Zomg a big storm is coming!!!!111!!!!1!

[Hyena Dandy]

However, maybe it's me being arrogant, but shouldn't a coastal city/state already have the infrastructure necessary to deal with a potential storm that big, regardless of how often it may or may not hit?

No, because you prepare for what you have to deal with regularly, not for the rare occasions. Maybe if we had more funds, more people, more whatever we would. But we have to put the resources we have into what we know we'll face, not into what we have an off-chance of facing. Because it'd be nice to be prepared for every eventuality, but its not possible. Its a choice between dealing with problems we know we'll have, or problems we know are possible.

[tropicsgoddess]

Yes, relatively speaking. The difference is, those hurricanes occurred in areas that are used to hurricanes.

Its like the amount of snow required to cancel school in different areas. Around Boston (Lexington, specifically) we never canceled school for less than 8 inches. My friend's school in Texas would cancel school for 2-3 inches. That's because here in Lexington, we have the infrastructure to deal with 8 inches of snow. They don't in (I think it was Lubbock, but I may be wrong), so they had to cancel for that.

Similarly, Florida has the infrastructure to deal with lower levels of hurricane, because that happens a lot in tropical coastal areas. Here, we don't have that infrastructure. So we can't deal with it.

Seeing as the OP is named Tropicsgoddess, I hope its not presumptive of me to assume that she lives in the tropics, where there is infrastructure, building codes, etc, for this style of storm. Whereas here, we're likely to be harder hit, even if the storm's weaker.

I grew up in the tropics, hence my screenname (I'm now in upstate NY). Florida does have buildings made to withstand hurricanes. The building codes, especially in Broward and Dade county are strict.

[Andara Bledin]

And, re-checking the map, looks like it's going to still be hurricane strength when it rolls it's way over New York City, maybe as far north as Massachusetts.

All of you who live up that way: keep yourselves safe.

^-.-^

[Hyena Dandy]

I'm tryin'.

[Greenday]

Flooding has commenced in NJ. Power outages all around the state.

[KnitShoni]

Thank you! Even the hurricane I lived through in 1983 (Alicia, Cat. 3, I was in Houston) was a bigger deal than this. This barely even qualifies as a hurricane. Ike was a hurricane. Katrina, Bob, & Andrew were hurricanes. This is nothing, relatively speaking.

Yeah? Go check out Tropical Storm Allison: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Allison

That was the only storm to have the name retired without ever having become a hurricane.

[KellyHabersham]

The initial post in this thread kind of reminds me of back when Hurricane Nora hit part of Arizona (although it was a tropical storm by then). The local news stations were all blowing the situation out of proportion, and making it sound MUCH worse than it actually was.

[Andara Bledin]

Considering the billions in damage that they know about and how many towns were flooded out and/or stranded by Irene, somehow I don't think it was all that overblown. >_>

^-.-^

[Greenday]

>Overblown
>People are still without power or water.

Talked to my mom and she said they are still without power. Luckily my sister works at a super fancy retirement home and her boss is letting them use a spare apartment until they get power back.

[Cats]

I'd like to say I have lived in the same city my entire life in the Northeast. I don't remeber Gloria, but I do remember Bob back in 91, which uprooted a tree in our yard (which did not cause any other damage). News of hurricanes doesn't freak me out all that much, because as much damage as they may cause, I know there are people elsewhere who are affected a lot worse and a lot more frequently.

I missed Irene because I was on vacation in Seattle, but my hometown was minorly affected.

As with Earl last year, my mom FLIPS about hurricanes headed towards the Northeast, due to a lot of circumstances at the time when Gloria came through.

Now, being concerened is one thing. Hurricanes are sort of a big deal to the Northeast since they come so infrequently. However, panicing 4 days ahead of time doesn't do anyone any good. The track and speed can very easily change during that period of time. You prepare for the worst, hope for the best, and keep updated.

The news was going nuts last Wednesday (the day before I left) and was showing hurricane updates literally every 15-20 minutes. FOUR DAYS before it was even going to POTENTIALLY hit the northeast. That IS overkill. A quick 2 minute reminder every hour or two to stock up on supplies just in case so there's no rush to the stores last minute to get food, batteries, etc.? Fine.

Now as it gets CLOSER and likelyhood of being affected increases, having updates more freqently is okay. But when the thing hasn't even left the Carribean, STFU weather stations. I have better things to worry about and other news I'd like to see than constant updates to a hurricane that you're not even sure may affect me.

[Bright Star]

They've had a couple come up that way--Donna (1960), Dora (1964), Agnes (1972), David (1979), Gloria (1985), Bob (1991), Fabian (2003), and Noel (2007). Usually by the time the storms reach the Northeast, they've lost much of their destructive forces. However, they're still deadly.

Even here in SW PA, we've had some hurricane-related damage. Ivan brought lots of flooding here--the town of Millvale was completely flooded, and nearly wiped out. Also flooded, were Sharpsburg, Aspinwall, and other river towns. They recovered, but Millvale still hasn't. Several years later, many businesses still haven't reopened, and probably never will.

"Agnes" was almost 40 years ago & around here in south central PA they STILL talk about her. I was 7 then & I remember how all of downtown Harrisburg was under water. That was nasty. So when a hurricane is headed for the northeast, it's taken very seriously. People around here can't afford to be ho-hum about it. Too many people went through "Agnes" & are afraid of another "Agnes" induced disaster.

[Ipecac Drano]

Considering the billions in damage that they know about and how many towns were flooded out and/or stranded by Irene, somehow I don't think it was all that overblown.

Agreed.

And, to those who still feel it was overblown, would you had rather the media underplay the severity and not be prepared for what did happen? Wait... That's what happened when Katrina had hit...

[Andara Bledin]

And, to those who still feel it was overblown, would you had rather the media underplay the severity and not be prepared for what did happen? Wait... That's what happened when Katrina had hit...

Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

^-.-^

[Ipecac Drano]

Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Precisely!