This may as well be compared to Batman vs. Superman. Each have their own destructive capabilities, and as we all know, Noreasters are more devastating to this area than hurricanes. That is so long as the hurricane does not land on top of us like Sandy was supposed to do, until she turned at the last minute and pummeled New Jersey. Some say the nor’easter we had after Sandy was worse than the hurricane. A friend of mine that is an avid weather enthusiast, pointed out that we should be looking at the Nor’easter that is about to hammer us instead of worrying about Hurricane Joaquin right now. The national weather outlets are mentioning it, but with little emphasis. I guess lil ole Dela- where(?) getting blasted with a nor’easter isn’t news, unless you look back at the storm of 62. Compared to the possibility of a hurricane ripping up the east coast, the media hype and attention is more valuable. Hurricane Joaquin is now a category 3, he is not getting to or area until Sunday/Monday if at all, the tracks cannot be nailed down just yet, he is still vacationing in the bahamas.
Latest warnings for Sussex county ….
Coastal Flood Warning in effect from October 1, 06:00 AM EDT until October 2, 06:00 AM EDT
Coastal Flood Watch in effect from October 2, 06:00 AM EDT until October 4, 05:00 PM EDT
High Wind Watch in effect from October 2, 06:00 AM EDT until October 3, 06:00 PM EDT
This is a prediction from Mike Cooper and it is spot on with what we are about to see happen here. “One thing I’m not seeing forecasters talk about is what’s happening before Joaquin gets here. What I’ve highlighted in black are isobars; it’s a pressure gradient. Basically, when you see isobars, or a pressure gradient this tight (squiggly lines this close together), you can expect some serious winds. Ask any person down at the beach recently and they know there’s been some winds going on. Long story short, this is only for the next few days, before Joaquin even arrives. It’ll probably blow 25 – 35 without the gust. If the hurricane actually arrives this way, prolly won’t, (who knows if we’ll have a beach by then), I’m gonna be the first one driving to coin beach to see the Faithful Steward in its glory.” In short we have more to worry about presently than just the possibility of a hurricane landing on top of us, but that doesn’t mean you should not be prepared. We are already under flood advisories, and low level areas will see water.
Get your boats pulled, all the companies right now are backing up with calls to have boats pulled. If not put it on the lee side of your pier to protect it from wind and waves. Check your bilge pumps and make sure all batteries are fully charged. The amount of rain we will get will happen fast and fill up a boat quick. Double up lines and check your cleats.
Secure trash cans … Some of my least favorite pictures from Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy and any major storm are trash bags floating around the flood waters in bay communities. I have seen dumpsters floating in flood waters. If it can blow away or float it probably will, so secure your yard items. During one Nor’easter we found a huge cooler full of soda and beer floating by the house when the streets flooded, that was considered a bonus. Get ready now, don’t wait!
Supplies … hit the stores now and get foods that you don’t have to cook in case of a power outage … twinkies, yes … ice cream, no. Cold cuts last a while in coolers with ice. I have a freezer full of frozen water jugs I use for fishing and emergency refrigeration. Make sure the grill is full of gas, or you have a lot of charcoal for cooking. Think of a power outage like camping.
Electricity … we all have phones that we use during power outages. One of my favorite posts on Facebook is people asking why the power went out, years ago you would not be able to get online without power. Keep you car chargers handy,and a full tank of gas in your vehicle. I have a power inverter that hooks to my car battery that can run a refrigerator if necessary. These are reasonably priced at a Lowes or Home Depot and cheaper than a generator. Some are large enough to run an entire house. You can also run a coffee maker which in my case is a must have and coffee makers can heat water for food. If you have ever seen the pictures online of hot dogs cooked in a coffee maker, it works, been there done that. I recommend getting two coffee pots, one for food. you can also purchase an electric kettle or a hot pot, those things we used in college to heat water for Oodles of Noodles. I have a couple spare car batteries that I can hook up to as well for mobile power.
WATER … probably the most important item to have stored for a power outage. Fill your bath tub, jugs, or whatever you have, especially if you have well water. No power, the well will not work. If you are on city or town water this is usually not an issue. Water is very important in any emergency situation. One can only survive on Peanut Butter and Beer for so long.
LIGHT … We all prefer to not sit in the dark. Candles are good but use them carefully. Those solar yard spikes that cost a dollar at Dollar General are awesome. I use them for fishing at night, but they work well indoors just set them in a glass or take the spike off and set them on tables. Again keeping your phone car charger handy will help in this case since you will be glued to your phone. By the way you can read books and play board games by candle light. I recommend Monopoly or Scrabble, and there are always card games. God forbid you should talk to each other and bond.
Granted many of these are a given, and worse case scenario, but it is better to be prepared and not need, than to be unprepared and in need. Our first responders and linemen will not be taking the day off due to power outages and storm emergencies. It is best to stay home and out of the way than be in the way and become a statistic. Please be safe and smart and have some fun with this. Like I said, think of a power outage like camping. Preparing for the Nor’easter will leave you prepared for Hurricane Joaquin. It is a win win.
We will keep you updated as much as possible on the website and the Facebook page.
Fish On!
Rich King
- Coastal Flood Warning in effect from October 1, 06:00 AM EDT until October 2, 06:00 AM EDT
- Coastal Flood Watch in effect from October 2, 06:00 AM EDT until October 4, 05:00 PM EDT
- High Wind Watch in effect from October 2, 06:00 AM EDT until October 3, 06:00 PM EDT