<p>EPTR–in VT, we can go to our town offices and vote early there. We can also have ballots mailed to us. I have often voted early, because we travel a lot and don’t know if I could get stranded away from home on election day.</p>
<p>In Southern CT. On clear day, I can see Long Island not far from where I live. One model, I forget whether it’s the European or American, has Sandy passing right through my house on its way to Hartford. The other model sends it to New Jersey–not that I have anything against the Garden State. </p>
<p>Last year, we lucked out through both Irene and Isaac. We were in a pocket that never lost power–even as thousands lost theirs for a week or more. A tree fell over in front of our house but fell along the sidewalk, missing people, parked cars, and the house. This year, maybe Karma will get us. But let’s hope it all decides to head out to sea. From what I’ve seen, didn’t seem all that bad in Florida.</p>
<p>Garland good luck with your home in Cape May- just read this.
Also FYI Chris Christie will be in wildwood tomorrow- hope the garden state parkway isn’t a nightmare with evacuations- will be thinking about you all in Cape may county-North Wildwood police Chief Robert Mattaucci said the Saturday evacuation for the Cape May County barrier islands is for non-residents. On Sunday, there will be a mandatory evacuation for everyone through 9 p.m.
“At 9.m., the road is closed,” he said. “No one in or out.”
“Once you leave you won’t be able to go back,” Cape May County Freeholder Len Desiderio said.</p>
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<p>I dont have any food at home , batteries or anything else. I have bottled water, lighters and candles. The main thing is I hope I am not forced to stay at work . I work in nursing and last time there was awful weather and call outs, the employees there had to work 16.5hrs and sleep there and be ready to go back to work in 8 hrs. ugh hope highways where i live arent closed!</p>
<p>Well I am not planning to go on my business trip from NY to Hartford and then on to Syracuse from Sunday to Tuesday.We had a meeting at my office today regarding all planned business travel and it was decided from the higher-ups that employee safety is a priority and I and others should not be in harm’s way. Better to lose the money on conference booths and anything else than lose me…or the others. Two of my colleagues were to go to a national conference in Kansas City tomorrow morning, one leaving from Boston, the other from Newark and the entire conference has been cancelled. Hard to bring people from all over and then have them stranded and not be able to return home. I was almost stranded last year in Minneapolis on the October snowstorm… only Delta flight that landed at LGA that night, although somewhat delayed. I personally wouldn’t have minded being stuck for another day or two in Minneapolis where the weather was gorgeous and the Hyatt was very accomodating.</p>
<p>I live in Silver Spring (4 blocks north of DC in MD) and commute daily to the BWI area…my contracting company’s policy is if the gov’t goes code red, we don’t have to take PTO, otherwise we’re out of luck and have to take PTO. Hope they don’t mind me showing up unshowered…</p>
<p>I did go stock up on food today after work. Our grocery store was stock out of any bottled water–they said they’re hoping for a shipment tomorrow, so I’ll probably go check. I’ve got half a case, but just to be on the safe side, it’s not like it goes bad. Also bought 2 more candles, both AAA and AA batteries, bread, bagels, canned soup, instant mashed potatoes, lots of wheat thins/triscuits/graham crackers, PB, cereal, granola bars, and muffins. Anything non-perishable was being pillaged–especially toilet paper</p>
<p>SJCmom–thanks for the good wishes. We might head out tomorrow night rather than Sunday morning. I’m not worried too much about the GSP traffic because when we evacuated for Irene, which was the whole county plus tons of vacationers, we didn’t have much trouble driving north. </p>
<p>ONce again glad we didn’t buy on a barrier island; they want to be underwater. We’re on the other side on solid ground, fairly high. I’ts not as picturesque, but much more secure. Maybe we’ll head over to WW tomorrow to see the gov. H has congenially locked horns with him in the past!</p>
<p>My H was supposed to fly home from the Bahamas today; flight was changed to Sunday. I’m concerned that the weather will be OK to take off, but not to land here. He has a connection in Philly, which is bad in good weather!</p>
<p>D is in RI and her U has a great website about what to do and so on.
This a.m. she texted and wanted advice but tonight seems to feel she can deal with it later. She did suggest that she might park her car (17 years old) in her med. schools parking garage on a high floor as she is concerned about flooding. She lives 2 miles away but it is walkable. If the car goes she knows she is on her own about it.
We are hopeful that it will skirt RI. H thinks my idea of her putting her mattress again her window (no room whatsoever that does not have windows–brightest place I have ever see!) is overdrive. There is a dark dank and really creepy basement. I really think a few days there would create PTSD and so did not even suggest it–so a Mattress against a window …no big deal.</p>
<p>I’m starting to get really nervous about this storm. I don’t think the GSP will be as bad as it was with Irene , because there just aren’t many tourists here. WIth that storm the entire county was supposed to evacuate ( which many of us thought was an error ) No such order has happened as of yet. We borrowed a small generator…enough to keep our refridgeration going and possibly the pumps . We have well water and lose it all if the power goes out. I am concerned with the duration that they are predicting…it just doesn’t seem possible.
I’m also a little annoyed because my husband’s attitude is that this is just another case of media hype and nothing will happen…not that we aren’t as prepared as I think we can be, but I wish he was taking it a little more seriously since the current forcast has us directly in the path…also really worried about the impact to our business</p>
<p>lje62, my DH has the same attitude. We won’t see it so much in Central NY but I keep saying maybe I should have DD (who is in Philly) come home for a few days whether the school closes or not. Tough call.</p>
<p>^^ I hear you Momof3Stars. It sure looks like just about all of Pa is also in the path . We kind of view it as there isn’t really anywhere to go to escape. When Irene came last summer, several of our friends went inland , which ironically got it worse than we did here.</p>
<p>We have 4 huge old trees in our yard, and I always worry about that in high wind. We’ve filled up coolers with water, got precious items off the basement floor and onto high shelves, battery’d up, and found the stupid hand-crank radio. The expectation here in central PA is that we are gonna lose power for at least a while. </p>
<p>My local high school has a serious flooding problem – it’s on a low spot and when it rains hard in an ordinary sense the lower portion (stage/music department) fills with 6-8 inches of water. Custodians and students are spending today emptying the area of anything that can be moved.</p>
<p>I just hope they are all wrong, and it isn’t so bad after all. I’m willing to feel sheepish on Wednesday!</p>
<p>Momof3stars, you shouldn’t be so sure you won’t see much. DH just sent me the NWS briefing from Binghamton forecast area (covers parts of north east PA south of Bing and central NY from Steuben co, NE to Oneida and east to Delaware and Sullivan) and they expect to be the hardest hit.</p>
<p>They are calling for 3-6" of rain in my area, and we have had a fairly dry fall, so I’m a little hopeful that we will not suffer as much as we did with Lee. Lee dropped 12" of rain on our already saturated ground.</p>
<p>2 of my kids live in DC, and my married son and pregnant DIL live in Boston…no matter where the storm hits I have children to worry about. And they all seem to have this attitude of “hey, it’s no big deal…nothing is really going to happen” which is driving me crazy. They are so used to the overhyping of every minor weather event that they don’t seem to understand that this time it is different.</p>
<p>emilybee - Where can I find that briefing? I am in Binghamton. 
I am terrified of a repeat of last fall. My sister lost everything she had.</p>
<p>hyperJulia, I don’t think if you can find it online. It came in an email as a PDF from my DH. </p>
<p>Gist of it was to expect a lot of rainfall - they think more than is being forecast- and are concerned the models for the area are too low. Also, sustained high winds, downed trees and power lines - extensive power outages and to plan for several days w/power. Flash flooding possible but they can’t know exactly which streams/rivers in the forecast area.</p>
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<p>I confess I have been of the same mind. Easy for me to say, as I’m not remotely affected. </p>
<p>In any case, I think it’s essential to be prepared for the worst. But hopefully this will turn out to be much ado about nothing!</p>
<p>^I am right there myself and I am in the middle of affected area. I am trying to imagine what can happen. Never had a direct hit but this is forcasted to be only strength 1. How bad can it be? High wind, heavy rain, we had them before. What makes it so bad this time?</p>