Isabel is was here.
The Federal government made an early decision to close last night after the Metro said they'd be stopping all subway and bus service today at 11 am. Subway cars can sustain an 80 mph (128 kph) wind gust but officials were afraid people could be blown into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
The talk around the office water cooler yesterday was about what seems to be our annual Fall Emergency Festival. Two years ago it was 9/11 and anthrax. Last year it was the sniper and now wind and rain from the heavens. This, of course, is nature and not an act of deranged men. Moses where are you?
We live at the edge of a forest and over 70 trees surround our house. We are more worried about the expected high winds than the 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) of rain. During less severe storms we've seen branches break and fall to the ground as powerful javelins; forcefully imbedding themselves into the front yard 12 inches deep. Most of our trees are tulip poplars, with deep root systems. We think they should be able to hold tight but one can never be sure. Our neighbors across the street are leaving. They have a white oak that could fall.
It's 2 pm and the winds are starting to pick up. Everyone around here is wondering what to do with their cars. For the first time ever we are using our garage as a garage, safely protecting mine while we sacrifice my wife's as an offering to the hurricane should we need to get away fast.
We are also preparing for a loss of electricity. Even though we live in a populated area our connection to the grid is often tenuous. It's hard to see your next-door neighbor and the good folks across the street with lights while you sit in the dark/cold/heat (depending on whether it's a blizzard or a tropical storm). But that has been our history. Pepco, our electric utility company is under fire for a multiday blackout that occurred a few weeks ago after a violent rain storm. They claim they are prepared. We are not confident.
Luckily, our terrorist preparedness tactics are serving us well. We have gallons of bottled water and lots of flashlights with an ample supply of batteries. Why, we even have rolls of duct tape in case we need to shore up broken window.
The brunt of the storm is expected to hit the DC area in the early (and dark) hours of the morning. Some of our neighbors are setting up homesteads in their basements. We are about to fill our inflatable Aero bed soon (requires electricity) and have the girls sleep with us tonight.
If my Net connection remains in the "on" state, I will provide updates. Life was never this complicated when I lived in Los Angeles.
