Hurricane Irene
By bostonphil
@bostonphil (4459)
United States
August 26, 2011 11:17pm CST
This is some hurricane, isn't it? I do not think that I realized the seriousness of it until this evening. I have friends who live in the financial district of Manhattan. They are being ordered to evacuate by 5 pm Saturday. I have not yet asked them where they are supposed to go.
I have just finished watching a Nightline segment on Irene. And I will probably be keeping my eye on the news tomorrow.
I grew up in Boston and we had occasional hurricanes. Usually, they were less severe by the time that they hit New England but they could still be scary.
There must be mylotters in the path of the hurricane. Are you nervous? Excited? Taking a oh hum attitude? There are some people out there who love storms and hurricanes. There are even storm chasers who seek out storms. There is something almost mystical about a storm. It really gets you in touch with a higher power. At least that is my opinion.
10 responses
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
27 Aug 11
I live on the opposite coast, so obviously this hurricane will not affect me very much. However I am worried about it - some of real life and myLot friends are in the hot zone! Ouch! I still remember watching the effects of Katrina on TV and they say this hurricane is going to be big so I am not looking forward to it. I know the East Coast has survived hurricanes before but it is still disturbing. Furthermore the important stuff to the nation as a whole - like D.C and New York City - are right in danger zone.
To be honest I don't want to check the news till Monday. I will wait and say and just pray that this hurricane doesn't do a lot of damage. The last thing our economy and more importantly the people struggling in the East need right now is a massive natural disaster!
My attitude in short is discomfort with what could happen. I just want it to be over already so this forced waiting will end and we can know for sure what the impact will be!
1 person likes this
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
27 Aug 11
I will be glued to the TV watching reports about Irene.
Mother Nature is awe inspiring even though she often creates havoc for millions. Though you and I may not be in the path of Irene, we still might be affected depending on what happens to and in other cities. No one can predict what is going to happen.
We all know that a power storm is heading towards certain cities in the northeast but how powerful and ow much damage. We just have to wait and see.
What happens if power goes down for days or weeks in the northeast. Will you and I somehow be affected?
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
27 Aug 11
Right now as I write this, Irene seems to have lost a lot of steam. That often happens. I was in Boston last in 1985. There was a hurricane when i was there. And it was supposed to be a huge one. Everyone prepared for the worst. And it completely fizzled out by the time it was supposed to hit Boston. We may have gotten some rain but not much of a hurricane. That is what happens with storms. They are very unpredictable.
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
27 Aug 11
That is where the frustration and even a little bit of fear lies for me - what will the scale of the damage be? Bad, ok, mild? Will people die and if so how many? Will the nation's financial capitol be hit and if so what will happen then?
If the power goes out in the northeast our friends from there will have no way to contact us. That is going to be a cause for concern as we wonder how they are doing and if they are all ok.
1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45123)
• Canada
27 Aug 11
I live up north so the it should not be too bad. However any storm can cause havoc, as some are seriously hurt and even killed.
I was thinking about your feeling closer to God during a storm. Could it be that in a storm we see what happens with uncontrolled powerful forces? That they are purely destructive and very little constructiveness occurs? So, we know that there is a God, as all the wonderful things of the earth could not come about without control and direction?
Let's hope that Irene does as little harm as possible!
1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45123)
• Canada
27 Aug 11
You are so right! We think we are very powerful but the forces of nature cannot be controlled. We have to learn how to stay out of nature's path or we may lose a lot. Here it is starting to get cloudy and Irene is on the way.
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
27 Aug 11
I think that during a violent act of nature, I become aware of how small and helpless we all are. We have so much and we stress over so much. And we take so much for granted. We want to control everything and we think that we can until something happens that reminds us we are not in control like a storm. Violent weather reminds us that we do not have control over the planet. It reminds us of how lucky we are that we have as much as we do and to be grateful and more generous.
For instance, we take having power for granted. When we lose it, we become aware of how dependent we are on it. It is very stressful to lose power and then we are so grateful when it comes back on. We feel such relief.
@TrvlArrngr (4045)
• United States
27 Aug 11
I live outside of Raleigh, NC, and we did not get what they said we would. We have light rain and some winds. Yes some gusts up to 30 mph but it's no more than a normal storm over here.
I have heard from friends on the coast that the hurricane has wiped out several piers along the NC beaches - that is sad. I am sure that there will be lots of devastation in the coastal areas that are hit.
1 person likes this
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
27 Aug 11
I have just checked in with the weather channel and I did hear that some piers are gone. And while sad, not the end of the world. They can and will be rebuilt.
Storms are unpredictable. One has to prepare for the worst. Irene has lessened and is not as bad as feared but she can grow in intensity after she goes back to sea and hit New York with more fury than she did North Carolina.
@QeeGood (1213)
• Sweden
27 Aug 11
Hurricanes are intersting to observe and watch from a safe place. It's impressive how much power mother nature can create. I do hope everyone will be safe as you can be. I think why the hurricanes have female names, must be that females are powerful. Probably because we, females deserve respect. It'll be interesting to observe the hurricanes. 
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
27 Aug 11
I think that hurricanes now have men's names also and that it is coincidence that this one is named Irene (a female name). Mother Nature can put us all in our place. She humbles us. We all think that we know so much and that we have so much control. And then Mother Natures shows us differently. Tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanos, tsunamis etc are also interesting to observe as long as you are not involved and observing from a safe place. How powerful she is!
@whatrow (792)
• United States
27 Aug 11
I live in the Poconos. I was very nervous when I heard/read the reports. Although I am not directly in the path, areas not too far away have been advised to evacuate. But, so far, it isn't bad here at all. Just some moderate rain. But, it is not over yet.
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
27 Aug 11
I am reading that there have been a few deaths from Irene. I think some of the problem may be the amount of rain as well as Irene's size. She is 500 miles long. I do not think that she has made it to the New York area yet. Time will tell how bad it will be.
@singh987 (29)
• United States
28 Aug 11
I live in central Jersey and the rain is pouring right now. They said its going to be getting worse overnight into the morning with a foot of rain and floods likely, which really scares me. We will find out in the morning.
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
28 Aug 11
Thanks for updating us mylotters who are not in Irene's path. I am keeping up with the news. I have relatives and friends all up and down the east coast. I am originally a Bostonian by birth. I have been through hurricanes in my younger days. It seems like Irene is quite a force to reckon with. I have never known so many cities taking so many emergency preparations and precautions. They must know something that I don't.
@maximax8 (31053)
• United Kingdom
27 Aug 11
All people on the East Coast like in New York should go away further west or elsewhere. When a hurricane is on its way people are in danger. Hurricane Irene is on her way. My flight to Cancun was canceled when a hurricane hit that coastline. I know hurricane season is September to November in that region. This hurricane Irene is a bit too early in the season. I remember the storm that happened in 1987 and many trees fell down.
1 person likes this
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
27 Aug 11
Right now, Irene is hitting North Carolina. And it looks like she is no longer as powerful as predicted or feared. However, one has to wait until she is finished to see what the damage is. I know that hurricanes can go back to sea after making landfall and build up again for the next landfall. Even a cat one hurricane can do a lot of damage.
@greenline (14838)
• Canada
27 Aug 11
I was watching the news broadcast on the TV about the hurricane Irene. This is really a very severe hurricane. I have a few friends living in the coastal region there. They are all getting ready to get away to safer places before the hurricane makes the landfall. May you all be safe !!
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
27 Aug 11
I am watching one of the weather channels. I think that I am hearing that Irene is losing steam or will be losing steam by the time it hits New York. It is down to 90 or 100 miles an hour. But tornadoes might be a problem. And the amount of rain might be a problem.
Information changes so frequently and with any storm, there is so much uncertainty around Irene. Forecasters try to predict but so ofter they are wrong.
This is one of those situations when time will tell, By tomorrow and Sunday, we all will know what Irene did or did not do.
I am an insomniac, so if I can not sleep tonight, I will watch news about Irene. She is in North Carolina as I write this.
@cjfoust (614)
• United States
27 Aug 11
I think the storm will definately be interesting. I live in Virginia and am curious to see what is going to happen. My biggest concern is losing power. It is ironic though that the last hurricane/tropical storm that really hit good was Isabelle - the ironic thing being that they both started with an I. I am a little nervous, but prepared if anything does happen. I am a little excited though to see what happens.
1 person likes this
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
27 Aug 11
There is something that is very exciting about a fierce storm even though it can also be frightening. I have found that powerful storms cause me to feel closer to a higher power. That is, as long as I am safe and sound watching the storm from inside my apartment on television. I hate losing power.
What is going on in Virginia right now? Are you experiencing any effects from Irene? Are you in the path? Keep us mylotters updated.
@pepperpopper (376)
• Philippines
27 Aug 11
We are also experiencing storm here in the Philippines. The supposedly long weekend has now forgotten. I think those scientist or those obsess in studying storm are the ones that are excited. They'll get to learn more and study the capacity of them. Other than them, I can't think of anyone who will be excited to any phenomena. It's scary in fact.
1 person likes this
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
27 Aug 11
I sometimes think that weather people live for extreme weather conditions and storms. That is their field. If we did not have storms and extreme weather, what would they report on? They wouldn't have a job.
But I also think that some everyday citizens get excited about storms. There are some who choose to get out in one. There are some who chase storms and they are called storm chasers.
