Hurricanes and Second-Chance Winners

The last few days have been a whirlwind of worst-case scenario predictions and preparation for a potential week with no electricity.  If you haven’t heard, much of the US Mid-Atlantic and Northeast is expecting Hurricane Sandy, starting this evening.  Though this is a category 1 hurricane (meaning the weakest in terms of hurricanes), this storm is predicted to be “epic” for several reasons: Sandy is expected to merge with a southern low, and then a cold front coming in from the Midwest; for those of us who live near the water, the high tide is a factor as well; and not only is this storm supposed to produce heavy rain and wind, there is also a chance for snow in some places (it was 70 degrees just two days ago).  Plus, the size of Sandy is quite a concern—it’s effecting hundreds of miles in one hit, as far north as Maine and as far south as South Carolina.  That’s more than half of the entire eastern seaboard.

While Long Island isn’t in the direct path of the eye of storm (unlike New Jersey), its effects will be felt.  One of the biggest concerns with this storm is the surge of water.  What that means is a hell of a lot of flooding, mostly in low-lying areas or places right along the shore.  New York City’s subways and other forms of transportation could be flooded and shut down depending on how it all plays out.  As was evident with last year’s Hurricane Irene, being close to the ocean is not the only concern.  Vermont is not a state that borders the ocean; however there was a ton of damage done due to flash floods, so much so that roads and bridges were washed out, leaving some towns without a way in or out.  In fact, Vermont is still recovering from that storm, and they are expecting problems with Sandy as well.  The point is, you don’t have to be near the ocean to experience flooding—any body of water (or not) mixed with unrelenting rainfall can cause problems.  And the wind—that can cause a lot of damage with trees and wires down anywhere the storm hits, inland or along the coast.

My husband and I were actually in Vermont last weekend for our anniversary (more on that in an upcoming post).  Then, the talk of Hurricane Sandy was a possibility, as was it turning east and heading out to sea, like many hurricanes do.  But as the week progressed, it became evident that the storm turning west and hitting the Northeast was imminent.  And finally, it became clear that it would be a massive storm.  So for the last few days we have been preparing.  We bought canned goods and water.  We stocked up on beer and chips (for the football game that we will hopefully get to watch before/if we lose electricity).  We have brought in all outdoor furniture and plants (pumpkins, too).  I have Winston’s crate all ready to go, if need be.  I have packed a bag with necessary papers, supplies and my household binder on the off-chance that we will be evacuated.  (The chance of that happening for us is slim, but one must always be prepared in cases such as these.)  I have soup warming in the crockpot, instant coffee at the ready, and a full tank of propane for the BBQ.

While prepared for the worst, I am hopeful that it won’t be as bad as the authorities are saying.  New York State and Suffolk County have both already declared states of emergency.  Schools have already closed for tomorrow.  The wind is starting to kick up as I write this.  Winston has been tense all morning.  However, I am not worried—yet.  I’m trying to look on the bright side of this until it’s evident that we need to be concerned (aware, yes, we all need to be aware).  But I am nothing if not prepared for many situations.  I catch wind of any kind of crisis and immediately I jump into planning mode.  Ms. Plum has been very helpful in this regard.  She has helped with creating lists of things that need to be done.

With all of that said, and keeping to a positive note, I am announcing two new winners for my Fall Tab Giveaway. So, drum roll please…

The new winners are (winners chosen at random by Random.org and audited by my husband):

#7 – neonlicht and #3 – johnwin (I forgot to capture each image this go-round)

Please email me (kanalt17 at Gmail dot Com) with your address (please include county if not in the US) by midnight, October 31 (New York time) to claim your tabs.  If you do not hear back from me right away, it is because we have lost electricity and I am unable to respond.  But I will do so at my earliest opportunity.  Congratulations!

To all of my friends weathering Sandy with me: batten down the hatches and stay safe.  We will all meet again on the other side of the storm.