Hudson Democracy

Hurricane's Rains Drive N.J. Rivers Over Banks

I want to clarify the last post. The hurricane brought a lot of damage throughout the region. I meant only that it was underwhelming relative to what we readied ourselves for. Nine people died in New Jersey. About 188,000 buildings remain without power. The storm bought a tremendous flood. Here's a review:

No Shelter for N.Y.C., N.J., L.I. as Irene Moves In

Storm track, 1 a.m., August 28

Hurricane Irene is moving through New Jersey, according to the latest projections moving just along the coast, brushing the Island Beach State Park area. Heavy rains here in Jersey City at 1 a.m. National Hurricane Center predicting secondary landfall near the Rockaways. History after the jump:

Irene Projected to Hit on N.J. shore counties, L.I.

National Hurricane Center forecast

Hurricane Irene is crossing over the Carolina coast, on course for the Delmarva peninsula, New Jersey and New York City. Cape May County is likely to take a direct hit from the storm. I love Cape May. This was the first summer in years I didn't visit there. New York and New Jersey mass transit will be suspended after noon Saturday. Storm surge map of Jersey City after the jump.

Strong Hurricane Heads Toward N.Y.C.

Hurricane Irene is heading north along the Atlantic Coast, forecasts show the storm going straight up the shore to New York. Above is the National Hurricane Center's flooding map for a category two hurricane. Currently Irene is a category three storm. According to the map for a category three storm, my neighborhood would be under more than ten feet of water. 

It's No Mystery: Cuts Have Consequences

As I said in a previous post, blizzards are hardly a rare occurrence in our part of the world. When I was a kid, you could usually count on two major snowfalls a year, and we've been getting back to that average. It would make sense for Atlanta to be thrown into chaos by a blizzard; for the same thing to happen in New York and New Jersey is just pathetic. I've been out since the storm hit. The snow is the same grade of stuff we had back then: wet and heavy, but pliable and good for snowmen (or an igloo). But something is much different this year, and it has nothing to do with precipitation.

How Does a Nuisance Become a Disaster?

'I've never seen anything like this before!'

Here's my problem with the response to the blizzard in the metropolitan area. As we enter the second decade of the twenty-first century, we have very accurate forecasting technology and extensive weather radar systems. We have instantaneous communications that allowed us up north to see the unique white Christmas in the south. We were able literally to watch this storm roll north. And yet, it's almost as though we didn't see this coming at all.

Blizzards Were Harder in 1888

Here is an account of the Great Blizzard of 1888 from the Times. Like everything, blizzards were a lot harder in 1888, mostly because the city's young industrial infrastructure, its streetcars and elevated train lines and their power sources, had never withstood such a storm.

Blizzard of 2010

Communipaw Avenue and Pacific Avenue, around midnight, December 27

Crashing Through the Snow

Here's an idea: if you're not a cop, firefighter, hospital worker, or snow plow operator, stay at home. I was just watching Mayor Bloomberg's press conference, in which he emphasized that city agencies were operating normally and Broadway shows are still going on. Then his deputies reminded everyone that they were still working to clear tertiary streets in the outer boroughs.