We Survived the Irene Storm

The Irene storm blanketed the East Coast with high winds and plenty of rain. It was 6 days of anticipation, and then 6 days without power. Usually the weather predictions are off target (about 90% of the time). This one was on target, but, fortunately, the intensity was less than projected. 370,000 were evacuated from New York City and mass transit in the city shut down at 12 noon on Sat about 10 hours before the storm hit. Over 1 million people lost power in the tri-state area. A significant storm.

There was a run on fill-your-own sandbags at the transfer station, and they helped prevent major floods down our driveway before and after I cleared the drains at 5:45 when there was light outside. Ice, flashlights, batteries, and generators were nowhere to be found for a couple of days. Just like camping - only it got old after 3 days!

The storm brought people together and reinforced how many conveniences we have and have come to rely on in modern life. I am not sure the round the clock hyper weather coverage is a step forward - it hurts business and frays a lot of nerves. We were spared, but many towns and families were seriously disrupted. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they work to rebuild their lives, towns and neighborhoods.