# Hurricane Irene



## PattY1 (Aug 25, 2011)

I think it is time to start a Irene thread. 
After this evenings storm and tornado warnings passed I made my way to buy the EXTRA things needed for the weekend. (And a few others that jumped into my cart). Beer, Ciggs and Water. I plan on making some cold plate items (in the event of power failure, oh yeah, this is LP CITY USA, it will happen) and I plan on making a Banana Cake with White Chocolate Frosting to snack on. My Kindle and Ipod are charged, my windup/batteries operated Radio is handy along with battery operated lamps and camping lantern.

Is every one in Irene's path ready??


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## Timothy (Aug 25, 2011)

All set!

High tides at 6 to 8am and 6 to 8 pm in St. Augustine tomorrow. The storm surge is expected to be about 2 feet above high tide.

That will cause some minor flooding at my house, but nothing that will cause any real problems. 

I have a tidal swamp behind my house, so it'll get a little wet tomorrow.

As long as Irene doesn't take a left turn, I'll be fine here.


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## Andy M. (Aug 25, 2011)

We are scheduled for a good hit Sunday afternoon and evening.  If Irene goes through Eastern MA, we get 5"-8" of rain.  If it goes through Western MA, we get very high winds.


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## vitauta (Aug 25, 2011)

PattY1 said:


> I think it is time to start a Irene thread.
> After this evenings storm and tornado warnings passed I made my way to buy the EXTRA things needed for the weekend. (And a few others that jumped into my cart). Beer, Ciggs and Water. I plan on making some cold plate items (in the event of power failure, oh yeah, this is LP CITY USA, it will happen) and I plan on making a Banana Cake with White Chocolate Frosting to snack on. My Kindle and Ipod are charged, my windup/batteries operated Radio is handy along with battery operated lamps and camping lantern.
> 
> Is every one in Irene's path ready??



thanks, patty, i'm charging my nook and my dvd player right now.  first thing in the morning i'll hit the grocery store, hopefully before the shelves are stripped of bread, milk, toilet paper, etc.  like you, i like to treat myself well with good food--sort of a compensation for being cooped up, without power, or whatever.  have some fun, and stay safe everyone....


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## vitauta (Aug 26, 2011)

varat said:


> Irene is scaring us over here in Rhode Island honestly... all the water was sold out over at the market today.. .



just get as ready as you can, lay in some good food and drink. forget about irene. she won't stay long.  make it a weekend to remember--fondly, with family, with friends. report what you see to dc when you can. take care, varat..


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## Josie1945 (Aug 26, 2011)

Welcome to DC Varat.

Josie


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## vitauta (Aug 26, 2011)

one natural disaster after another. on my way to the store for storm supplies. i have this feeling i'm a bit late with this. i hope they still have lettuce and tomatoes....


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## GB (Aug 26, 2011)

I hit the market and BJ's last night. People did not seem to be panicking or buying everything in sight. We had some pretty intense thunder and lightning last night. It will be interesting to see what we get this weekend.


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## jabbur (Aug 26, 2011)

We had pictures on the front page of empty shelves at WalMart!  DH took the cars out to fill up with gas and there were lines at the pump.  I'll be filling up the last car this afternoon, stopping at the bank and picking up some cold cuts.  I think I've got everything else.  The storm is now tracking a bit east of here but there is still a chance it will roar directly over us.  One model has the eye directly on top of my area.  We talked about evacuating but I think we will just hunker down.  We are in a higher elevation so little chance of flooding in the house.  We moved the camper to the street.  Propane tanks full for the grill and can use the camper's stove top.  Have a gas lantern and many oil lamps in addition to flashlights.  Got the laptop and cell phones charging.  I think we'll be fine.  We survived Isabel in '03.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Aug 26, 2011)

jabbur said:


> We had pictures on the front page of empty shelves at WalMart!  DH took the cars out to fill up with gas and there were lines at the pump.  I'll be filling up the last car this afternoon, stopping at the bank and picking up some cold cuts.  I think I've got everything else.  The storm is now tracking a bit east of here but there is still a chance it will roar directly over us.  One model has the eye directly on top of my area.  We talked about evacuating but I think we will just hunker down.  We are in a higher elevation so little chance of flooding in the house.  We moved the camper to the street.  Propane tanks full for the grill and can use the camper's stove top.  Have a gas lantern and many oil lamps in addition to flashlights.  Got the laptop and cell phones charging.  I think we'll be fine.  We survived Isabel in '03.



Cold cuts HAVE gotten expensive!!!


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## podonnel45 (Aug 26, 2011)

vitauta said:


> one natural disaster after another. on my way to the store for storm supplies. i have this feeling i'm a bit late with this. i hope they still have lettuce and tomatoes....


 
You should be ok.  Goochland forecast is for 40 mph winds and heavy rain.  You're well to the west and so should do even better.  (fingers crossed!)


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## jabbur (Aug 26, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Cold cuts HAVE gotten expensive!!!



They now have to keep them in the safe and you have to show ID, fingerprint and hand over your first born to get any!


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## PattY1 (Aug 26, 2011)

REO Speedwagon- Riding the Storm Out - YouTube


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## Timothy (Aug 26, 2011)

Irene went past St. Augustine without a problem. The beaches might have gotten a bit of erosion, but at my house, one mile inland, all I got was a little bit of rain.

Thankfully, it was a non-event. Whew!


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## Selkie (Aug 26, 2011)

While private messaging a friend who is in the path of Hurricane Irene, I realized the following information might be useful to others, so here are some tips on using oil lamps should you lose power. One of my hobbies is collecting antique oil lamps.
************************
Trim the wicks before lighting them. Trimming means cutting the wick  with a pair of scissors so that it arcs (curves) the same amount that the slotted  brass dome it comes out of. The idea is to have the same amount of wick  exposed along the slot, no matter how much it's curved. This will give  you an even flame. Also, when lighting it, touch your lighter or match  to the exposed wick and when it begins to sustain a flame, replace the  chimney and turn it down a quarter turn or so... into the slot. Give it a  couple of moments to warm up before turning it up to medium or high.  And if it smokes, turn it down... it's too high. Ideally, the top edge  of the wick should be about 1/4" - 3/8" *below* the edge of the brass slot for maximum light.

Lamp oil can be found at any WalMart, or you can use white, odorless kerosine found in any Home Improvement Center. *NEVER - EVER - USE GASOLINE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!!!!!!!** YOU WILL KILL YOURSELF AND BURN DOWN WHATEVER STRUCTURE YOU ARE IN!!!*

Oil lamps are easy and safe to use with just a little thought. They are safer than candles, less expensive to operate and give more light.

Whatever you decide to use, use caution and common sense.


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## Hoot (Aug 26, 2011)

Good advice, Selkie! We have several oil lamps...matter of fact, from as long as I can remember here at home, they were called "hurricane lamps". We don't use them very often. Mrs Hoot and my Mom did not care for the smell. Even the scented oils disagreed with my Mom. We have candle lanterns, which serve nicely, but need many of the same precautions. I expect to lose power and I reckon we are as ready as we can be. I hope this storm passes quickly. I pray that after it passes, everyone in its path will be safe and sound.


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## Kayelle (Aug 26, 2011)

Now I think I understand why the earthquake shook up all the easterners so bad.......
you guys need time to talk, shop and do some hand wringing. 
All that anticipation would send me under the bed waiting for it to be over with.  Shudder!!

Sending safe thoughts to all of you in harm's way.


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## niquejim (Aug 26, 2011)

Please be careful NYC, Jim Cantore is riding out the storm in NYC. He always seems to be in the worst place possible when the storm hits.
As some one who lived through Andrew and Charlie I give one piece of advice...Hide from the wind, RUN from the water. The flooding and surge is much worse than the wind


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## tinlizzie (Aug 26, 2011)

My DIL just reminded me that her Food Saver is also handy to seal up important documents.

I've always wondered whether bank safe deposit boxes ever get waterlogged.  How about those deeds, passports, etc.?


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## vitauta (Aug 26, 2011)

podonnel45 said:


> You should be ok.  Goochland forecast is for 40 mph winds and heavy rain.  You're well to the west and so should do even better.  (fingers crossed!)





breathing easier already. thanks for the reassure. we fretful neurotics sometimes tend to tangle ourselves into useless knots of despair.  kroger store shelves had been decimated by the time i got there.  i left without bottled water. at home, i filled a jug with tap water for the fridge, and will fill another pail when the storm is nearing. why did i think i needed to buy bottled water, anyway? i almost never use it except for my keurig coffee machine. take care pod, and all our dc storm watchers, we'll all be okay and back to normal by monday....


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## justplainbill (Aug 26, 2011)

Can only hope that the impact of Irene turns out to be as innocuous as last winter's snow storms.


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## Dawgluver (Aug 26, 2011)

Best of luck to all our Easterners!  Our thoughts are with you!  

I saw where a guy filled up his bathtub with water for "just in case", flushing toilet, other water use.  He's keeping a bucket by the tub.  Made sense to me.

When we had some big tornado scares, we filled up empty plastic jugs and bottles with tap water, keeping them in the basement.


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## justplainbill (Aug 26, 2011)

Dawgluver said:


> Best of luck to all our easterners!
> 
> I saw where a guy filled up his bathtub with water for "just in case", flushing toilet, other water use.  He's keeping a bucket by the tub.  Made sense to me.


Thanks for the good luck wishes.  We would be less vulnerable if development during the last 30 years had not denuded our area of much of it's protective vegetation.


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## babetoo (Aug 26, 2011)

best of luck to all that are in the path or irene. be safe, we would miss you.


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## Aunt Bea (Aug 26, 2011)

These things always remind me of the old Bogart movie Key Largo.

Stay safe and keep us posted.


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## vitauta (Aug 26, 2011)

justplainbill said:


> Thanks for the good luck wishes.  We would be less vulnerable if development during the last 30 years had not denuded our area of much of it's protective vegetation.





so true, jpb, same thing for the gulf coast, and other coastline expanses once protected from erosion by dunes, forests, wetlands and other natural vegetation. we are now paying the steep price for not having been more conscientious caretakers of a most sacred heritage....


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## Constance (Aug 26, 2011)

Good luck to all of you in the path of the storm. Don't underestimate the seriousness of this event. God bless you all.


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## PattY1 (Aug 26, 2011)

This tip was posted on another forum I read. I thought I would pass it along.

*Bath Tub Tip*       If you are filling your tub with water make sure it holds the water.
Fill the tub.
Mark the fill (or eye the level) and let it sit for a couple hours.
If you have lost water the seal (stop) on the tub is not good.


Use Saran Wrap (folded over a couple times) and cover the drain.

Very Important:
While covering the drain (tub full) with the Saran Wrap, lift the drain tab.
This will create a suction, and the Wrap will seal to the drain.
Close the drain tab.
Then place something on top that contours to the drain.
I use a bag of Pea gravel in a zipped locked bag.


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## Selkie (Aug 26, 2011)

Another tip:

Fill large ziplock bags with water and fill your freezer with as many as it will hold. Do it now, before you lose power and to give them a chance to freeze so you may not lose anything already frozen.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Aug 27, 2011)

I hope everyone stays safe and does what they are told to do.


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## vitauta (Aug 27, 2011)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> I hope everyone stays safe and does what they are told to do.





thanks, bolas. what a caring and cohesive group of people we have here at dc.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Aug 27, 2011)

Vit mate I have been watching on the bbc, they stated that this is the biggest evacuation ever.
We watch these things carefully because apart from the people here we have a lot of friends at sea.
They will be running for safety and should be OK thanks to your coastguard info but having been in the middle of the Atlantic in a force nine gales and high sea's it not fun.


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## PattY1 (Aug 27, 2011)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> I hope everyone stays safe and does what they are told to do.


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## purple.alien.giraffe (Aug 27, 2011)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> I hope everyone stays safe and does what they are told to do.



I'm a little late to this, been a busy few days, but I completely agree with Bolas. Stay safe everyone. Also (kinda late again) I thought this article How to prepare for a hurricane – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs had some good advice and even more of it in the comments section.

I especially liked a post by user brend, about third or fourth post down. She listed a lot of good ideas..


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## jabbur (Aug 27, 2011)

We're starting to feel Irene here in VA.  Lots of rain gusty wind.  One tornado spotted in Norfolk.  Still have power.  Fortunately our house is on the same circuit as a fire station so we rarely lose power and are a priority to get it back.  Irene downgraded to category 1 last night so that really eased my mind.  Isabel was a cat.2 and that was bad enough.  I said then I'd evacuate for a cat.3 for sure.  Thought I'd post JIC the power goes later.  Thanks for all the thoughts.


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## pacanis (Aug 27, 2011)

I'm glad to hear it has been downgraded.


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## Claire (Aug 27, 2011)

Please, please, please remember that it is far better to be over-prepared than not prepared.  If this turns out to be much ado about nothing, then, you're out not much.  On the other hand, try going weeks without electricity, food, water.  Been there, done that, and not fun.  Better to evacuate than have rescue workers threatening their own lives to save your sorry, unprepared ass.  I understand even public transportation is taking pets with evacuating people.  So, if you go, you have had a great adventure, if you stay and some poor cop, EMT, fireman, etc, has risked his life because you thought you were stronger than Mother Nature.  Get your body and your loved ones out of harm's way.  Then you can go home with your loved ones and do the best you can to fix.  But don't DO NOT risk other peoples' lives out of foolish pride.


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## vitauta (Aug 27, 2011)

Selkie said:


> Another tip:
> 
> Fill large ziplock bags with water and fill your freezer with as many as it will hold. Do it now, before you lose power and to give them a chance to freeze so you may not lose anything already frozen.




great idea, selkie, but my freezer takes forever to make a few ice cubes.making one last store run before the storm hits--i will buy a big bag of ice--if they haven't sold out already.  thanks for your good tips and good vibes.


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## Claire (Aug 27, 2011)

Even if it isn't frozen, any water you save is a good thing.  I lived in hurricane-heavy areas, and always made sure my fridge and freezer were totally full, period, before a storm hit.  I filled bottles of water in mid-summer, and tossed them in the freezer (at that time I had a big freezer).  When it would get to the point where we were at crisis mode, we filled very sink and tub in the house, aftter scrubbing the tubs/sinks with a bleach based cleaner.  I've lost electricity for extended periods of time, but luckily, never took a direct hit.  So I lost a couple of tubs of water.  Better safe than sorry.  

As the saying goes, You cannot fool mother nature.


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## LPBeier (Aug 27, 2011)

Due to me not being around much I just now read this thread from beginning to end.  I am humbled beyond words.

My dear DC friends who are affected by all these natural disasters, you have my thoughts, my prayers and most of all my admiration for how you are not only getting prepared but taking the time to come and report here.

As others have said, please be safe, don't try to be a hero (get out if you have to) and know that you are loved here.

I wish I could do more.


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## vitauta (Aug 27, 2011)

Selkie said:


> Another tip:
> 
> Fill large ziplock bags with water and fill your freezer with as many as it will hold. Do it now, before you lose power and to give them a chance to freeze so you may not lose anything already frozen.




just returned from my final supply run with two ten lb. bags of ice. sometimes the most simple ideas are the best and most useful.no, selkie, i'm not suggesting you are simple.supermarket is crowded, crawling with shoppers--just like snow storm shopping last winter but without the snow shovels or kitty litter.  clouds are a dark, gray menacing mass, scudding across the horizon.  the first large raindrops are smacking the pavement just as i am a few safe blocks from home.  i am as ready as i can make myself for irene.  be safe, everyone.


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## Selkie (Aug 27, 2011)

vitauta said:


> ...no, selkie, i'm not suggesting you are simple....



Perhaps I'm not simple, but I can certainly be a pain in the arse at times!!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Aug 27, 2011)

Selkie said:


> Perhaps I'm not simple, but I can certainly be a pain in the arse at times!!



I thought that was our job!   Keeps people on their toes!


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## PattY1 (Aug 27, 2011)

Lost power for a couple of hours already. I hope it stays on for the rest of the storm.


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## DaveSoMD (Aug 27, 2011)

Tree on the roof here...it didn't break through, just landed on it..we're all okay, but the dogs are still shaken up.  Between the earthquake, the storm and sensing out anxiety, the falling tree was just a bit much.  All 4 are laying here in the family room watching us and each other.  In a way it is very cute and comforting....


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## jabbur (Aug 27, 2011)

Personally doing okay but unfortunately here in town a young boy (9 yo) lost his life when a tree broke in half and came through the roof into his 2nd story bedroom straight through to the 1st floor.  It took workers 2 hours to find him under the tree.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Aug 27, 2011)

Oh no!


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## DaveSoMD (Aug 27, 2011)

Oh no!  How horrible!!!


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## vitauta (Aug 27, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I thought that was our job!   Keeps people on their toes!




and you do that job so well, pf.


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## LPBeier (Aug 27, 2011)

Dave, I am glad nothing more serious has happened.  Are you out of danger yet?  Thoughts and prayers are still with you.

Jabbur, my prayers are with the family of that young boy and everyone in your area.  Be safe.


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## vitauta (Aug 27, 2011)

LPBeier said:


> Dave, I am glad nothing more serious has happened.  Are you out of danger yet?  Thoughts and prayers are still with you.
> 
> Jabbur, my prayers are with the family of that young boy and everyone in your area.  Be safe.




loss of life during a natural disaster takes on a whole new meaning and gravity when it happens in your own neighborhood, close to home.  so sorry, jabbur.


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## DaveSoMD (Aug 27, 2011)

Thanks Laurie.  No we still have the worst to come.  We are not going to be getting the main event until between 2 and 3 AM Sunday morning.  It is supposed to start intensifying around 8 and keep going until the eye passes by in the early morning hours.


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## Dawgluver (Aug 27, 2011)

jabbur said:
			
		

> Personally doing okay but unfortunately here in town a young boy (9 yo) lost his life when a tree broke in half and came through the roof into his 2nd story bedroom straight through to the 1st floor.  It took workers 2 hours to find him under the tree.



Sad, how horrible!  A young innocent.  

Talked to niece in Jersey, she and her kids have evacuated and are staying with her parents.

Thoughts and prayers, guys!


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## jabbur (Aug 27, 2011)

It's still blowing pretty hard here.  It's really been an all day event!  DH had put a new mailbox on the post but hadn't nailed it down.  It blew off into the yard.  Have some small limbs down in the yard.  No flooding.  So far we have had power all day.  A couple of times in blinked off and on but not completely out.  The WalMart my son works at was open today and he had to go in.  He had some pretty good pics of the store shelves bare!  Around 2pm the store lost power and their generator kicked in.  He finally got to come home around 4pm.  We were supposed to go to dinner with his girlfriend's parents then to the movies to see the Harry Potter installment.  Nobody's going anywhere!


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## RuthZ (Aug 28, 2011)

*Irene*

Calling all East-Coasters... Please let us know how you're getting on with the effects (and after-effects) of Irene. Are you and your families safe?

We're all thinking of you and keeping fingers, toes and everything else crossed.


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## vitauta (Aug 28, 2011)

what really blew my mind today--they said on the news that hurricane irene is the size of europe!  wow, that is massive!  up until now, my mind pictured all hurricanes as brightly colored swirls on the ocean. from nw on i will be seeing europe shaped hurricanes instead....


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## DaveSoMD (Aug 28, 2011)

Checking in.. we made it through...will post more once the sun is up and I can see better outside...


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## Zhizara (Aug 28, 2011)

Good luck with the tree.  Was it just a limb or the whole tree?  What kind?  I'm just wondering if the cut pieces could be burned in a fireplace of some sort.


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## DaveSoMD (Aug 28, 2011)

Zhizara said:


> Good luck with the tree.  Was it just a limb or the whole tree?  What kind?  I'm just wondering if the cut pieces could be burned in a fireplace of some sort.



It is a whole tree, a tulip poplar.  I'm not sure what it can be used for besides firewood once it dries out.


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## vitauta (Aug 28, 2011)

we are thankful, we are relieved, we are standing on solid ground once again, here in virginia.  we have survived an earthquake and a massive hurricane all in the space of five very long/short days in time. so good to be alive and whole....


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## GB (Aug 28, 2011)

Jerry Garcia/ John Kahn-Goodnight Irene (11-14-86) - YouTube


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## vitauta (Aug 28, 2011)

GB said:


> Jerry Garcia/ John Kahn-Goodnight Irene (11-14-86) - YouTube





thank you for finding that gem, gb, captures my mood perfectly. jg put irene to bed alright, and so did we. i wish jerry could have stuck around longer....


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## Aunt Bea (Aug 28, 2011)

DaveSoMD said:


> It is a whole tree, a tulip poplar.  I'm not sure what it can be used for besides firewood once it dries out.




If you know any wood workers that do lathe work it would be great for them or to make a souvenir of Irene for yourself.  Google Tulip Poplar Turnings for a variety of images.


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## Timothy (Aug 28, 2011)

The attached pic shows Irene's History so far. 

Quite an impressive storm. She's held "Hurricane Status" for a long trip.

With her size, it's a very good thing she never reached Cat4 or 5.


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## vitauta (Aug 28, 2011)

Aunt Bea said:


> If you know any wood workers that do lathe work it would be great for them or to make a souvenir of Irene for yourself.  Google Tulip Poplar Turnings for a variety of images.





that's brilliant, bea! a great idea for a cottage industry for you dave, if you're so inclined....


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## Snip 13 (Aug 28, 2011)

I've only seen a small post in our local newspaper about Hurricane Irene. Glad you are all ok!   Hope no one had any serious damage. Sorry to hear about those who did get some damage to there homes but glad no one seems to have gotten hurt!


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## LPBeier (Aug 28, 2011)

My thoughts and prayers are still with all of you.  I will be watching the news and checking in here for more reports.

And GB, thank you for that gem.  Very appropriate.


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## msmofet (Aug 28, 2011)

Our power didn't go out and the wind wasn't to bad. It died down to about 20 MPH +-. About 500,000 people have no power. We aren't out of the woods yet. We are in the eye and the flood water is getting higher. WE are in a bad place in that respect - The Meadows - we have Hackensack, Passaic Rivers AND MANY creeks including Berry Creek. It is about a foot till it comes in my house. We have planks (railroad ties), garbage cans, all sort of debris floating down my street. Hopefully the tail/backside won't be to bad but with the new moon tides our house may flood.


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## LPBeier (Aug 28, 2011)

Ms M, please keep us posted and stay safe. {{{{{{{{{{msmofet}}}}}}}}}}


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## msmofet (Aug 28, 2011)

LPBeier said:


> Ms M, please keep us posted and stay safe. {{{{{{{{{{msmofet}}}}}}}}}}


Thank you LP XOXOXOXOX 

The wind is kicking up slightly and starting to rain again. I am so glad the 2 approx 100 foot trees are gone from my yard. About 3 years ago in a mild rain storm with gusts of about 10 MPH one of them just slowly tipped over (came out of the ground at the roots) and gently rested on my neighbors house. Thank God the wind had eased off at the time. The park came right over and cut it up and removed it. The next week they took the other one down. The house is a lot hotter without the shade trees but I don't have to worry about huge branches or trees falling on us.

The FEMA guy just said the storm is exiting NJ and heading out to Long Island. So we may be out of it sooner than expected. Stay safe all in that direction.


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## Timothy (Aug 28, 2011)

*Hurricane Cookies*

Otherwise known as Cranberry Orange Spirals:








Cookies:
2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp grated orange zest
1 tsp vanilla extract


Filling:
2/3 cup finely chopped dried cranberries
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup orange marmalade


Cookies:
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt until well combined. Set aside.


In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes (mixer at medium speed). Add egg and beat well. Beat in orange zest and vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl. On low speed or with wooden spoon, gradually add flour mixture, beating until just blended. 


Shape the dough into a flat rectangle. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.


Using confectioner's sugar or flour, lightly dust a piece of parchment paper and rolling pin. Unwrap chilled dough and place on parchment, roll into a 12x9 inch rectangle of uniform thickness. 


Filling:
In a bowl, combine the cranberries, pecans and orange marmalade until well blended. Spread cranberry mixture evenly over dough to within 1/2 inch of edges. Starting with long edge, tightly roll up dough jelly-roll style to form a log. Tightly wrap in parchment paper and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight. 


Baking:
Preheat oven to 375 F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap the chilled dough log and using a sharp knife, cut into 1/4 inch slices. Place on prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time in preheated oven for 8 to 11 minutes or until edges start to turn lightly golden (mine were 9 minutes). Immediately slide parchment paper onto a cooling rack. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes before removing from the parchment and placing directly on cooling rack.

Recipe from:
400 Sensational Cookies by Linda Amendt


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## Andy M. (Aug 28, 2011)

Do you have any tropical storm cookies?  Irene got downgraded for MA.


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## Timothy (Aug 28, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> Do you have any tropical storm cookies? Irene got downgraded for MA.


 
Yer crackin me up!

Instructions for downgrading Hurricane Cookies to Tropical Storm Cookies:

1. Place cookies on counter top.

2. Put bottom of cup saucer on each cookie and press downward until cookie smashes.

3. If Tropical depression cookies are desired, spin saucer 10 times.

Yer a character Andy!


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## GB (Aug 28, 2011)

Our power has been out for over 2 hours.


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## Aunt Bea (Aug 28, 2011)

Timothy said:


> Yer crackin me up!
> 
> Instructions for downgrading Hurricane Cookies to Tropical Storm Cookies:
> 
> ...



I'm in a tropical depression because I don't have any of those cookies.  They look fantastic! 

 I copied the recipe,  I think you could have quite a few variations on the filling!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Aug 28, 2011)

Yum, Date-nut filling.


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## Aunt Bea (Aug 28, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Yum, Date-nut filling.



I was thinking Pina Colada sort of


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## mrs.mom (Aug 28, 2011)

I hope all my friends in U.S.A. are fine and safe. If I may suggest, you can all come and visit Egypt now. We have a wonderful sunny weather nowadays. You are all welcomed.


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## Zhizara (Aug 28, 2011)

GB said:


> Jerry Garcia/ John Kahn-Goodnight Irene (11-14-86) - YouTube




Wow!  Thanks GB.  I had to get my headphones out for that.  Good one!


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## msmofet (Aug 28, 2011)

GB said:


> Our power has been out for over 2 hours.


 
WOW. We lucked out. I hope you get power soon.



mrs.mom said:


> I hope all my friends in U.S.A. are fine and safe. If I may suggest, you can all come and visit Egypt now. We have a wonderful sunny weather nowadays. You are all welcomed.


Thank you for the well wishes. The sun is out here and Irene is on her way through NE. I would love to see the sphinx and the pyramids, the upper and lower nile and all the beautiful monuments, tombs etc. It has always been one of my dreams but I probably will never have the money to do so.


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## mrs.mom (Aug 28, 2011)

msmofet said:


> WOW. We lucked out. I hope you get power soon.
> 
> 
> Thank you for the well wishes. The sun is out here and Irene is on her way through NE. I would love to see the sphinx and the pyramids, the upper and lower nile and all the beautiful monuments, tombs etc. It has always been one of my dreams but I probably will never have the money to do so.


That's very bad. I hope one day your dream would come true.


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## GB (Aug 28, 2011)

Our power is back. That wasn't so bad. Nothing that 4 games of Jenga, a game of kids monopoly, playing school, eating lunch, playing monkey in the middle, then playing more Jenga could not cure.


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## msmofet (Aug 28, 2011)

GB said:


> Our power is back. That wasn't so bad. Nothing that 4 games of Jenga, a game of kids monopoly, playing school, eating lunch, playing monkey in the middle, then playing more Jenga could not cure.


 OH GOODY!! I am so glad your power is back. How long was it out?


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## msmofet (Aug 28, 2011)

My neighbor is bailing his car out with a little plastic kiddie TO GO drink cup. YIKES. We parked our small car 2 streets over and would need to swim to it so I have no clue if our small car is flooded. The big car may also be flooded where it is parked at the far end of our street but we can't get to that one either at the moment.


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## GB (Aug 28, 2011)

We were out for about 3 hours or so.


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## babetoo (Aug 28, 2011)

patty1 called me yesterday. she was sitting in the dark. said she was o.k. just kinda bored. hope she is still safe. she called on her cell and we got off the line to save her battery.


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## Andy M. (Aug 28, 2011)

GB said:


> We were out for about 3 hours or so.



Power outages appear to be isolated.  We're East of you and the whole storm was a dud.  My daughter is in Worcester, west of me and she's fine as well.  SIL next town over lost power at 10:00 AM.  None of us are near the coast so flooding is not an issue.


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## justplainbill (Aug 28, 2011)

Sure glad we have a 7kw generator, an Aladdin kerosene mantle lamp and a Coleman 2 burner propane stove.


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## PattY1 (Aug 28, 2011)

babetoo said:


> patty1 called me yesterday. she was sitting in the dark. said she was o.k. just kinda bored. hope she is still safe. she called on her cell and we got off the line to save her battery.




I just got my power back about a hour ago. Boy was I nervous during the storm. That is the first on I have braved by my self. Never again!! My apartment building is ok  but 2 big trees came down across the yard. I took a picture with my phone and we all know that my phone camera is not the greatest nor am I a photographer. So if it is a decent picture I will post it later.


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## Dawgluver (Aug 28, 2011)

PattY1 said:
			
		

> I just got my power back about a hour ago. Boy was I nervous during the storm. That is the first on I have braved by my self. Never again!! My apartment building is ok  but 2 big trees came down across the yard. I took a picture with my phone and we all know that my phone camera is not the greatest nor am I a photographer. So if it is a decent picture I will post it later.



Wow, Patt, so glad you are OK!  Such scary stuff.


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## pacanis (Aug 28, 2011)

Post away, Patty. I'd love to see some pics from folks I know rather than just TV stuff.

It looks like everyone checking in has been lucky with the power outages not lasting long so far.


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## msmofet (Aug 28, 2011)

It feels like October breezes outside. Here is a shot of my yard and 2 of the sky. The water has receded about 2 feet already. The water was so high it was going into parked cars and low trucks.


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## Selkie (Aug 28, 2011)

They're wonderful!


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## Dawgluver (Aug 28, 2011)

Wow.  Great pics!


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## msmofet (Aug 28, 2011)

Thank you.

The water was so high it was going into parked cars and low trucks. 
BUT the wind is kicking up to 20 MPH now from the west and causing waves in the water that is left.


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## PattY1 (Aug 28, 2011)

View attachment 11946Here is the picture. This tree snapped and left only a tall bare trunk still planted. To the right of that is another tree that fell. It kinda looks like a bush because this view shows the top of the tree only.


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## Dawgluver (Aug 28, 2011)

PattY1 said:
			
		

> <img src="http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=11946"/>Here is the picture. This tree snapped and left only a tall bare trunk still planted. To the right of that is another tree that fell. It kinda looks like a bush because this view shows the top of the tree only.



Heartbreaking.  Hate to see the old trees go.

  A couple years ago we had the most beautiful blue spruce, White House Christmas tree worthy, and came back from vacation to find out it was gone from a tornado.  Wonderful friends and neighbors had cut it up and removed it.

Hopefully there is no more destruction.


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## jabbur (Aug 28, 2011)

We lost power about 1 am this morning and spent most of the day without it.  It finally came back on around 6 pm tonight.  Read my book, took a nap, brought in the camping lantern and got it ready for tonight but didn't need it.  We had no flooding.  I think the fact that it arrived at low tide saved our area a lot of flooding problems.  Mostly it was just downed trees and power outages.  With Isabel in '03 the storm surge took out water treatment plants and we couldn't drink the water.  Didn't have that this time.  While we had about 24 hrs of heavy winds and rain, all in all it was nothing like what was hyped for our area.


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## purple.alien.giraffe (Aug 29, 2011)

I'm still waiting to hear from a friend in NJ. Hopefully I'll be able to reach her in the morning.


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## Andy M. (Aug 29, 2011)

There was a James Bond marathon on cable.  It kept us entertained for a couple of hours.


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## purple.alien.giraffe (Aug 29, 2011)

Heard back from my friend this morning and she and her family are safe. So relieved.


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## msmofet (Aug 29, 2011)

Been watching News 12 and parts of New Jersey is in bad shape. Down the shore is not doing so good. The Belmar beaches are on the roads a lot of damage just before the holiday. The shore towns are really going to be hit hard this holiday. People are stuck in a Holiday Inn on Rt 46 in Parsippany by Harold's and LongHorn, the whole first floor is under water. 60 People have been stranded there since saturday night with no power, food or water/plumbing. Lots of flooding still. Rt 17 closed by Hasbrouck Heights due to flooding. Still lots of people without water or power. A house blew up in Pompton ( Plains or Lakes not sure) due to gas leak. I think we have had 3-4 deaths due to Irene in New Jersey. New Jersey took a nice beating. 

I must say we were *VERY LUCKY* to *ONLY* have our road flood and nothing very serious here in my neighborhood. We will be going out later so I will try to remember to take the camera.


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## msmofet (Aug 29, 2011)

BUT it is a BEAUTIFUL day!! 60 degrees and beautiful weather for the next 7 days.


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## Sprout (Aug 29, 2011)

We're far enough inland that the big concerns were power-outages and possibly flooding since we're in a low-lying area. Because the baby's due any time now we were already stocked up on low-maintenance food & supplies. Back in WA we went backpacking from time to time, so we're pretty prepared for loss of power with our camping gear. We already had a couple cases of water and DH picked up another few at Costco on Friday, so all-in-all, we were pretty well prepared.
     I'm happy to report that we were over-prepared. We didn't even lose power. As we drove to church Sunday morning, we saw 2 traffic lights out and a few downed branches. We've had much worse summer thunderstorms. At the worst of it we had the equivalent of WA winter rains, sustained winds of nothing and gusts of up to "shake your windows." My friends 30-minutes east of here, where I work & most of my coworkers live, weren't quite as lucky, but still pretty lucky. A lot of people without power yesterday and some flooded basements, but nothing life-threatening. 
     I'm glad to hear that most people made it through without any major damage! Still praying for those expecting more flooding today and those still dealing with the cleanup, but most of my prayers are of gratitude at this point. Everyone at church seemed to be pretty disappointed that I didn't end up with a storm baby.


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## pennywaltz (Aug 29, 2011)

*Power Outage*

So Due to lovely Irene, I have been without power for over 24 hours.. I think at least 28 hours, since I woke up with no power... I still have no power.. sadly..

I have turned up my fridge to the coolest setting.. and have opened my fridge twice and quickly closing it. So what's in my fridge is safe and not safe? how does one determine it? 

I am hoping to have power tonight.. but who knows...

I woke up yesterday at 11 AM with no power... just to give a perspective


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## Hoot (Aug 29, 2011)

Well now.....Irene has come and gone. Here at Casa de Hoot, we lost power around 11:00 am Saturday and we got it back around 1:30 this afternoon. Thank the powers that be that we did not suffer significant damage and no one we know was injured. We lost one large limb out of the big ol' pecan tree in front of the house but it fell away from the house. Losing power was a disadvantage only in that we didn't have power to run the well. other than that small difficulty, we fared well. I hope that no one here at DC had any damage or injuries. I reckon we got off lucky especially in light of how bad it might have been.


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## Hoot (Aug 29, 2011)

As a side note, Irene brought between 10-15 inches of rain to the Dismal Swamp fire but unfortunately, it is not out.


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## LPBeier (Aug 29, 2011)

pennywaltz said:


> So Due to lovely Irene, I have been without power for over 24 hours.. I think at least 28 hours, since I woke up with no power... I still have no power.. sadly..
> 
> I have turned up my fridge to the coolest setting.. and have opened my fridge twice and quickly closing it. *So what's in my fridge is safe and not safe? how does one determine it? *
> 
> ...



I don't know what is in your fridge so I can only give you generalities.  Hoever, the main things you have to worry about are meats (specially raw), dairy (milk, cream, especially).  Condiments should be okay.  Produce should be okay as well.  

Do you have a fridge thermometer?  It gives you the save ranges for refrigerating and freezing and if it reads out of those ranges you should be cautious.

Do you have ice packs in a freezer?  If there are still really cold, put them around your frozen items and your meat and dairy in the fridge.

I am sure others will pick up on things I have missed.


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## msmofet (Aug 29, 2011)

Well evrywhere we went was flooded, detoured, closed or a parking lot!! We got as far as Little Falls. So I turned around and we stopped at Joe's Crab Shack on Rt 3/Allwood Rd in Clifton. Thats the first time I have been in that mall since they built it in the past 4 years. I liked the NE chowder but not that happy with the pollock fish (I prefer cod or flounder) and chips. Daughter and I shared a caesar salad which was good. I loved the laid back atmosphere and music. But my girl was very upset when they turned on the disco balls and the music was turned up to almost window shattering volume and the wait staff line danced to "Working at the car wash". I will need to find something for dinner. Maybe salad, meatballs and pasta. The sky was a beautiful blue with wispy pure white clouds and cool. It was a nice drive but had to take the long way home around all the floods. Didn't get any pictures.


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## PattY1 (Aug 29, 2011)

pacanis said:


> Post away, Patty. I'd love to see some pics from folks I know rather than just TV stuff.
> 
> It looks like everyone checking in has been lucky with the power outages not lasting long so far.



Her are some more that were posted on facebook by friends.
View attachment 11949

View attachment 11950

View attachment 11951

View attachment 11952

View attachment 11953


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## vitauta (Aug 30, 2011)

we've not heard from podnelle45 since the day the hurricane touched land at virginia. he is in the richmond area which was a hard hit area.  pod was checking in regularly before then.  i know many areas are still without power in our state. i hope we hear from him soon, and that he and his family are alright.


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## Sprout (Aug 31, 2011)

vitauta said:


> we've not heard from podnelle45 since the day the hurricane touched land at virginia. he is in the richmond area which was a hard hit area.  pod was checking in regularly before then.  i know many areas are still without power in our state. i hope we hear from him soon, and that he and his family are alright.



Prayers sent his way.


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## vitauta (Sep 1, 2011)

more than a week has passed since podonnel45 last posted here at dc.  that's a long time.  i hope we hear from him soon.  irene caused even more damage and destruction than anyone knew when she hit and lit.  people are slow to come out of this one....


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## DaveSoMD (Sep 2, 2011)

The Richmond area was hard hit with power outages... this is from the 31st...

180,000 in central Va. still without power today | Richmond Times-Dispatch


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