Photos of Damages from Hurricane Irene: It was NOT hyped.

This is part 2 for those who think that meteorologists "over-hyped" the damage capabilities of Hurricane Irene. These people don't think it was over-hyped at all.

Margaretville, NY Route 100 in Vermont Main St. In Margaretville, NY. Greenwich, Connecticut East Lake Road in Woodstown, New Jersey. Princeton, New Jersey PATH train station stop Governor Cuomo's car in Margaretville, NY. Route 12 is broken in 5 places on Hatteras Island, N.C. About 2,500 people are stuck on Hatteras Island because of this pumping out the traffic tunnels in Hampton, VA Ocean City Maryland's pier destroyed

NEED TO SEE MORE? 
Hurricane Irene was not over-hyped. If you think it was, you were just LUCKY.


 

Bad Politics - Look at what these people stand for.

Over the past couple of months as Republican candidates for President have come out, they're revealed some frightening things as potential leaders.  They're ignorant in science, they use their OWN religious beliefs to promote hatred, intolerance and division, they don't understand how the economy works, don't care about average people, want to set civil rights back in time and want to run the country under one religion (look at the countries that do this- it's chaos).  If you don't believe me, here's PROOF.

Republicans and Tea Party in Congress:

HURRICANE IRENE DAMAGES - Republicans and Tea Party politicians don't want FEMA to assist victims of Hurricane Irene. 

 - They want to wait until they find money elsewhere. (Eric Cantor- Rep. VA)

Aug. 30: Already in 2011, the United States has experienced more natural disasters than the 10-year average. The Federal Emergency Management Agency now finds itself short on money. NBC’s Tom Costello reports.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44334178#44334178

* MIchelle Bachmann

 1)  Said that she'll make gas prices $2.00 a gallon as President. - She has NO idea about oil futures, oil prices, etc. She won't be queen. 

2) Stupid comment about the Earthquake and devastating Hurricane Irene:

The Minnesota Rep. turned Hurricane Irene into a campaign punch line, suggesting the recent natural disasters were acts of God. "Washington, D.C. you'd think by now they'd get the message," Bachmann said at a town hall in Florida Saturday to laughs. "An earthquake, a hurricane, are you listening? The American people have done everything they possibly can, now it's time for an act of God and we're getting it." http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/29/just-a-joke-bachmanns-hurricane-message-from-god/

3) Anti-Civil Rights: 

signed a pledge vowing to support a Constitutional amendment declaring marriage to be a union of one man and one woman and a vow to support the Defense of Marriage Act in court.  

AND - THIS IS HORRIBLE:

Promised to appoint judges and an Attorney General who will respect "the original meaning of the Constitution," and appoint a presidential commission to investigate harassment of "traditional marriage" supporters.  http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/28/us-campaign-perry-marriage-idUSTRE77P74D20110828

4) Would consider oil and natural gas drilling in the Everglades if it can be done without harming the environment. http://news.yahoo.com/bachmann-says-shed-consider-everglades-drilling-235354923.html

 5) Bachmann would reinstate US gay troops ban

(AFP) – Aug 14, 2011 Michele Bachmann, fresh from a victory in a key Republican test vote, said Sunday she would reinstate a ban on gay troops serving openly in the military.

*HATEFUL, IGNORANT. - The Military agreed that it was time to repeal this. What the hell is wrong with her? 

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jFVgZ84mfNPz0xMNfcYDRPxgQfCw?docId=CNG.3b1b9509afa71135d940b1eded48fbb9.01

* Rick Perry

1) Perry says he doesn't believe in global warming - 

* 97 percent to 98 percent of researchers in the field, according to the National Academy of Sciences — is getting stronger, not weaker, as the evidence for climate change just keeps mounting.

       PEOPLE WHO DON'T are either ininformed, Ignorant or stupid. 

http://news.yahoo.com/perry-says-doesnt-believe-global-warming-143259373.h

2)     Mr. Perry, the governor of Texas, recently made headlines by dismissing evolution as “just a theory,” one that has “got some gaps in it” — an observation that will come as news to the vast majority of biologists. 

**ONLY uneducated people don't believe in Evolution. PERIOD

 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/opinion/republicans-against-science.html?_r=1&src=tp&smid=fb-share

3) Anti-Civil Rights: 

signed a pledge vowing to support a Constitutional amendment declaring marriage to be a union of one man and one woman and a vow to support the Defense of Marriage Act in court.  

AND - THIS IS HORRIBLE:

Promised to appoint judges and an Attorney General who will respect "the original meaning of the Constitution," and appoint a presidential commission to investigate harassment of "traditional marriage" supporters.

tml

REPUBLICANS AND SCIENCE:  Okay, as a scientist, either Republicans and those who vote them in are either ignorant and don't want to be educated in science, or just decide to remain Stupid.   They forget that the church persecuted people like Galileo who provided scientific explanations. They're doing the same thing. Science is FACT. Religion is NOT.

    According to Public Policy Polling, only 21 percent of Republican voters in Iowa believe in global warming (and only 35 percent believe in evolution). Within the G.O.P., willful ignorance has become a litmus test for candidates.

Even GOP's Jon Huntsman Jr. from Utah recognizes it:

Jon Huntsman Jr., a former Utah governor and ambassador to China, isn’t a serious contender for the Republican presidential nomination. And that’s too bad, because Mr. Hunstman has been willing to say the unsayable about the G.O.P. — namely, that it is becoming the “anti-science party.” This is an enormously important development. And it should terrify us.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/opinion/republicans-against-science.html?_r=1&src=tp&smid=fb-share

WISCONSIN GOP -

Walker moves to withdraw state's defense of domestic partnership law

Even with dying people, the idiot Governor in WI is trying to prevent gay people from being with their dying partners in the hospital.  What kind of religion would want that? http://host.madison.com/news/local/on-topic/article_88b8e426-7ff7-11e0-92e8-001cc4c002e0.html

 

HOW THE THE GOP CANDIDATES WOULD LEAD THE U.S.: -comment from the NY Times:

So it’s now highly likely that the presidential candidate of one of our two major political parties will either be a man who believes what he wants to believe, even in the teeth of scientific evidence, or a man who pretends to believe whatever he thinks the party’s base wants him to believe. 

BOTTOM LINE: Our friend Gary said it best:

I believe people should be able to believe whatever they want to believe if it does no harm. Violating the Bill of Rights is not an option, and I'm afraid that's what Perry and Bachmann have in mind. They would use political power to do what theocratic governments in countries like Iran do. That is, to force their own brand of religious beliefs on everyone else. I am a Christian, but I find these far-right religious extremists to be offensive....and they need to just stuff a sock in it!

The Loyalty of a Soldier's Dog (and everyone's)

This story was on the news this week and it brings tears to my eyes about how precious, loyal and loving our dogs are to us. 

Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson was killed in Afghanistan on 8/6/2011. 

 http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44271018/ns/today-today_pets_and_animals/'%20rel='nofollow
 

Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson lay in a coffin, draped in an American flag, in front of a tearful audience mourning his death in Afghanistan. Soon an old friend appeared, and like a fellow soldier on a battlefield, his loyal dog refused to leave him behind.

Tumilson’s Labrador retriever, Hawkeye, was photographed lying by Tumilson’s casket in a heart-wrenching image taken at the funeral service in Tumilson’s hometown of Rockford, Iowa, earlier this week. Hawkeye walked up to the casket at the beginning of the service and then dropped down with a heaving sigh as about 1,500 mourners witnessed a dog accompanying his master until the end, reported CBS.

Hurricane Irene -Well Worth the Warnings

NASA: Irene-caused extreme flooding in red.

Being a meteorologist, I take a lot of criticism when forecasts aren't "exact." Well, weather isn't an exact science as there are a lot of variables that come into play in the atmosphere. 

  I've heard from some people that the warnings on Hurricane Irene were "way over-hyped." I TOTALLY disagree. Meteorologists, like doctors, warn you when something MAY be harmful to your health. Because hurricanes are sometimes unpredictable with ever changing dynamics (as we saw dry air move into Hurricane Irene when it was making landfall in North Carolina which may have helped weaken it), it is better to err on the side of caution. 

  Meteorologists DID NOT ERR on Irene. Even though you may be one of the fortunate ones who kept their power, 3.1 Million people did not. Even if you didn't get flooded, hundreds of thousands did up and down the U.S. coast and there was RECORD FLOODING in Vermont. If you didn't have a tree down, there were millions taken down by Irene's hurricane-force winds.Houses is many states were destroyed or washed away.

  My point is that because your house is safe, not everyone else fared quite as well and benefited by evacuations.

  Here are some statistics to consider: 

* 5 Million homes and businesses are still without power 3 Days after Hurricane Irene passed.

* 41 People died nationally

* Estimate of Irene's Damages in the U.S. 2 Billion Dollars - according to CNBC

* In Connecticut alone; 450,000 people without power in CT, 8 inches of rain. Farmington River flooded.

* In New York - 8 people died all due to flooding

* In Vermont- Worst hit the state has had from a hurricane. 263 roads were washed out or damaged. About a foot of Vermont fell in the entire state. Brattleboro, VT. Four to six of the iconic covered bridges were destroyed. The Governor proclaimed this is the worst flooding in the history of the state.

* More than a foot of rain fell along coastal areas in the U.S. cutting off and washing out roadways, flooding houses, taking lives.  

On the lighter side, If you haven't heard about the reporter in Ocean city that was being deluged by "weird sea foam" which turned out to be raw sewage churned up by Irene... (he thought it was plankton) here's the

Video: http://globalgrind.com/news/sea-foam-covered-reporters-other-unforgettable-moments-hurricane-irene-photos
 
If you think the sea foam reporter had it rough check out this Weather Channel reporter's problem:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/27/hurricane-irene-2011-streaker-weather-channel_n_939095.html

What a week!

Last week was adventurous to say the least.
QUAKE - On Monday an 5.8 magnitude earthquake centered in rural Mineral,Virginia brought serious tremors to Maryland and shook our house at 1:51pm EDT . It took a minute to figure it out as I watched our south-facing inside wall shake and take pictures down. It made sense that the south-facing wall rumbled because the epicenter was south, in Virginia. I (Rob) was working at home, so after 20 seconds I got all the dogs downstairs and into the bathroom. Scary.
HURRICANE IRENE - Because I'm a meteorologist and thrive on hurricane science this was a big week for me- but a tough week and weekend from Puerto Rico to the Bahamas, and in the U.S. from North Carolina to Vermont. Irene was a HUGE rainmaker, dropping about 16 inches of rain in NC, VA, and lesser (but huge) amounts all the way up to Vermont, where the effect of Irene moving against the Green mountains brought the worst flooding seen there in 75 years. 250 Vermont roads are closed from flooding according to Governor Shumlin this morning. New Hampshire dealt with the same due to the White Mountains' effect, which is called orographic uplift, and forced air to rise against the mountains and caused more storms, bringing more rain. **I worked over the weekend covering all of it on www.nasa.gov/hurricane (also on Facebook and Twitter).
  Here at home, we happily kept our roof and sustained no damage. Other houses didn't fare as well and I know that there are 3.1 million people without power up and down the U.S. east coast.
SUMMER COLD? - I've been sick for the last week with a sore throat, head and chest congestion, headache, etc. and this weekend coughing so much, I've been pulling my back and chest muscles. Hoping to feel better later this week. Fortunately, Tom didn't catch this!

Hurricane Irene- Doggone Wet Photos!

Rob with Sprite, Franklin and Dolly

Sprite, Franklin and Dolly STILL don't want to go out!

 Hurricane Irene's relentless rains made going outside for the dogs a miserable experience, so I went out with them. They were all geared up, but came in SUPERFAST. Here are some pictures!

Dolly's Pawprint before the heavy rains arrived Saturday at 11am EDT

GOES-13 satellite image of Hurricane Irene at 2pm EDT.

 

Credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project

VIDEO: Space Station View: Hurricane Irene /my door

Hurricane Irene- read the sign!

Aboard the International Space Station, an Expedition 28 crew member captured views of intensifying Hurricane Irene from an altitude of 225 miles at 3:33 p.m. EDT on Aug. 22, 2011, as the tropical system passed to the north of Hispaniola. The National Hurricane Center is forecasting a track that would take Irene near to or east of the Florida peninsula as a major hurricane on Friday with a possible landfall along the southeastern United States on Saturday. For more info on Hurricane Irene, go to the NASA Hurricane page: www.nasa.gov/hurricane
RAINS- The outer bands of Hurricane Irene's bands brought rains in the Washington, DC area around 11am, when Irene's center was some 380 miles to the south-southeast. Irene is a huge storm, about 1/3rd the size of the U.S. East coast.
UPDATES ON IRENE - at www.nasa.gov/hurricane, or FACEBOOK or TWITTER/NASAHurricane




 

Hurricane Irene is raging the U.S. East Coast

Hurricane Irene is raging the U.S. East Coast and will affect the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast through the Weekend.   

At 5 a.m. EDT this morning, August 26, 2011,  Hurricane Irene was centered 420 miles south-southwest of Cape Hatteras, NC. (29.3N and 77.2 W) Max. winds 110 mph., moving north at 14 mph. Pressure 942 millibars.

WEEKEND UPDATES: on FACEBOOK and TWITTER: NASAHurricane 

HURRICANE FORECASTS: www.nhc.noaa.gov

NASA Infrared image- purple means strong t-storms, heavy rain

STRENGTH: some re-intensification is possible today...and irene is expected to be near the threshold between category two and three as it reaches the North Carolina coast.

SIZE:  Irene has continued to GROW over the last week. Irene is now almost 600 miles WIDE! - Tropical storm force winds extend 290 miles from the center. ***AND THE CENTER is expected to be only 30 miles off-shore from Ocean City, Md. )  Hurricane force winds extend to 90 miles from the center, or 180 miles in diameter.

RAINFALL...IRENE IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF

6 TO 10 INCHES...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 15 INCHES...FROM

EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA INTO SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINA...EASTERN

MARYLAND... DELAWARE...EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA...NEW JERSEY...

SOUTHEASTERN NEW YORK...LONG ISLAND...WESTERN CONNECTICUT...AND

WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. THESE RAINS COULD

CAUSE WIDESPREAD FLOODING AND LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS.

STORM SURGE...AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER

LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 6 TO 11 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL IN THE

HURRICANE WARNING AREA IN NORTH CAROLINA...INCLUDING THE ALBEMARLE

AND PAMLICO SOUNDS. STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH

AS 4 TO 8 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL OVER SOUTHERN POTIONS OF THE

CHESAPEAKE BAY. AND 3 TO 6 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALONG THE JERSEY SHORE.  

ALL COASTAL AREAS FROM NC TO NYC WILL EXPERIENCE HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS.

CREATE YOUR HURRICANE KIT

**EXPECT: POWER OUTAGES -- Winds may cause fallen trees after the ground is soaked.  -
Get batteries, bottled water, flashlights, and dry food, and a manual can opener.
***- Take CASH out  . Power may be out, and ATMS and Debit/credit cards may be useless. ***

**OR - get cash from point-of-purchase "cash" withdrawals at Supermarkets, etc.

** Buy an emergency radio.  One that operates with batteries, A/C or crank-to-charge. It includes AM/FM, 2 SW channels and some even include a weather channel.

 - Make sure any medications are set aside, and know where a suitcase is in case a tree falls near your home.

- freeze things like Ziploc bags or containers of water to help keep the freezer more "full" to help keep food frozen longer (a full freezer stays cold longer than a freezer only half full).

- Landlines and CORDED phones will work best in a storm. CELL phone coverage may be down if towers are damaged.

- Buy some "cooler cans" and keep them in the freezer in the event the power goes out.
 - Know of where shelters are located.
- Get gas in your car.

- Get a solar-powered flashlight (IF there are any left)
 - Make sure you have Tranquilizers (contact your vet) or  Benadryl for your PETS if they're afraid of Thunderstorms.
 - Make sure you have access to your pet's food, and bowls.
- BOTTLE water and put it in the refrigerator Saturday morning.
 -Take a cooler out in case the power goes out, and fill with ICE on Sat. evening.

WEATHER MAP http://i.imwx.com/images/maps/current/curwx_600x405.jpg  

NOAA WEATHER MAP: http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/noaa/noaa.gif     

FORECAST: BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON  - UNDER A TROPICAL STORM WARNING

 Tropical Storm force SUSTAINED  winds (Btwn 39-73 mph) with rainfall between 3-6"  

*WINDS:  Sustained Tropical Storm Force Winds Are Expected To Begin Early Saturday Evening , overnight and thru Sunday morning.

* HEAVY RAIN/FLOODING -

* COASTAL FLOODING - a storm surge of 2 to 3 feet is expected saturday and saturday night.

Today:  Mostly cloudy.  scattered showers and thunderstorms after noon, ending by midnight.  high near 87  Low 71

Saturday: Tropical storm conditions possible.  Showers / thunderstorms after 2pm.   Northeast wind increasing to 31 mph. GUSTS to 37 mph. High 80.

Saturday Night: Tropical storm conditions expected. Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. HEAVY RAINFALL, Winds SUSTAINED to 43 mph.. North wind 33 to 43 mph.     2 and 3 inches Rain possible. Low around 69.  **DO NOT GO OUTSIDE**

Sunday: Cloudy, WINDY, Sustained winds to 33 mph, decreasing in afternoon. Showers  ending by  2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 80.     1 and 2 inches RAIN possible.

Sunday Night:   Partly cloudy, scattered showers and breezy, with a low around 63.  

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.

LIVE RADAR: http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?rid=LWX&product=NCR&overlay=11101111&loop=yes

"For Good" - a great song from WICKED

We were treated to see the musical "Wicked" last weekend and it was great!  This song, "For Good" was at the end and a wonderful song. Two of the singers/actors on GLEE did a version, and it's awesome. We think you'll enjoy it, too. 


Tom found the lyrics!

I’ve heard it said that people come into our lives

For a reason bringing something we must learn

And we are led to those who help us most to grow

If we let them and we help them in return

Well I don’t know if I believe that’s true

But I know I am who I am today

Because I knew you.

Like a comet pulled from orbit as it passes the sun

Like a stream that meets a boulder halfway through the wood

Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better

‘Cuz I knew you

I have been changed for good.

It well may be that we will never meet again

In this lifetime so let me say before we part

So much of me is made from what I learned from you

You’ll be with me like a handprint on my heart

And now whatever way our stories end

I know what that you have rewritten mine

By being my friend.

Like a ship blown from its mooring by a wind off the sea

Like a seed dropped by a skybird in a distant wood

Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better, but

Because I knew you

I have been changed for good.

I do believe I have been changed for the better

Because I knew you

I have been changed for good.”

Biggest Earthquake Since 1730s Hits Washington DC Area

Our clock stopped at the exact time of our 5.9 mag quake!

Today, Tuesday, August 23, 2011 in Maryland we experienced a magnitude 5.9 earthquake at 1:51pm EDT.
According to the US Geological Survey, the temblor occurred at 1:51pm EDT (17:51 UTC).  The epicenter has been placed at 4 miles south of Mineral, Virginia, 39 miles from Richmond; 83 miles southwest of Washington DC and at a shallow depth of less than 1 mile.
Quake was felt across the region from NC to MA and west to Ohio, and southwest to Alabama.
  Aftershocks are possible in the next 36 hours*
MORE INFORMATION FROM USGS: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/events/us/c0005ild/us/index.html

QUAKE SAFETY FROM GEOLOGY.COM:
If you are indoors, stay there. Quickly move to a safe location in the room such as under a strong desk, a strong table, or along an interior wall. The goal is to protect yourself from falling objects and be located near the structural strong points of the room. Avoid taking cover near windows, large mirrors, hanging objects, heavy furniture, heavy appliances or fireplaces.
If you are cooking, turn off the stove and take cover.
If you are outdoors, move to an open area where falling objects are unlikely to strike you. Move away from buildings, powerlines and trees.
If you are driving, slow down smoothly and stop on the side of the road. Avoid stopping on or under bridges and overpasses, or under power lines, trees and large signs. Stay in your car

Movie Trailer for "Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance"

We really enjoyed the first Ghost Rider movie of this supernatural hero. Now a follow-up is coming out in February 2012!
  Here's the first movie trailer for Columbia Pictures' Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, starring Nicolas Cage, Fergus Riordan, Ciaran Hinds, Violante Placido, Idris Elba and Johnny Whitworth.
In the February 17 release, directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, Johnny - still struggling with his curse as the devil's bounty hunter - is hiding out in a remote part of Eastern Europe when he is recruited by a secret sect of the church to save a young boy (Riordan) from the devil (Hinds). At first, Johnny is reluctant to embrace the power of the Ghost Rider, but it is the only way to protect the boy - and possibly rid himself of his curse forever.

Baltimore Comic-Con Pictures!

On Sunday, August 21, I returned to the Baltimore Comic-Convention for another year. Last year I dressed as Aquaman and this year because of the movie, I went as the Green Lantern. My friend Steve met me in the lobby to get a couple of pictures and then my friend and fellow comic book aficionado, Tom R joined me for the day, walking through the convention, shopping and admiring the great costumes. We stopped to take a lot of pictures with people (who were fans of Green Lantern) and with other heroes.What a GREAT TIME! (My Tom stayed home with the dogs).  Here are the pictures! 

Green Lanterns John Stewart and Hal Jordan (me)

The 2 GLs with a mysterious figure nearby

Batman and Green Lantern

The Hulk!

Star Wars: Storm Trooper, Darth Vader, Imperial Soldier

Steve C.Meets GL in the lobby for pictures

Superman and Green Lantern

Thor and Green Lantern (John Stewart)

Tom R. Joins GL for a day of shopping!

GL and Zatanna the magician! (I love that character!)