almost every new storm gets the 'greatest danger' hype

[JSngry]

OTOH, if a distinction is made between "scenario" and "outcome", then..maybe.

[Face of the Bass]

I was watching the footage last night and thinking this was pretty much the worst case scenario with all the power of the storm pushing water right along the New Jersey shore and into Manhattan.

No, it wasn't.

As long as there are not people trapped inside houses or on rooftops or inside a sporting facility for days on end, or terminally ill patients in hospitals being euthanized because help is not on the way, or whole cities being leveled as if they were never there, or atomic power plants melting down, or death tolls not in five, four, or even "just" in the high three figures (right now, it's at 30 in the US and 67 in the Caribbean), this was not the worst case scenario, not by a long shot.

Don't misunderstand me, this was one nasty, scary, bigass storm that has done and will continue to do a lot of damage, but from all accounts I'm hearing, we're looking at a type of damage that is, on the grand scale of possible outcomes, looking to be more a matter of massive inconvenience and an economic blunt trauma that A Great Human Tragedy.

I do not minimize that, that's some real shit, it's definitely bad, but "worst possible outcome" of a Massive Weather Event Meets Massive Population scenario? Not really.

You misunderstand what I mean. Obviously storms can and do kill many more people and cause much wider damage. What I meant was that this storm hit the most heavily populated region in the country right at high tide and in a way that sent massive amounts of water rushing into downtown Manhattan. Based on the size and scope of the storm on Sunday, if you had wanted to envision a "worst-case scenario" for Hurricane Sandy, that would have been about it. If you had stipulated in advance the strength of the winds, the size of the storm, and the amount of rain, you couldn't have found a worse scenario than the one that played out. Obviously if we are talking about a poorer country or a less prepared citizenry, it would have been much, much worse. I'm simply referring to the way in which this storm made landfall and where it sent the most water.

[alocispepraluger102]

daily mail coverage

[Christiern]

Amazing how some people still don't het it. This was not just another "nasty, scary, bigass storm."

[Tom 1960]

I'm going to make a donation to the Red Cross. It's the least I can do.

[JSngry]

This snow thing is really weird.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/31/us/sandy-west-virginia/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Nice to see that Erin Burnett see the bright side of it in potential economic relief from ski resorts maybe opening.

She's cute.

Bless her heart.

[Dave James]

I think a number of people who commented early on on this thread are likely to find a lump of coal in their Christmas stocking.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/hurricane-sandy-strikes-east-coast-gallery-1.1194577

50 people dead (so far). Nowhere near Katrina numbers but still pretty bad.

[JSngry]

Heard something on some news report last night that intrigued,,,something about how the flooded New Jersey shoreline now closer resembles in shape what it did back in colonial days. That interested me because a friend of mine in St. Louis told me back during the last time the Mississippi flooded their city so badly that some "corrections" to the river's course had been made over the last 150 years or so, and that every time the river floods like it did, it always ends up putting the water back where it was before the corrections.

No idea how much credence to give any of that, but it sure ought to give one pause to think that we can only push Earth around so much before Earth pushes back.

[RDK]

There was also the news report about how the 28 million rats might have been displaced from their subterranean NYC subway tunnel homes...

[JSngry]

And where does the carrion of 28 million drowned rats go?

[RDK]

And where does the carrion of 28 million drowned rats go?

I think you misunderstand, Jim. The news report suggested that the rats don't drown... but come out of their "hiding places."

[JSngry]

That's even worse.

[Larry Kart]

I'm told that the displaced rats hitch rides to the Dallas-Ft.Worth area.

[JSngry]

Are they bringing their instruments and recipes with them?

[clifford_thornton]

I'll be the first to admit I underestimated what Sandy would bring. It seems like it was far, far worse than Irene. It's a mess here, even though technically my neighborhood got off scot-free.

[JSngry]

I'm in touch with co-workers in Wilmington, and they are preferring Sandy to Irene. One guy said that last year he had a lake in his basement but this year it was just a pond. OTOH, further up the coast definitely seems to have gotten it significantly worse with Sandy that with Irene. And all that snow...that is just...out there.

It's all bad, really, and there will be probably be more to come. We'll need to keep that in mind as more "storms of the century" come along, plenty of meteorological/scientific predictions out there that this is the "new normal", and I'm not seeing any real reasons to be skeptical.

You can't break or totally tame Earth. You can try, but sooner or later...

[RDK]

Yep, Storm of the Century may be more like Storm of the Decade... if not worse.

[jeffcrom]

It's all bad, really, and there will be probably be more to come. We'll need to keep that in mind as more "storms of the century" come along, plenty of meteorological/scientific predictions out there that this is the "new normal", and I'm not seeing any real reasons to be skeptical.

Here's almost the only article I've ever read in The Onion that's not even trying to be funny:

Nation Suddenly Realizes This Just Going To Be A Thing That Happens From Now On

[JSngry]

We're still not getting giant killer tidal waves in North America, but you gotta figure that's coming at some point. No reason that I know of why it can't happen if conditions align.

[BERIGAN]

I'm afraid things are going to get worse before they get better...that water is nasty, just like it was with Katrina In N.O. I saw tests they ran on ABC and there is of course sewage in the water...and add the displaced rats, running low on gas everywhere-A friend of mine's fiance was sent up to help set up/fix back up generators, I think mainly for Home Depots in DC, but then got sent to N.J. He and his crew were starving(and this is a skinny dude that has a take it or leave it attitude towards food normally) and having to wait for hours to get fuel themselves before they could help others.

Except for a few cases of looting, people have been great so far, but people are cold, hungry, can't shower, and will be on their last nerve very soon.

I don't know enough about this right now, I would still say give to the Red Cross, but the Staen Island Borough President is saying DON'T give to the Red Cross!

http://politicker.com/2012/11/staten-island-borough-president-dont-give-money-to-the-red-cross/

Just saw this on Drudge, Fuck!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/video/#!/on-air/as-seen-on/Sandy-Starved-New-Yorkers-Dumpster-Dive/176839571

Edited November 1, 2012 by BERIGAN

[JSngry]

It's all bad, really, and there will be probably be more to come. We'll need to keep that in mind as more "storms of the century" come along, plenty of meteorological/scientific predictions out there that this is the "new normal", and I'm not seeing any real reasons to be skeptical.

Here's almost the only article I've ever read in The Onion that's not even trying to be funny:

Nation Suddenly Realizes This Just Going To Be A Thing That Happens From Now On

And I nearly went to buy a gun to shoot up my monitor when I read this totally serious Yahoo/AP story last night: http://news.yahoo.com/another-superstorm-casualty-trick-treating-213909764.html

Here's just the lead-in:

Another Superstorm casualty: Trick-or-treating

By JOCELYN NOVECK | Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Seventh-grader Samantha Bertolino was especially proud of her Halloween costume this year. She was going to be a vampire, and she really had it together this time: The black dress, the spider-web earrings, fake blood, white face paint, and some cool, sparkly clip-on nails.

But the costume will stay in the closet for a while: Samantha's town of Ridgefield, Conn., has postponed Halloween due to the ravages of Superstorm Sandy. The town is planning to reschedule, pending the success of cleanup efforts.

But it won't be the same, Samantha says: "It's kind of like trying to reschedule Christmas. You can't really do that."

From the wrath of nature to the wrath of young children: From Maryland to Kentucky to Maine, Halloween festivities were being canceled or postponed. And a debate emerged: Should we be celebrating, anyway, in the face of the devastation? Or is celebrating just the right thing to do for antsy kids who've been cooped up at home (and out of school) for days?

[mjzee]

Halloween was postponed last year in Connecticut, too. I think that storm was an early snowfall, and lots of it.

[ejp626]

Here's almost the only article I've ever read in The Onion that's not even trying to be funny:

Nation Suddenly Realizes This Just Going To Be A Thing That Happens From Now On

Yeah, the last paragraph is a real kick in the gut. But seriously, how many people have actually reduced their driving due to "global warming"? I have tried to organize my life to minimize car use (don't even own one at the moment) and I even work for a transit agency. I can't think of that many people willing to follow my lead, esp. just for environmental reasons.

But shee-et, I sure miss the convenience and with two growing children, I'll probably get a car next year. And I did rent a car to road trip down to Seattle, and I'll probably do a road trip this summer as well. To say nothing of the plane travel I do from time to time (related to work or not).

Not much point in pointing fingers, since we essentially all are part of the problem (unless you really are a hermit and a locovore, etc.).

[alocispepraluger102]

OK -Smalls will be OPEN tomorrow night. We will operate on battery powered lamps and candles. Power will be restored at 11pm Saturday but we will have our weekend.

Thanks to everyone for the support! Special shout to Seton Hawkins, Greg Scholl and Wynton Marsalis for the generous use of their office. Also to Mike Malachi Basden for that inspiration!