may combine with a second storm coming out of the Midwest to create a system that would rival the New England hurricane of 1938 in intensity, said Paul Kocin, a National Weather Service meteorologist in College Park, Maryland. The hurricane currently passing the Bahamas has killed 21 people across the Caribbean, the Associated Press reported, citing local officials.

“What we’re seeing in some of our models is a storm at an intensity that we have not seen in this part of the country in the past century,” Kocin said in a telephone interview yesterday. “We’re not trying to hype it, this is what we’re seeing in some of our models. It may come in weaker.”

The hybrid storm may strike anywhere from the Delaware- Maryland-Virginia peninsula to southern New England. The current National Hurricane Center track calls for the system to go up Delaware Bay and almost directly over Wilmington, Delaware, just southwest of Philadelphia, on Oct. 30-31.

MORE...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-10-25/u-s-east-from-washington-to-nyc-at-risk-from-hurricane-sandy.html

[treestar]

1. Maybe

I remember the big deal about Irene that turned out to be a rainstorm.

[still_one]

2. I hope so on many levels, that it is a rainstorm

[cali]

3. Yeah. Sure. Irene was just a rainstorm.

It sure the fuck was more than that here in Vermont. It destroyed a large chunk of the state.

[treestar]

4. you'll have to pardon me I guess

from looking at it from my personal perspective

[cali]

9. lol. right. One of the most destructive hurricanes in U.S. history

It was a devastating storm that caused major flooding and billions of dollars.

Hurricane Irene was a large and very destructive tropical cyclone, which affected much of the Caribbean and East Coast of the United States during the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season. Irene is currently ranked as the fifth costliest hurricane in United States history. The ninth named storm, first hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2011 hurricane season, Irene originated from a well-defined Atlantic tropical wave that began showing signs of organization east of the Lesser Antilles. Due to development of atmospheric convection and a closed center of circulation, the system was designated as Tropical Storm Irene on August 20, 2011. After intensifying, Irene made landfall in St. Croix as a strong tropical storm later that day. Early on August 21, the storm made a second landfall in Puerto Rico. While crossing the island, Irene strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane. The storm paralleled offshore of Hispaniola, continued to slowly intensify in the process. Shortly before making four landfalls in the Bahamas, Irene peaked as a 120 mph (195 km/h) Category 3
hurricane.

<snip>

Throughout its path, Irene caused widespread destruction and at least 56 deaths; Damage estimates throughout the United States are estimated near $15.6 billion,[1] which made it the 5th costliest hurricane in United States history, only behind Hurricane Andrew of 1992, hurricanes Wilma and Katrina of 2005, and Hurricane Ike of 2008. In addition, monetary losses in the Caribbean were estimated to be as high as US$3.1 billion, plus another $260 million in Canada for a total estimate of nearly $19 billion in damage.[2][3]

<snip>

Almost every river and stream in Vermont flooded, resulting in at least three deaths and one missing.[158][242][243] In Wilmington, the flood level of the Deerfield River east branch reportedly exceeded levels measured during the 1938 New England hurricane – the only other tropical cyclone to make a direct hit on Vermont in the state's recorded history.[244] Throughout Vermont, numerous covered bridges, many over 100 years old, were damaged or destroyed.[245] Extensive road damage resulted in the isolation of nearly a dozen rural towns that would require helicopter air-lifts of necessities in the days immediately following the storm.[246] The storm decimated multiple sections of U.S. Route 4 between Rutland and Quechee, making east/west travel through the state near impossible. The resort town of Killington as well as neighboring Pittsfield were completely isolated from travel in and out for two weeks. Statewide, the cost of repairs for road and bridge damage alone was estimated to exceed $700 million.[247]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Irene#Vermont

You have no idea what you're talking about.

[treestar]

11. I remember that now

We were talking about whether we'd go to vote. Where I was, there was a lot of preparation for what turned out to be a rainstorm, and that could be the case for the states we're worrying about here.

You went to all that trouble just to try to make me out to be a jerk? Forgive me for not having such a good memory. Maybe you remember just how it affected other states or countries in detail? Good for you.

[kentauros]

5. You can never be too cautious

with ANY tropical system!

I keep pointing this stuff out on these threads, but my educated guess is that people in the Northeast aren't going to get it until they personally experience the devastation from one of these systems. A tropical system isn't a winter storm. There are huge differences. Listen to cali above, please!

[Tommy_Carcetti]

6. Irene wasn't as bad as people thought, but it was plenty bad enough.

I knew people in Maryland who actually lost houses because of it.

[magical thyme]

7. Irene did a great deal of damage to specific locations

Just because it wasn't bad for you doesn't mean it didn't do a lot of damage elsewhere. Vermont was creamed, big time. And this one looks to potentially take a similar track.


I'm a bit nervous here in Maine, because last year's little Oct 30 snowstorm left me without power for 20 hours. Would have been fine except my back up heater, which had just been fixed and checked out fine 2 months earlier, chose not to work. And it was 20 degrees outside. My backup-backup emergency plan of strategic use of glove warmers worked out "barely adequate" at best. It was fucking cold inside by the time we had power back. I'm dreading to think of possibly going a few days or longer that way.

Irene's track had the wind direction very unusual in my parts and took down a fair number of trees up here as a result. Nothing like Vermont, but still. I lost a large chunk of a once health, now dying, maple that I'm still saving for the money to bring down before it lands on my house.

[treestar]

12. You would have skipped voting had it been near election day?

No, and that's the point,

Amazing how much this thread is hijacked to be about how bad this hurricane was in a particular place, where the poster lives, and how bad they had it. All because I said, it might not ruin the election. Geez.

[cali]

13. I made it clear that it wasn't just Vermont.

It was a devastating storm. period.

[magical thyme]

14. You did not say "it might not ruin the election."

What you said was that Irene turned out to be "just a rainstorm."

It was a rainstorm that destroyed major roads in Vermont and left many, many people stranded for many days. So yes, they would have had to skip the election because they had no way to get out. They were airlifting food and supplies in, for cripes sake. I remember the video that went viral of a very brave person fording a raging "river" on the back of a very brave horse to deliver medicine to a trapped, sick person.

Other states lost power for days. Electronic polls would not have been working, so unless they have emergency paper ballots on hand, then those people wouldn't be able to vote.

[Javaman]

10. I agree...

Having grown up on Long Island, I have heard these pronouncements time and again.

Simple rule of thumb, if you don't already know, if the storm clears Cape Hatteras then it's likelihood of hitting NYC is greater.

It's just a matter of wait and see.

[lapislzi]

15. That mere "rainstorm" washed out roads all over the Hudson Valley

People were trapped in their flooded homes. I had two feet of water in my basement that cost me thousands to clean out when the power finally came back on a week later.

Fortunately, the cat didn't die because I kept his insulin in a cooler and ran it off my car battery for an hour or so each day. I'm glad I'm not the one taking the insulin.

[Motown_Johnny]

8. Back in 1989 a school collapsed in Newburgh NY and killed 7 kids

during a storm.

I was going to school near Poughkeepsie at the time and that disaster is burned into my memory.

I am in Detroit now but a big storm hitting that area really worries me.

[lesgensvontgagner]

16. When the northeast is destroyed

Eric Cantor will once again say we wont' get emergency funds until they are offset with spending cuts. Then another major earthquake will strike his district in Virginia, and he'll be begging for FEMA aide.