Stay Safe

[techgnome]

For those in the Carolinas - Stay safe this week as Florence bears down on all y'all... I'm in the Charleston area... for now... even as she starts to track a bit north and we're no longer in the direct line of fire, she's turning into a monster and they're still predicting some nasty winds and rainfall here. And now they're thinking she may stall as she hits land - just like Harvey did last year in Houston. We're likely bugging out Wed morning, hopefully ahead enough of the greater mass exodous that we won't get stuck in endless traffic. Got a friend that's a couple hours inland from here where we can take refuge for a few days 'till this blows over (pun intended). So if you're in the Carolinas, especially North Carolina, stay safe, take care, and hopefully see y'all on the other side.

-tg

[Shaggy Hiker]

I was hiking the AT during Hugo. That was a very interesting day, as trees were falling all around me, and the wind was roaring like a switching yard. I figured there would likely be some caves, or overhanging rocks, at the ridge crest, so I dodged from downed tree to downed tree up the side of the mountain. Sure enough, I found a rock overhang (probably not technically a cave), set up the tent, and went to sleep for a few hours. The rest of the day was a plod through a drowned devastation, but I did find a crayfish in the middle of the trail which ran along the top of the ridge. I couldn't see very far into the cloud that was blowing around me, but I could see perhaps 100 meters, and there was no obvious source for that crayfish. I think it was on an expedition.

[FunkyDexter]

Just wanted to second this. Heads down guys. Look after yourselves.

[Shaggy Hiker]

That storm is acting like it's just going to sit on the Carolinas and rain like crazy for a few days. That would be....soggy.

[TysonLPrice]

This is being called a "once in a lifetime" storm". I personally think this will be the new "norm". Climate change is not a hoax. Weather events, and I know the distinction between weather and climate, are becoming more intense across the globe.

[ChrisE]

Hi,

just seen -Florence- on the News in Germany, wow Is she bad News. I can remember
the Tornado season in Kansas where I grew up.
Scary moments they were...

stay all save

regards
Chris

[techgnome]

We ended up leaving and heading north to Virginia instead... Originally we were going to stay until Sat, but when we saw the latest weather for our part of S.Carolina, we came back early. Ugh... for us, it really ended up being a non-event. There were a couple gusts of wind, one of which brought down two branches in our tree, and non-stop drizzling... not even any serious rain, just drizzle. It felt like a spring storm.

That said, it was something of a monster though, we just happened to get lucky that it passed enough north of us, putting us on the outflow side of it, so we got the "dry" side of the storm. I'm sure in N.Carolina, they feel quite differently about the whole thing.

At any rate, we're home now, everything is all good here. Still have some boards I need to take down, and some tree branches I need to chop up and cart all of it off to the dump. All warnings and watches have been lifted and the evac order has been rescinded. Some places have started to reopen and likely life will return to normal tomorrow, and schools here in the tri-county area are back to regular schedule on Monday.

-tg

[ChrisE]

Hi tg

well that's good news, I think you can live with chopping up a few tree branches.
why too the dump? some wood for an open fireplace would be nice, the winter
is coming

regards
chris

[Shaggy Hiker]

Mail me all the tree branches.

[techgnome]

Hi tg

well that's good news, I think you can live with chopping up a few tree branches.
why too the dump? some wood for an open fireplace would be nice, the winter
is coming

regards
chris

Took me about a half-hour to cut it up with the chainsaw and get it into the back of my truck.
It's greenwood, so it won't burn well. Also, winter here in South Carolina is like 2 weeks long in late Jan, early Feb, when the temps drop to 50-something... All it really means is that we turn off the AC.

[ChrisE]

Took me about a half-hour to cut it up with the chainsaw and get it into the back of my truck.
It's greenwood, so it won't burn well. Also, winter here in South Carolina is like 2 weeks long in late Jan, early Feb, when the temps drop to 50-something... All it really means is that we turn off the AC.

ups wasn't thinking there, just was thinking what I do in Sep. Oct...
cut ; chop ; and store wood for the next winter.

lucky you

winter here in South Carolina is like 2 weeks long in late Jan, early Feb, when the temps drop to 50-something

our winter starts Oct. and goes on till atleast Feb. March and -10 to -18 is normal

regards
Chris

[FunkyDexter]

winter is coming

Eddard?! Is that you ?!

Before we breath too deep a sight of relief: best wishes to all our Philippine friends. Looks like what they're getting hit by is much worse. Hope everyone's OK.

[Shaggy Hiker]

When I lived in the Florida Keys, I really had to get after my landlady that she HAD to evacuate on a Class III or higher hurricane. She believed that storm surge was just high waves, from which we were reasonably protected. The house we lived in was quite old, so had been through several hurricanes. What I'm not sure I ever convinced her of, was the fact that the storm surge meant that the ocean level would rise by several feet. She could easily find herself with four feet, or more, of water in the house. Sure, the waves wouldn't have been a big deal, but that water sure would have been.

Even worse, it might have dug out the bridge ends, isolating the keys from the mainland. I don't think she ever believed me, but fortunately, no storm hit the keys while we were there, and she has since moved inland. The death toll from the recent storm is likely due mostly to people not realizing the potential water involved. Wind will kill a few, water gets the majority. Those storms can do things people just don't expect. They think strong winds and a good amount of rain. That one storm dumped more rain in a day than the area I live in will see in four years, on average.