This is odd..

We haven't been having great weather this summer, but this is odd.

It's 10:30 AM.

And it is pitch dark outside. Really dark. Darker than it would be at 10:30 PM.It reminds me of the solar eclipse a decade ago. I can barely see the trees right outside the window. They're bending back and forth in the wind.
Rain on the roof sounds like niagara falls is pouring on top of us.
Underneath the street light I can see water just standing on the road because it can't get away. Thunder and lightning are appearing as if on queue.

I am certain that there will be water in my basement when I get home in the afternoon.
I just hope it won't be more than puddles.

I really should have built that ark.

Tracking models indicate a gradual turn to the NE after/if she makes landfall in the Carolinas.

I remember one of these babies heading straight up the Shenadoah Valley in VA and many basements were filled to the max.

After having sat through dozens of Category 3s on the Outer Banks of NC I can safely say a Cat 4 will leave nothing in it's wake... so let's hope that doesn't happen. An ark will be blown to kindling - so that won't help.

I do remember sitting through "Dennis" - that one that parked itself off of Hatteras and did a loop-de-loop for 5 days. Not particulary strong (100mph), but very juicy. I remember when the fog lifted we were able to catch fish in the parking lot of Food Lion if you could brave the 200 mosquitos per square inch of exposed flesh.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphi...13W5_NL_sm.gif

@tonycraigo
I hope Irene misses you. Bruno is in Belgium, so I think he has a different problem, although you may both end up with wet basements.

Anyway, I hope you both get through it with minimal issues.

Good luck, Bruno. Hopefully you will get through the storm with minimal damage.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bill S

@tonycraigo
I hope Irene misses you. Bruno is in Belgium, so I think he has a different problem, although you may both end up with wet basements.

Anyway, I hope you both get through it with minimal issues.

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The economy forced me away from my Hatteras Island home - temporarily - so right now I'm in no danger. No basements here on the second floor in Northern VA. I guess a tornado could tear the roof off the place.... but I'm insured.

Bruno's problems are likely temporary also... hope his basement stays dryish. Basements that are prone to flooding however, will likely be flooded at some point, so I'm sure he's used to it. Belgium is kinda a low lying area... can't imagine a basement that hasn't been flooded around there, still hoping for the best. I'm sure he doesn't store his most cherished razors in the basement...:)

My thoughts are with my Hatteras Island friends... they are in real danger.

The damage is surprisingly light. Only a cm of water which I am going to remove in a couple of minutes.
The streets were blank and the water was almost touching the houses. My neighbor took pictures. She said that this was the worst she's ever known here in over thirty years.

I am lucky enough to live in a place where the houses are higher than street level, and street level is not a local minimum.
My problem, is that my basement had 2 manhole entrances, of which one was closed shut and paved over. But it is not waterproofed. Add to that that my patio is not built perfectly, so the water drains into the ground, where it takes the easiest route, which is into my basement.

This summer I was going to open the pavement, and pour the entire hole full of waterproof concrete.
Only I was waiting for a week of hot weather to do so. :)

Once I have that finished and I set waterproofing on the inside, it should be dry and I will put plaster against the walls and tiles on the floor.

There are places in Belgium now where the ground level is under 2 feet of water, with all furniture destroyed etc.

The inlaws of a colleague of my wife have a garage underneath the house with a ramp to the street level. Their car was totall loss because there was 3 feet of water in the basement.

We had 4" of rain last weekend to go with the 5" we had the weekend before and this weekend we get the remnants of Irene... Yes it seems like august will make up for a dry June/July.

Felt earthquake in central Pennsylvania.

I heard reports that it stretched as far north as Toronto and Manhattan