Foy
Resident Geologist
As the late weekend arrival of Hurricane Joaquin approaches, it occurs to me that these events here on the East Coast have similarities to the approach of wildfires in the West:
Approach speed measured in low double digit mph.
Track steered by regional weather patterns
Damages far and wide from storm center
Total destruction of property likely within core of storm
Prep time of a day or two, or less
Nothing one can do but remove irreplaceable articles and hunker down
We're expecting a major nor'easter Friday/Sat and it's expected to bring 5-8" of rain to add to the 3-4" we've gotten in NC since it started raining every day last week. By Sunday, we will break a 70 year old record for consecutive days with measureable rainfall. If the hurricane follows the western side of the forecast track, most of NC will receive 4-6" more rain overtop of the 5-8" from the nor'easter. That same western track could provide a direct hit on Virginia Beach, VA. Some parts of coastal NC have seen 12-13" in the last week.
We have the great good fortune to own, as a family, a modest but sturdy beach house on the south shore of Chesapeake Bay in Virginia Beach. As of the NOAA 5pm update yesterday, I went into prep mode. Depending on the 11 am update today, it's likely by the time the 5pm update is released, the truck will be fueled, cordless power tools and gennie in the back, drywall screws and Tapcons in the boxes, and a cooler with bottled water and ration of Pop Tarts iced down. If the 11pm update tonight further reinforces a westward track, a fishing buddy and I will roll at 0500 tomorrow to board up the north- and east-facing windows (using the pre-drilled and coded lumber and plywood already laid out in the garage), dump the refrigerator's contents, kill the water and power at the mains, and run away back inland as fast as we can, just as we did for Isabel in '03 and Irene in '11. We've got it down to around 3 hours on station.
Each region has its own challenges with what Mother Nature can bring. Drought, wildfire, and earthquakes out West; tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods back East. Time to man up and deal with her.
Foy
Approach speed measured in low double digit mph.
Track steered by regional weather patterns
Damages far and wide from storm center
Total destruction of property likely within core of storm
Prep time of a day or two, or less
Nothing one can do but remove irreplaceable articles and hunker down
We're expecting a major nor'easter Friday/Sat and it's expected to bring 5-8" of rain to add to the 3-4" we've gotten in NC since it started raining every day last week. By Sunday, we will break a 70 year old record for consecutive days with measureable rainfall. If the hurricane follows the western side of the forecast track, most of NC will receive 4-6" more rain overtop of the 5-8" from the nor'easter. That same western track could provide a direct hit on Virginia Beach, VA. Some parts of coastal NC have seen 12-13" in the last week.
We have the great good fortune to own, as a family, a modest but sturdy beach house on the south shore of Chesapeake Bay in Virginia Beach. As of the NOAA 5pm update yesterday, I went into prep mode. Depending on the 11 am update today, it's likely by the time the 5pm update is released, the truck will be fueled, cordless power tools and gennie in the back, drywall screws and Tapcons in the boxes, and a cooler with bottled water and ration of Pop Tarts iced down. If the 11pm update tonight further reinforces a westward track, a fishing buddy and I will roll at 0500 tomorrow to board up the north- and east-facing windows (using the pre-drilled and coded lumber and plywood already laid out in the garage), dump the refrigerator's contents, kill the water and power at the mains, and run away back inland as fast as we can, just as we did for Isabel in '03 and Irene in '11. We've got it down to around 3 hours on station.
Each region has its own challenges with what Mother Nature can bring. Drought, wildfire, and earthquakes out West; tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods back East. Time to man up and deal with her.
Foy