Hurricane Florence 2018

[John Bobinyec]

It's time to open up a thread on this one. It's heading right for me - several days away, of course.

That implies that plans are being set for possibly shutting down the trains through the Carolinas - but we'll see.

jb

 

[Anderson]

I've got my eyes on this one...my area is on the right side of the storm, so I'm naturally a bit nervous (especially since we just got socked with rain). Presently eyeballing tickets so I can be Somewhere Else for the festivities.

 

[JRR]

Bummer! We are booked on the Meteor from DFB to WIL on Thurs.

 

[Anderson]

There's no official notice up just yet, but a look for RVR-NYP on Thursday shows the Meteor and Star "sold out" while the Carolinian and Palmetto are cancelled. My guess is that everything south of RVR is going to be shut down on Thursday (outside of Florida, where Amtrak may run one of the trains to handle "local" traffic south of either JAX or SAV).

 

[Seaboard92]

The Carolinian looks to be running CLT-RGH. The palmetto however is marked sold out for the corridor however I feel it might run WAS-NYP

 

[jis]

Right front quadrant is where the bands are most vicious. We got a volley of tornadoes in our area from Irma when the eye was over 200 miles away! And what should be alarming is that while we were within the five day cone for a long time, we were never within the three day cone. The closest the eyewall came to us while in the process of collapsing was forty five miles or so, and by then it was a Cat 1.

This one is going to be just as big and more powerful at mainland landfall. And what is worse is then it will stall and sit there.

If the current forecast track and timing holds I don’t think anything will be running in Raleigh on Friday. I also don’t think service in the south will go north of JAX.

Just saw the 00Z Sept 10th ensembles. Things appear to have shifted north making it more of a North Carolina - Virginia thing, if the models keep trending this way. But they do have this swinging back and forth effect, so nothing is cast in stone.

12Z has shifted things a bit south again. This is the first forecast where the three day cone touches the continental US.

 

[John Bobinyec]

The Carolinian looks to be running CLT-RGH. The palmetto however is marked sold out for the corridor however I feel it might run WAS-NYP

On Monday through Thursday of this week, the Carolinian is running only between Raleigh and Charlotte due to track work to tie in the second platform track to the main line at the east end of Raleigh Union Station.

jb

 

[JRR]

We have pretty much accepted that our Meteor trip from DFB to WIL will be cancelled. The big unknown is when will it resume? Time will tell. We may have to resort to flying.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

JRR,

Can you leave soon (to escape when the Carolinas and Virginia will be hit) and fly to PA to your relatives and stay with them til the Gathering?

The forecast for the storm right now looks like New Jersey (except for the coast) and Pennsylvania may escape with just rain.

 

[JRR]

We are considering it. We are going up for my wife’s reunion this weekend and then visiting her family and my daughter til the Gathering

 

[JRR]

Just got the call from AMTRAK, “Train 0098 on Thursday, September 13 has been cancelled. Unfortunately, we have no other transportation available. Thank you for being a valued AMTRAK customer.”

 

[JRR]

Update: We are going tomorrow! They modified the reservation. They say I got the last roomette! Guess my wife’s sister will have to put up with us a couple more days!

 

[cpotisch]

Just got the call from AMTRAK, “Train 0098 on Thursday, September 13 has been cancelled. Unfortunately, we have no other transportation available. Thank you for being a valued AMTRAK customer.”

Sorry to hear that, Jim!

EDIT:

Update: We are going tomorrow! They modified the reservation. They say I got the last roomette! Guess my wife’s sister will have to put up with us a couple more days!

Oh. Well, congrats!

 

[JRR]

Just got the call from AMTRAK, “Train 0098 on Thursday, September 13 has been cancelled. Unfortunately, we have no other transportation available. Thank you for being a valued AMTRAK customer.”

Sorry to hear that, Jim!
EDIT:

Update: We are going tomorrow! They modified the reservation. They say I got the last roomette! Guess my wife’s sister will have to put up with us a couple more days!

Congrats! And they didn't charge you extra for what I imagine was on paper a more expensive ticket?

Correct! It was a “modification”!

 

[chrsjrcj]

Here is the latest forecast. Florence's windfield is expected to be quite large, so impacts will be felt hundreds of miles away. Also note the near stall after landfall. As strong as the winds will be, it could be a pretty significant rainmaker as well. Should the current forecast verify, I wouldn't expect Amtrak service resuming anytime soon.

 

[chrsjrcj]

And the service advisory is now out.

Sept. 10, 2018

4 p.m. ET

Due to predicted severe weather from Hurricane Florence, Amtrak is modifying service beginning Wednesday, Sept. 12, through Sunday, Sept. 16. For the safety of our customers and employees, the following trains will be adjusted:

Trains cancelled Wednesday, Sept. 12 – Sunday, Sept. 16:

· Auto Train (Lorton, Va. – Sanford, Fla.) trains 52 – 53

· Silver Meteor (New York City – Miami) trains 97 – 98

Trains cancelled Thursday, Sept. 13 – Sunday, Sept. 16

· Carolinian (New York City -- Charlotte, N.C.) trains 79 – 80

· Piedmont (Raleigh, N.C. – Charlotte, N.C.) trains 73 – 78

The following trains will operate on a modified schedule:

· Silver Star (New York City – Miami) trains 91 – 92 will operate between Jacksonville, Fla., and Miami only beginning Wednesday, Sept. 12 - Sunday, Sept. 16

· Cardinal (Chicago – New York City) trains 50 – 51 will operate between Indianapolis and Chicago only between Wednesday, Sept. 12 - Monday, Sept.17

· Palmetto (New York City – Savannah, Ga.) trains 89 – 90 will operate from Washington, D.C., to New York City from Wednesday, Sept. 12 – Tuesday, Sept. 18.

· Northeast Regional service will not operate south of Washington, D.C. The following trains will operate between Washington D.C. and points north beginning Wednesday, Sept. 12 – Sunday, Sept. 16: trains 171, 83, 85, 164, 82, 88, 194, 156, 66, 65, 195, 156, 66, 65, 195, 157, 145, 99, 84, 176, 94, 66, 67, 95, 125, 171, 93, 85, 86, 174, 84, and 87

· Additionally, Northeast Regional trains 86, 174, 84, 176, 94, 66, 67 and 171 will operate between Washington, D.C. and points North on Monday, Sept. 17 – Tuesday, Sept. 18

 

[cpotisch]

And the service advisory is now out.

Sept. 10, 2018

4 p.m. ET

Due to predicted severe weather from Hurricane Florence, Amtrak is modifying service beginning Wednesday, Sept. 12, through Sunday, Sept. 16. For the safety of our customers and employees, the following trains will be adjusted:

Trains cancelled Wednesday, Sept. 12 – Sunday, Sept. 16:

· Auto Train (Lorton, Va. – Sanford, Fla.) trains 52 – 53

· Silver Meteor (New York City – Miami) trains 97 – 98

Trains cancelled Thursday, Sept. 13 – Sunday, Sept. 16

· Carolinian (New York City -- Charlotte, N.C.) trains 79 – 80

· Piedmont (Raleigh, N.C. – Charlotte, N.C.) trains 73 – 78

The following trains will operate on a modified schedule:

· Silver Star (New York City – Miami) trains 91 – 92 will operate between Jacksonville, Fla., and Miami only beginning Wednesday, Sept. 12 - Sunday, Sept. 16

· Cardinal (Chicago – New York City) trains 50 – 51 will operate between Indianapolis and Chicago only between Wednesday, Sept. 12 - Monday, Sept.17

· Palmetto (New York City – Savannah, Ga.) trains 89 – 90 will operate from Washington, D.C., to New York City from Wednesday, Sept. 12 – Tuesday, Sept. 18.

· Northeast Regional service will not operate south of Washington, D.C. The following trains will operate between Washington D.C. and points north beginning Wednesday, Sept. 12 – Sunday, Sept. 16: trains 171, 83, 85, 164, 82, 88, 194, 156, 66, 65, 195, 156, 66, 65, 195, 157, 145, 99, 84, 176, 94, 66, 67, 95, 125, 171, 93, 85, 86, 174, 84, and 87

· Additionally, Northeast Regional trains 86, 174, 84, 176, 94, 66, 67 and 171 will operate between Washington, D.C. and points North on Monday, Sept. 17 – Tuesday, Sept. 18

Yikes. That is a bloodbath.

 

[jis]

Having seen the forecast in detail and being thoroughly alarmed by it, I am not one bit surprised.

 

[merkelman06]

The Crescent is cancelled as well according to the website if you try to book a ticket, yet it is not listed as cancelled in the service alert.

 

[Bob Dylan]

All you folks in the East coast and Northeast get ready for the Worst and "Hunker Down" till its over!

Hopefully it won't be as bad as Sandy, and that everyone will be Safe and Dry!

 

[cpotisch]

All you folks in the East coast and Northeast get ready for the Worst and "Hunker Down" till its over!

Hopefully it won't be as bad as Sandy, and that everyone will be Safe and Dry!

Yeah, fingers crossed. I'm hoping for New York to get hit just enough for school to be closed, but not enough that any real damage will be done.

 

[Pastor_Mac]

Just saw UNC Wilmington students are ordered off campus no later than noon 9/11. The entire campus is shutting down and affected students have been told to go to UNC ASHEVILLE for housing. ASHEVILLE--opposite side of the state!! If this storm stalls at the coast or just inland then what happened in east TX last year was a dress rehearsal, based on projected rainfall totals. Flooding potential exists even into the Shenandoah Valley. I'm really trying to wrap my head around what kind of calamity we're about to be witnesses to. It's not just the coast but basically to the Appalachians this could be utterly devastating. And any doofus who says they will ride it out had better have their SSN written in permanent marker on them so officials can identify your body if they find it when they get back to look at the destruction.

 

[GaSteve]

Service alert posted 4 pm 9/10/18: https://www.amtrak.com/alert/service-modified-in-advance-of-hurricane-florence.html

 

[Bob Dylan]

What Climate Change?

Better to be Safe than Sorry!

 

[City of Miami]

The service alert reads like regular refund policies will apply to reservations on trains canceled because of Florence. Pretty darned harsh iyam.