Hurricane Earl (Washington, Charlotte: power lines, hotel, house)

[Maineah]

Maine Emergency Management Agency has made a statement that Mainers should prepare for a possible hit from hurricane Earl later this week . Most likely Friday and Saturday.
It's been a while since we had to prepare for a possible hurricane so take time to do what you need to do to get things in order just in case!

*Fill your vehicles with gas. (no power means no gas pumping)
*Secure any lawn furniture (even fairly heavy tables can fly in a stiff wind)
* Chech flashlights and battery supplies.
* Check your battery powered radio( you do have one right?)
* Get a supply of drinking water (at least several days worth) Flushing water too if you have something to put it in....Hint... Fill the bathtub!
* Have a means to cook and lay in a supply of easy to prepare food.
* Provide safe shelter for live stock and pets.
* Move your vehicles away from any trees which may fall on them.
* Listen for warnings and know where to go if evacuation is recommended.
* GO if evecuation is recommended!!!
* Keep an eye on the National Weather Service updates.
*Haul boats and docks if possible or put into safe harbor.

This is a general list for basics. Individuals may have much more to do such as boarding up large windows, preparing generators, etc.

REMEMBER:: DO NOT RUN GENERATORS,COLEMAN STOVES, OR GAS GRILLS INSIDE YOUR HOME. THEY CAN KILL YOU!!!!

http://www.maine.gov/mema/mema_news_...html?id=124805

[Zarathu]

While everyone should prepare for lots of things all the time, at the present track, Earl is not going to make any landfalls in Maine. It may hit Labrador as a tropical storm. By the time it goes by Maine, it will be probably a tropical storm.

We have a society where fear headlines are everywhere, because fear headlines seem to be the only thing that galvanizes humans to action. But I regret the constant use of headlines designed to provoke the FIGHT OR FLIGHT reflex, because as with all adrenaline rushes, they tend to dull people from the realities of life.

I keep a close watch on hurricanes since I own a house on the Maine Coast.

[chaosX5]

Originally Posted by Zarathu

While everyone should prepare for lots of things all the time, at the present track, Earl is not going to make any landfalls in Maine. It may hit Labrador as a tropical storm. By the time it goes by Maine, it will be probably a tropical storm.

We have a society where fear headlines are everywhere, because fear headlines seem to be the only thing that galvanizes humans to action. But I regret the constant use of headlines designed to provoke the FIGHT OR FLIGHT reflex, because as with all adrenaline rushes, they tend to dull people from the realities of life.

I keep a close watch on hurricanes since I own a house on the Maine Coast.

Have you ever experienced a hurricane before? I have. It was Hurricane Hugo in 1989. It was Cat. 1 when it hit us here in Charlotte, call me a wimp but that was enough!!! It was so destructive, we had trees down everywhere, no power for 3 weeks and we were not prepared. You see, hurricanes aren't supposed to come this far inland. Ha! I never knew trees could bend that far and not break........and the sound of the wind, it has never left me.

So please prepare, and thank God that we have the technology these days to warn us of these things. And as far as where they THINK it's going to go............puhlease.........hurricanes change course frequently.

Tropical storms can cause as much or more damage than hurricanes at times, so don't think your off the hook just because it's a tropical storm.


and please pump that gas! We had a gas shortage here a year or so ago.........lines hours long, people camping out at gas stations and plenty of fist fights. (thought I assume Mainers be above this) It wasn't pretty.

Your right, we should prepare for many things........but if they say that a Hurricane may be coming, don't chalk it up to fear mongering, see it as an opportunity to go through your emergency check list.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Zarathu

While everyone should prepare for lots of things all the time, at the present track, Earl is not going to make any landfalls in Maine. It may hit Labrador as a tropical storm. By the time it goes by Maine, it will be probably a tropical storm.

We have a society where fear headlines are everywhere, because fear headlines seem to be the only thing that galvanizes humans to action. But I regret the constant use of headlines designed to provoke the FIGHT OR FLIGHT reflex, because as with all adrenaline rushes, they tend to dull people from the realities of life.

I keep a close watch on hurricanes since I own a house on the Maine Coast.

It's really hard to believe an out of stater would come on a Maine forum and rail against the fear tactics in the media and by the state emergency management agency when telling people there is a possible hurricane threat. In other words you're HOPING the hurricane will miss Maine and spare your house since you're nowhere near here to do anything to prepare for what COULD happen. So that makes prudent preparation unnecessary for the rest of us???

I'll tell you what... you can sit in Pennsylvania and ignore the MEMA call for preparedness and the rest of us will do what we believe is necessary to keep us safe.
It's HARDLY fear mongering to tell people there is a POSSIBILITY a hurricane will hit and make plans accordingly!!!
That track has changed 4 times in the last three days. There is no big high pressure ridge coming from the west to push Earl out to sea. A 50-100 mile swing (NOTHING FOR A HURRICANE) could put it right over the state.
The forecast says Earl will still be a hurricane as it passes Maine.
I'll listen to MEMA and not to you! I suggest others do the same.

[Revi]

Here's Storm Pulse. Right now it looks like Nova Scotia will take the brunt. 88 mph maybe.

Track Hurricane Earl, Track Tropical Storm Fiona / Stormpulse / Hurricanes, severe weather, tracking, mapping

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Revi

Here's Storm Pulse. Right now it looks like Nova Scotia will take the brunt. 88 mph maybe.

Track Hurricane Earl, Track Tropical Storm Fiona / Stormpulse / Hurricanes, severe weather, tracking, mapping

Lets hope so. As I said above the track has changed 4 times since Sunday morning. There are no significant steering currents to give Earl a push out to sea so there is a real threat. Nova Scotia is REALLY close to Maine.
As chaosx5 said it isn't so much the hurricane it's the loss of power for extended periods. During Gloria we lost power for four days. During Bob we lost it for three days. Some of the islands and penninsulas lost power for up to three weeks! If a 50MPH winter storm can knock out power for several days a tropical storm with 60-70 mph winds can surely do more and an 88mph hurricane ....I'll go buy some batteries thank you!

[maine4.us]

Been there, done that...take all warnings seriously. Florida has been hit so many times in the last few years it is insane. We lost power for 3 days one time and 4 another, and we were never hit with the brunt of even a category 1.

Batteries,gasoline and water are three things you cannot do without.

I can tell you right now that the power companies are putting in calls right now to have crews ready to come from other states to help. I saw trucks from Arkansas and Texas working on power lines here in Florida.

They guys here in FL say the timing of a front to give it a gentle nudge is critical. You are right, Nova Scotia is just about 40 miles off the coast of Washington county. That is close, very close. Those cute little weather channel and nws graphics don't make me the least bit confident on what will and won't happen. Plus this one is huge....lets hope it keeps up the speed it has rather than stalling slowing down.

The boy scout motto is a very good one when it comes to hurricanes. Be Prepared!

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Never drive through flooded roads.

[looking4home]

Actually, you are lucky. If you go on the NOAA site, and look at the history of hurricanes from the 20th century to the present, you will see that they used to more frequently hit the eastern coast of the U.S. in the early-to-mid 20th century, and then things changed, and most of the hits are now in the Caribbean/Gulf. No one mentioned that the ETA for the storm/hurricane is Labor Day weekend - yikes! My daughter was thinking of driving up from Vermont, and I told her to wait until the following weekend.

[island mermaid]

Originally Posted by Maineah

Lets hope so. As I said above the track has changed 4 times since Sunday morning. There are no significant steering currents to give Earl a push out to sea so there is a real threat. Nova Scotia is REALLY close to Maine.
As chaosx5 said it isn't so much the hurricane it's the loss of power for extended periods. During Gloria we lost power for four days. During Bob we lost it for three days. Some of the islands and penninsulas lost power for up to three weeks! If a 50MPH winter storm can knock out power for several days a tropical storm with 60-70 mph winds can surely do more and an 88mph hurricane ....I'll go buy some batteries thank you!

I lived on one of those islands and lost power during Bob for 8 days. After day 3, I grabbed the kids and checked into a hotel up town'.

On a more personal note, I have a family member out there fishing that Labrador current with the best of technology aboard, that captain has 30 years of experience out there and is now headed ashore.

Experience speaks loudly.