Hurricane Irene, Hurricane Parties, and Evacuation

This whole week, Hurricane Irene hasn't been too capricious...until last night.  Sometime during the night, she took a little Westward Shift, which puts the Outer Banks back in the realm of landfall.  And we're going to get more than a stiff breeze, if she doesn't straighten up.

We are still Just Below the Pink Zone, which is the Hurricane Watch area.

The 11:00 AM update from the National Hurricane Center  has nudged the track even more Westward, and keeps it there because of a ridge building out in the Atlantic.  Which means a lot more of the East Coast is going to get torn up, all the way up into New York City, Cape Cod, New Hampshire and Vermont.  New York City is contemplating evacuation of low lying areas - you can read about the plans HERE.

Yesterday, the Town of Ocean Isle Beach hadn't pushed the panic button yet and called for evacuation. Which is a Good Thing.  No one wants to evacuate unless it is absolutely necessary...

 

Here is the website for Ocean Isle Beach visitors, and what they had to say yesterday afternoon:

Browse > Home / Around The Town / Hurricane Irene Expected To Track East Ocean Isle Beach!

Hurricane Irene Expected To Track East Ocean Isle Beach!

August 24, 2011 by gary  
Filed under Around The Town

There are no mandatory or voluntary evacuations declared at this time.
At 11:00 AM, Hurricane Irene was located at 22.4 degrees North and 73.9 degrees West, or approximately 900 miles south of Brunswick County.
Hurricane Irene is now a Category 3 hurricane and is expected to track to the east of our area.  It is expected that we could feel tropical storm force winds of 30-35 knots beginning around 10:00 PM on Friday night and continuing into midday on Saturday.
High surf and rip currents are also anticipated with rainfall varying from one to two inches.
There are no mandatory or voluntary evacuations declared at this time but with any storm of this category, we urge property owners and guest to continue monitoring the storm as is approaches our area.
This site will be periodically updated as new information is available.

_____________________________________________

That was the update from Gary, at Ocean Isle Beach website before the Westward Shift. 

Here is a link to the Town of Ocean Isle Beach - that is the site to watch if you are a property owner or renter looking for information online.

Now here is the amazing news...

A local restaurant here on the island is actually planning a Hurricane Party on Friday night, just as the storm approaches our coast - complete with live music by Bailout. You KNOW that Hurricane Drinks will be de rigueur.  Which means a lot of tipsy folks could be trying to Batten the Hatches at 3:00 in the morning if Hurricane Irene DOES decide to get capricious and take a  Westward Waggle.  Everyone will truly be trying to Bail Out, and it will be too late.

Now that is what I call thumbing your nose at Hurricane Irene, and potentially asking for trouble. 

I will keep you posted!!

Hurricane Irene Update

Thank You, Thank You.  Thank you very, very much.

Do you see that tiny gray line between South Carolina and North Carolina?  That is us.  And that is where landfall is not going to be.  Yaaay for this!  That means we are on the Backside of the storm, and winds will be breezy, but not horrific.

So I can sleep tonight, with a full pantry of groceries for Jim Cantore, in case he decides to stop by, and Holy Moly, more wine than I can drink in a month.  How lovely is THAT?

However.  Hurricane Irene could still make landfall on the Outer Banks.  So please join hands with me and send a prayer up to the Big Guy that the steering currents take Irene on out to sea...where she belongs.

We don't want to see This Again:

Images from Steve Quayle News Alerts.

Thank you from the bottom, sides, and top of my heart for your visits and emails...it is always so very lovely and strengthening to know that we have a safety net of friends out there, no matter where on the globe they are.  We will sleep tonight.

Hurricane Irene Gets Our Attention

In the past six years or so, those of us with Beach Cottages located on the Southeastern Coast of North Carolina have gotten a little complacent.  We haven't been hit by a hurricane in years.  Hurricane Irene, however, has gotten our attention.

 

When you live on the Southeastern Coast, in August and September every year you develop a heightened awareness of  pools of disturbed weather that swarm off the West Coast of Africa and head West.

Sometimes they solidify into Tropical Storms and cross over the Windward Islands, the Dominican Republic and maybe Cuba - with The Weather Channel in hard, constant pursuit - reporting every waggle in full color.

Jim Cantore and all the team at The Weather Channel become a part of your family and set up camp in your living room.

NOAA's National Hurricane Center is bookmarked on your toolbar.  Hours, sometimes days, are spent in front of the TV trying to determine whether you are in the Cone of Certainty.

Erika Santelices/AFP/Getty Images

 For a number of years now, somewhere around Day 3 the storm takes a hard right and loops back out into the Atlantic.  This time, it doesn't look like that is going to happen:

As of right now, we are Dead Center in the Cone of Certainty.

Now Hurricane Irene Has Our Attention.

And we just Renovated the Beach Cottage.

I'm going to check on Jim and the team...I don't think they've had breakfast yet.  And I have to stock in groceries and beer...and lots of wine.  There's a check list around here somewhere...