Hurricane Sandy and Amtrak.

[AmtrakBlue]

Parts of Delaware have been inundated with rain already. Luckily, for me, it's the middle/southern part. We've had off and on rain today and it seems to be steady, but light, right now. It's been breezy for a couple of days already. Might be time to seal up the cat's windoor and move the folding table they use (on the deck) when using the windoor indoors now. They will not be happy cats for the next 36 hours or so.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Wonder what essential services employees do about getting to work, hospitals, etc.

I believe they are asked to report to work before the storm hits, and stay on-site throughout.

Our local power company has cancelled all employees vacations for this week, and everyone is expected to show up for work.

I have gotten email from our local power company, cable company, and elected officals, notifiying us that a major storm is heading this way.

I am charging all my devices, and have the ice maker chugging away,

Our schools have not announced they will close yet (I am sure they eventually will), but they have announced that they are stocking food and water; enough for a week. They also serve as emergency shelters.

 

[user 683]

Just wanted to add that CSX seems to be winding operations down - at least in my area. I live near CSX line by BWI and usually hear trains as they pass through the area. Its been very quiet today with just an occassional train! Surprisingly - no rain yet....wind is picking up.

Realizing travel plans for many have been already been disrupted...I hope folks are able to make the best of circumstances.

Cheers!

 

[CHamilton]

Associated Press story on Amtrak cancellations is making the rounds, even here in the Northwest.

Amtrak cancels northeast service ahead of storm

by Associated Press

Posted on October 28, 2012 at 12:30 PM

WILMINGTON, Del. -- Amtrak says it is canceling service across the northeastern U.S. on Monday as Hurricane Sandy threatens to create a wet, windy mess in the region.

Amtrak said in a news release Sunday that it was canceling all service north of New York at 7 p.m. Nearly all service across the Eastern Seaboard will be canceled starting Monday.

 

[afigg]

Realizing travel plans for many have been already been disrupted...I hope folks are able to make the best of circumstances.

Cheers!

I think I am making the best of circumstances! I'm writing this sitting in the Dome car on the back of the #50 Cardinal on the Buckingham Branch in VA. Booked a round trip from DC to Charlottesville on the Cardinal weeks ago. Getting it in just ahead of the storm. Took #51 WAS-CVS earlier today; lot of people got on at WAS and a respectable turnover at CVS. #50 was over a hour late into CVS. Pulled in with the Dome car on it! I had not thought to check the schedule; just pure dumb luck.

The Dome car is open, but there are only a handful of people in it. The rest of the people in the Amfleet IIs have no idea what is on the back of the train. So I'm sitting in the Dome car watching the Virginia countryside pass by under grey threatening skies in the late afternoon, the leaves past peak and falling off, but the autumn colors remain.

Made my weekend. Now to get home and finish prep for the storm.

 

[jis]

It is very likely that very little will be moving on the NEC morning of Tuesday. Things might start getting better late in the day.

Given that the forecast has the center of the storm over SE PA at 8 AM Tuesday and slowly moving to the NW and North through Wednesday, we may see the NEC entirely shut down through Wednesday, except perhaps for some limited traffic on the Boston end.

I tend to agree. Also it will depend on how much the infrastructure is damaged. For example if there are washouts again at Trenton, that will need to be repaired before full service can be restored. There are several other places on the NEC that are prone to washouts in heavy flood situations.

Trenton is right in the middle of the 5" - 10" rain potential area.

 

[CHamilton]

Nice, afigg! Your timing is good, since there's now a blizzard warning for West Virginia starting at noon on Monday. I wouldn't be surprised if it affects the Cardinal.

 

[jis]

Some of the worst case scenario models have a 40 foot wall of water driving into the Sound as well as up the East and Hudson Rivers. While that is an extreme scenario, that should be enough to encourage anyone in the City or Long Island to get out and head inland.

I think some people are smoking something potent too Why stop at 40'. Why not 60'. Would be way more impressive.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Some of the worst case scenario models have a 40 foot wall of water driving into the Sound as well as up the East and Hudson Rivers. While that is an extreme scenario, that should be enough to encourage anyone in the City or Long Island to get out and head inland.

I think some people are smoking something potent too Why stop at 40'. Why not 60'. Would be way more impressive.

I guess you haven't listened to your Governor.

 

[June the Coach Rider]

Are you guys seeing that local businesses and schools are announcing they will be closed while all this is going on? Wonder what essential services employees do about getting to work, hospitals, etc.

They have closed the public schools in my town for tomorrow. And we are not even that close to the storm. (Rhode Island) I know we will be affected but we aren't looking at the same kind of danger as folks farther south.

Just because the center of the storm is not coming directly to Rhode Island, you are going to get hammered with hurricane force winds and storm surge. Please don't take this storm lightly.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

From this ( http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49589870 ) article entitled "Sandy and storm surge pose 'worst case scenario'":

National Hurricane Center Director Rick Knabb said Hurricane Sandy's size means some coastal parts of New York and New Jersey may see water rise from 6 to 11 feet from surge and waves. The rest of the coast north of Virginia can expect 4 to 8 feet of surge.

The full moon Monday will add 2 to 3 inches to the storm surge in New York, Masters said.

 

[afigg]

Some of the worst case scenario models have a 40 foot wall of water driving into the Sound as well as up the East and Hudson Rivers. While that is an extreme scenario, that should be enough to encourage anyone in the City or Long Island to get out and head inland.

I think some people are smoking something potent too Why stop at 40'. Why not 60'. Would be way more impressive.

Something to consider about worse case scenarios. They can happen. Not often - which is why they are the low probility worse case - but they can occur. See the Japanese tsunami. Which exceeded the worse case scenario that was in the specs when the nuclear power plant was built.

 

[SubwayNut]

From the MTA and Metro-North (again) regarding Amtrak service (since they control the tracks and dispatching):

The last Amtrak trains to operate on the New Haven Line will be 7:05 PM Acela out of Penn Station, N.Y. and the 7:18 PM southbound out of New Haven.

NJT isn't operating last trips except on the Atlantic City until Midnight to 2am unlike the MTA and their supposed to get more of the direct hit. SEPTA is being closed at the 'end of service' this evening as well.

Just got off the subway and home for the storm, signs are up, saw trains being moved to be stored underground, it's definitely going to start being shut down starting in an hour. Was walking across Central Park earlier and got kicked out at 4:30, they originally said the park would close at 5pm but decided to close an hour early, barriers are over all the entrances.

Both Metro-North and the LIRR have posts that the main reason their suspending service so early is to remove all of the crossing gates, the LIRR even busituted service out to Montaulk to get a head start on their 295 grade crossings with a total of 690 crossing gates themselves. I am staying in Manhattan but not at all worried, I live at the tallest natural point in Manhattan.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

The Feds have given non-essential personel in the DC area the day off on Monday, as offices will be closed. Only 'emergency' personel are required to work.

Schools and universities are closed throughout the region.

The winds have ebbed for the moment and there is an eerie calm as darkness closes in around us here in Northern VA. Halloween is coming early this year.

EDIT 6:30: It just started raining here. I checked my local weather. They have increased out top wind gusts to 65mph, and this is now for an extended period of time. This is going to be one wild ride. Is it next weekend yet?

 

[jis]

Some of the worst case scenario models have a 40 foot wall of water driving into the Sound as well as up the East and Hudson Rivers. While that is an extreme scenario, that should be enough to encourage anyone in the City or Long Island to get out and head inland.

I think some people are smoking something potent too Why stop at 40'. Why not 60'. Would be way more impressive.

I guess you haven't listened to your Governor.

Which state's Governor are your efering to? New Jersey? New York? Pennsylvania or Connecticut? What did he say? Of course Governor's are not immune from smoking something either. But I have not heard a credible forecaster say anything about 40'.

The storm surge around New York is projected to be 6' to 11'. Up the Hudson River possibly a little lower. But it will wipe out MNRR (and Amtrak) near Spuyten Duyvil and Croton for sure.

 

[jis]

NJTransit "last trains" are recorded in this announcement:

http://www.njtransit.com/sa/sa_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=CustomerNoticeTo&NoticeId=2299

 

[Phil S]

To predicted storm surge you need to add wind waves. Probably only a couple of feet in harbor areas, but a couple of feet is a lot of water. And the wind waves will be much higher along open areas like NJ coast and south shore of Long Island.

 

[Ryan]

WMATA has just announced a full system shutdown tomorrow. Buses, trains, everything. Last time that happened was Isabelle in 2003.

 

[gatelouse]

Try booking anything along the NEC for Tuesday. Everything is blocked as Sold Out. LDTs south of WAS are also blocked out, save 19. 79 only open for bookings RGH-CLT. Looks like Tuesday's situation may mirror Monday's.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Some of the worst case scenario models have a 40 foot wall of water driving into the Sound as well as up the East and Hudson Rivers. While that is an extreme scenario, that should be enough to encourage anyone in the City or Long Island to get out and head inland.

I think some people are smoking something potent too Why stop at 40'. Why not 60'. Would be way more impressive.

I guess you haven't listened to your Governor.

Which state's Governor are your efering to? New Jersey? New York? Pennsylvania or Connecticut? What did he say? Of course Governor's are not immune from smoking something either. But I have not heard a credible forecaster say anything about 40'.

The storm surge around New York is projected to be 6' to 11'. Up the Hudson River possibly a little lower. But it will wipe out MNRR (and Amtrak) near Spuyten Duyvil and Croton for sure.

I believe based on your profile Mr. Christie is your Governor and he gave a ravenous presser this afternoon in his classic style that makes him so popular. The worst case scenarios come from some friends who work at the National Weather Service which is just a few blocks from my house. While they are extreme worst case scenarios, they obviously do not want the media picking up on them either. But if making them public will get people to rethink and get out of harm's potential way, they should go public.

 

[Phil S]

To predicted storm surge you need to add wind waves. Probably only a couple of feet in harbor areas, but a couple of feet is a lot of water. And the wind waves will be much higher along open areas like NJ coast and south shore of Long Island.

I just looked carefully at the latest NWS warnings and it's a lot worse than I realized:

breaking waves are expected to

build to 15 to 20 ft along ocean facing shorelines by late

Monday into Monday night. The destructive waves on top of the

storm surge will cause significant damage to coastal

infrastructure nearest to sea level. At the same time... 5 to 10

ft waves are possible along exposed eastern and northeastern

facing portions of Long Island Sound... Peconic Bay... and New

York Harbor.

So, it won't be 40 ft and it won't be a wall of water but it's going to be bad.

Stay safe, folks.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

The worst case scenarios come from some friends who work at the National Weather Service which is just a few blocks from my house.

You live in Silver Spring, MD!?! Where? Until a few years ago I lived a few blocks from NOAA's (NWS is under NOAA) headquarters in Silver Spring, so I know the area quite well.

 

[jis]

Redacted

 

[Ryan]

The worst case scenarios come from some friends who work at the National Weather Service which is just a few blocks from my house.

You live in Silver Spring, MD!?! Where? Until a few years ago I lived a few blocks from NOAA's (NWS is under NOAA) headquarters in Silver Spring, so I know the area quite well.

His location says Norman, OK, which is the home of NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.

 

[PRR 60]

I believe based on your profile Mr. Christie is your Governor and he gave a ravenous presser this afternoon in his classic style that makes him so popular. The worst case scenarios come from some friends who work at the National Weather Service which is just a few blocks from my house. While they are extreme worst case scenarios, they obviously do not want the media picking up on them either. But if making them public will get people to rethink and get out of harm's potential way, they should go public.

Ah the Christie generated nonsense. we are all quite used to it so we don't even notice it anymore. No wonder I missed it

You see to be a Governor of NJ, irrespective of party affiliation you have to be a master bovine scatology artist. Just IMHO of course. Afterall I get to vote for them and then suffer through them.

I watched the press conference, and it was commonsense advice aimed at an audience that sometimes lacks commonsense. I have a good nose for BS, and there was none.