Hurricane Sandy Nears East Coast

An anonymous reader writes "Scientists have been following and projecting Sandy's path with all the tools at their disposal: ocean buoys, radar and satellite imagery, and computer modeling. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also gathers information from special reconnaissance aircraft, which fly over hurricanes and can drop instruments into them to measure wind speeds, air pressure, temperature, and altitude. The latest data gathered on Hurricane Sandy point to an unprecedented and mighty tempest, scientists say." A couple of our East Coast offices are closed today and people have been told to work from home. Please share your storm stories, and updates while you still have internet access.

Comments

Re:Uhhh.... This is it?

[MickyTheIdiot]

It doesn't take long for the second guessers to arrive, does it?

Sometimes they even show up too early.

Technology zilch compared to nature

[jkrise]

all the tools at their disposal: ocean buoys, radar and satellite imagery, and computer modeling.

At times like these, the only technology is that which helps in mass exodus, plain and simple values like sharing and caring; and them coming back to pick up the pieces all over again.

Re:Technology zilch compared to nature

[Daetrin]

Really? So where do you propose we should be moving everyone that is at zero risk from hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, and any other natural disasters i'm forgetting about right now?

I don't know about the rest of the world, but in North America we'd pretty much have to move the entire population of Mexico, the US and southern Canada up into the Canadian Shield. Trying to move close to half a billion people into north-east Canada would be a logistics and economic nightmare, and i'm pretty sure the kinds of moves that would be required in other parts of the world would be equally drastic.

Realistically, if we don't want to pack all of humanity into tiny fractions of the earth's surface, we have to accept that almost everywhere people live is going to be subject to the occasional natural disaster. Yes, we should avoid the _worst_ areas and/or have contingency plans for those spots, but we're not going to be able to avoid everything.

and the band played on.

[rickb928]

Since most of my family is up in that part of the nation, thru are getting the for measure of fright. but for the NY and Maryland regions, this is more about the water. Manhattan will be in a position similar to NO, except no river, just storm surge, and not as many pumps.

And sustained wind.

Re:divine punishment

[Coisiche]

Well, it could be spun for or against either candidate.

That's the problem with self-styled religious oracles claiming omens, it's always down to their personal agenda and there's nothing divine about that. The simple truth is that shit happens and the universe is indifferent.

See what happens?

[gmuslera]

Started as a minor storm but the press have blown it out of all proportion. Now is a big one.

Re:See what happens?

[slashmydots]

Amen to that! Any news agency with a presence in New York (all of them) turn it into the end of the world. The last time New York had a snow storm, CNN covered it like it was the black death. Meanwhile, Wisconsin got slightly more snow than they did and nobody gave a shit. Seriously, we were out shopping and driving and tailgating Packer games like it was normal weather, seeing as how it was. This is a class 1 hurricane. Time to un-bundle their undees and report on something useful and just pack a goddam umbrella.

Re:See what happens?

[bws111]

Yes, it is 'only' a category one hurricane. That is going to cover ALL of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusettes, and parts of Virginia, Kentucky, West Virginia, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine with at least tropical storm force winds.

Do you realize how many people live in that area? And, OK, it is 'only' a Category 1 storm, so the most likely effects (away from the coast) is power outages. Except that when the entire mid-Atantic and Northeast regions are covered, there is no help available from neighboring states.

And, oh yeah, the storm surge at NYC is supposed to be 'only' 8 to 11 feet - which has happened never before. Since much of NYCs infrastructure is underground (including, of course, the subways), this is a big deal, regardless of the category of the storm or what similar storms have done elsewhere.

Re:See what happens?

[kiwimate]

Thanks for injecting some common sense. Slashdotters usually like to sneer at the masses and call it "common sense", but in this case common sense means being prepared.

The sheer extent of the storm will mean a massive impact. Emergency responders can only work as fast as they can work. The expected number of power outages will mean that linesmen just can't fix them all in a timely manner.

Philadelphia International Airport has shut down. PHL is the 12th busiest airport in the world. That's a simply huge impact considering the number of people who would ordinarily pass through the area on a given weekday, and the financial losses. It's not a decision they'd make lightly (and an airport has their own very sophisticated weather monitoring and analysis stations).

Margate, NJ, was already flooded this morning, and the storm has barely even started. It's both massive and slow moving, so it'll be hanging around for ages as it's dumping rain on us.

Here's Red Hook, Brooklyn, and that's just the beginning.

Here's more, courtesy of NY Times. They've opened their paywall. Scroll down and have a look at the pictures and remember it's barely started yet.

Re:No work?

[Lieutenant_Dan]

I hear you. The elements that you have to face is different than what senior management is willing to face. Two sets of rules. They don't mind putting you in harm's way while they spend the day at home watching Sportcenter.

Can't ask your manager for remote access to your terminal and/or tools?

no its mitt romney health care plan that sick kids

[Joe_Dragon]

no its mitt romney health care plan that under sick kids can get blacked listed for life and for his link to Richard Mourdock views on RAPE.

Re:Prepared

[cffrost]

a 24 pack of Corona

Granted, Corona is pretty reliable, but aren't cyanide capsules a more humane way of dispatching oneself?

Re:Wall St. Closed

[Miamicanes]

Exactly. Imagine the mess South Florida would have if a freak winter storm dumped 2 inches of real mid-afternoon snow on downtown Miami and the surrounding 3 counties, and it kept coming down all night so that we woke up the next morning to a city where every road was impassable to anything less than a SUV or truck, seriously dangerous regardless, and every vehicle that was outside overnight had ice crusted over the windshield wipers. We'd have people getting electrocuted trying to melt ice on the windshield with blow dryers (until the weight of the ice caused the power lines to fall down), and I shudder to imagine the carnage on I-95 and 836 when drivers who can't even avoid accidents during afternoon rainstorms suddenly had to deal with ICE.

A category 1 hurricane making landfall in South Florida is like a "Snow Day" in Cleveland or Buffalo -- work from home today, limp and tipetoe around tomorrow, life as normal on day 3. An afternoon snowstorm that persists into the night would shut down South Florida for almost a week, and probably cause more deaths than a landfalling hurricane.

Re:Don't PANIC!

[SternisheFan]

Thanks for your 'voice of reason' post. 'Sandy' has already been the cause of death for over 60 people, so far. This storm is no joke, and to hear how it's being "politicized" is a shame.