Here Comes Irene: Flood Prep & Rain Expectations

[turbo]

Now that storm is well over land, it is speeding up, so hopefully it will move along and not park over us and keep dumping rain.

 

[OmCheeto]

They say the safest place to be during a hurricane is your car, right?

No responsible person would say that.

More deaths!

Officials say that at least two people have been found dead in New Jersey in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene. ...
“She left her house, went in her car and was swept away"

The Salem County woman had called 911 after her car had been washed away by a flash flood. The woman, who has not been publicly identified yet, was found dead in her car around 9:30 a.m.

Car = Dead.
Stay home!

According to Jack Burns, director of Hudson County's Office of Emergency Management, a man was found dead shortly after 10 p.m. in Kearny, but no other details have been released about that yet.

Maybe it's that guy who jumped off the bridge in North Carolina.

 

[RonL]

I just checked the basement sump, and it's taking two streams of water, each about a gal/min. That then is pumped out to the right of way along the street, which is now a pond. Better to have a pond in the front yard than in the basement.

You might consider, if the basement walls are main support for the house and water inside is kept low, the water pressure pushing in on the walls from outside (depending on height) will have a tendency to push the walls inward. If the walls are compromised the foundation strength might be at risk.
Letting water build up inside might be a wise choice ? A flood policy would cover utilities in a basement, but not much else.
If you have a flood policy, you might have some potential coverage for a damaged foundation.

Just something to consider.

Ron

 

[Chi Meson]

The worst is already passed by. There wAs very little rain while the wind was windiest. We got to watch our neighbors tree snap in half. I immediately thought "fuel!"
(Turbo understands)

 

[turbo]

Yep! There is usually a lot of fuel to be had after storms like this. Some people will pay you to come take it away!

 

[Chi Meson]

lol@chi

Lol@yrslf. Safest place is under large tree!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

http://www.fema.gov/news/disaster_totals_annual.fema

Pick your year, pick your state, pick your disaster, go to pictures and look to your hearts content.
While every disaster is different, they all look much the same.

Much wisdom by most and a storm that fell apart (thank goodness) premature, the major damage will be flooding inland.

I was just joking, or course. Yes, I'm glad this wasn't as bad as it might have been. I was particularly concerned about the potential of flooding in New York City. With all of the homeless and whatnot, that might have gotten really ugly. And in money terms, even Wall Street was in jeopardy! Not good.

Truthfully, however, I have been annoyed that since this started, we haven't seen anything about Libya, or anything else for that matter.

 

[Encarta]

What's this about duct taping windows criss-crossed? All you see in Facebook and Twitter are of people duct taping their windows in X's against the supporting frames. When asked, they say that duct taping it will prevent the windows from resonating to the natural frequency of the winds outside.

 

[Redbelly98]

Supposedly the tape helps contain the glass fragments when the window breaks.

 

[CosmicEye]

What a weak storm. Iexpected a little more I guess. I am kind of disappointed that it was expected to be a cat 2 or 3 by the time it was by DC, but it was barely a cat 1.

People are stupid. There have been numberous deaths of people being hit by falling trees while they were driving. a) what is so important that you have to drive, even if it is just a cat 1, b) people don't realize that rain doesn't kill, trees do.

Some people were even seen jogging with their dogs in the middle of it like its a pleasant spring shower. What are people thinking?!? I don't get it.. They deserved to die

 

[Encarta]

Supposedly the tape helps contain the glass fragments when the window breaks.

I don't think it would. But, what about this: The windows of one's house could resonate to the natural frequencies of the winds outside, causing it to break. Does that sound like a dubious claim at all?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I don't think it would.

Why?

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I don't think it would. But, what about this: The windows of one's house could resonate to the natural frequencies of the winds outside, causing it to break. Does that sound like a dubious claim at all?

The tape would change the natural frequency of the glass. But what if it changed it to match the wind?

 

[Encarta]

Why?

Criss-crossing duct tape on windows, I fail to see how it could prevent debris or even strong winds directly blowing against the window pane from breaking it into a thousand different pieces.

Maybe if you applied the tape to the entire window, leaving no part exposed, you would maybe have a better chance at reducing the work required to clean up the window.

 

[Redbelly98]

Supposedly the tape helps contain the glass fragments when the window breaks.

I don't think it would.

I'm not claiming it works, but this is what I heard on the radio (WNYC, an NPR affiliate) Friday. The person making the claim was George Contreras, professor of emergency and disaster management at Metropolitan College, on The Brian Lehrer Show. I'm inclined to believe someone like that before I believe some people posting in Facebook.

Criss-crossing duct tape on windows, I fail to see how it could prevent debris or even strong winds directly blowing against the window pane from breaking it into a thousand different pieces.

It's not to prevent breakage, it's to better contain the breakage (according to the above source).

 

[turbo]

Making a cross of heavy tape on a window may help restrain the glass so that it will break into larger pieces instead of shattering. I'm not about to try it out.

 

[Dadface]

Taping windows also gives some protection against bomb blasts.The method has been used for many years for example during the blitz of world war two.

 

[Encarta]

Taping windows also gives some protection against bomb blasts.The method has been used for many years for example during the blitz of world war two.

Be that as it may (although it still sounds far-fetched), I don't think that's just by criss-crossing windows.

 

[Evo]

Be that as it may (although it still sounds far-fetched), I don't think that's just by criss-crossing windows.

You do a fair amount of criscrossing, you don't just make an X and you should use masking tape, I pity the people that put duct tape on their windows. It's only for helping with pickup of broken glass, and it does prevent the glass from flying. When did the myths about it strengthening windows or this frequency BS start? Oh yeah, the internet...

 

[Chi Meson]

Well that's it then. All over but for the cleanup. I eyeballed a good cord n a half of nice wood for the next winter. Trouble is my only working chainsaw is electric

And I don't think we'll get any of that for a few days yet.

 

[turbo]

I'd loan you mine Chi but you live a long 'way away, and I might need it before this is all over.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Patches of blue have appeared. Now the sun is shining.

 

[Evo]

A black walnut tree broke in half last month in a thunderstorm. One place got wind gusts over 100mph. But we're in Kansas, so no one cares.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

A black walnut tree broke in half last month in a thunderstorm. One place got wind gusts over 100mph. But we're in Kansas, so no one cares.

I care. No way do I want that stuff in South Jersey.

 

[Newai]

Just went to Walmart. They are completely cleaned out on flashlights and D cells. I actually found a pack of D cells in the middle of a C cell bin, so I lucked out. But I've never seen a Walmart so empty on camping/emergency supplies.

 

[Astronuc]

A black walnut tree broke in half last month in a thunderstorm. One place got wind gusts over 100mph. But we're in Kansas, so no one cares.

We care.

 

[Ftheog]

Driving through it right now. It sucks

 

[wuliheron]

A black walnut tree broke in half last month in a thunderstorm. One place got wind gusts over 100mph. But we're in Kansas, so no one cares.

Black walnut is particularly weak. It makes pretty furniture and good firewood, but I wouldn't want any growing near the house.

 

[Evo]

Black walnut is particularly weak. It makes pretty furniture and good firewood, but I wouldn't want any growing near the house.

The ravine next to my house is full of them. Because they are so far down in the ravine, they are no threat, the just fall into the ravine.

Still a shame when a tall tree breaks in half though.

 

[turbo]

We don't have black walnuts here, but we have butternut trees, which are just as prone to wind-damage. Trouble is: they tend to grow very tall and large, and when they come down, they can cause all sorts of damage.

Thanks to the saturated soils, we are losing trees at a rapid clip. Fire and police are scrambling to clear the roads. There have been a couple of emergency calls in the last hour or so, for which the ambulances have been unable to get by blockages to pick up the patients.

Rain has slowed, but winds are speeding up with gusts anticipated at 60 mph. That's plenty to uproot trees from the saturated soil, so I might not be on-line much longer.

 

[Proton Soup]

we found out the hard way that pecans lose limbs too easily as well.

shame about the black walnuts. they taste great, even though getting the meat out is a dirty, messy chore.

 

[wuliheron]

The ravine next to my house is full of them. Because they are so far down in the ravine, they are no threat, the just fall into the ravine.

Still a shame when a tall tree breaks in half though.

Its called free firewood, and there's nothing shameful about free. If you prefer though you can think of it as the "circle of life" and just let it rot there.

P.S.- Those beautiful black streaks in the wood (called "figure" in any wood) are where the grain is weakest and growing on a slope it will be so full of splits and cracks its useless for furniture.

 

[Evo]

Its called free firewood, and there's nothing shameful about free. If you prefer though you can think of it as the "circle of life" and just let it rot there.

Good firewood, I wonder if I can make it down to where the tree is? Well, obviously I can get down there, question is can I get back out, the tree fell on the steep side. My poor little dog got too close to the edge and started sliding down until he hit a tree, he had a very hard time getting out and he wasn't that far down.

 

[wuliheron]

Good firewood, I wonder if I can make it down to where the tree is? Well, obviously I can get down there, question is can I get back out, the tree fell on the steep side. My poor little dog got too close to the edge and started sliding down until he hit a tree, he had a very hard time getting out and he wasn't that far down.

If its that steep and you aren't familiar with handling chain saws and winches I'd let it rot.

 

[turbo]

If its that steep and you aren't familiar with handling chain saws and winches I'd let it rot.

Chain-saw + Evo = gruesome death.

 

[Redbelly98]

Warning: keep remaining fingers away from blade!

 

[turbo]

Warning: keep remaining fingers away from blade!

Warning: Keep remaining limbs from chain as long as you have hand on the grip and a finger on the throttle.

 

[wuliheron]

There are chaps and gloves you can buy these days that make chain saws safer then ever. You can literally run the saw over your leg and it stops instantly before you even get scratched. However, that doesn't help if the chain saw bucks or the log rolls over you.

 

[Proton Soup]

find another way into the ravine. hike in from the bottom with a hand saw, and carry out one piece of wood per day. now you've got an upper/lower body workout to keep you busy til winter.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

There are chaps and gloves you can buy these days that make chain saws safer then ever.

I used to have a business selling chaps to gay caballeros.

 

[turbo]

Who is that gaucho, amigo?

 

[Redbelly98]

find another way into the ravine. hike in from the bottom with a hand saw, and carry out one piece of wood per day. now you've got an upper/lower body workout to keep you busy til winter.

That would get tiring, carrying all that wood up and out the long way around. Instead, drop all the wood in place at the bottom of the ravine. Use some of it to build a sturdy beaver-style dam. Hike back to the top, wait for the rising creek waters to deliver all that loose wood into your waiting arms. Saweet!

 

[Evo]

that would get tiring, carrying all that wood up and out the long way around. Instead, drop all the wood in place at the bottom of the ravine. Use some of it to build a sturdy beaver-style dam. Hike back to the top, wait for the rising creek waters to deliver all that loose wood into your waiting arms. Saweet!

lol!

Maybe I can pay a couple of sturdy teen boys to tie ropes to it and we can haul it up the side.

 

[turbo]

lol!

Maybe I can pay a couple of sturdy teen boys to tie ropes to it and we can haul it up the side.

Only if you have a different brand of teens than I do. Last year, I offered to pay minimum-wage (cash and tax-free) to a teen to stack firewood for me. He showed up for part a day, and part of another and then dropped off the Earth. Earlier, he had been complaining that he'd have to earn over $400 to take student-driver training, but as soon as actual wood-stacking was involved, his enthusiasm for earning money disappeared.

 

[Evo]

A picture a member drew of me sawing a limb off of a tree.

https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=576571&postcount=72

 

[lisab]

A picture a member drew of me sawing a limb off of a tree.

https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=576571&postcount=72

love that

 

[turbo]

We've got bridges completely gone, and roads washed out. Still I have electricity. What a mackerel!

 

[turbo]

I have to be so happy about the diminishing winds. Maybe I can have Internet and music tonight!

 

[Astronuc]

Far from a dud, hurricane Irene caused the worst upstate flooding in years

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Hurricane-Irene-Hudson-Valley-Floods-New-York-128567338.html

And police and emergency responders had to rescue loads of stupid people who decided to drive their cars into flood waters or take their boats or canoes into unsafe streams.


It nice - cool and sunny. The rain stopped about 12 hours ago, but our basement sump is still receiving a strong stream of water. Fortunately, we did not lose power during the storm.

 

[Astronuc]

It took me about an hour to get to work this morning, when it normally takes 13 minutes. One of the major roads through the area was close due to flooding.

A colleague is trying to get to Washington DC, but flights were cancelled, Amtrak is not operating, and many highways (including Interstates) and roads are impassable, and others are congested.