Browsing Tag

Weather

Taping Windows for #Sandy is Total Bull

October 29, 2012

This missive was originally prepared for Hurricane Irene and we thought it was a good idea to republish here:

BHB regular commenter/voice of reason “Hoppy” notes in our Hurricane Irene Open Thread that taping your windows to prevent breakage seems silly. Well according to the premiere urban fable busting site Snopes.com, he’s right. It’s total bull. Continue Reading…


Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/50194

From the Web

There Will Be Garbage Pickup in Brooklyn Heights Monday

October 29, 2012

This just in from the BHA:

CHANGING REPORT: The garbage trucks ARE coming around in all sections of the Heights today. Overnight, the local garage information has changed. As of 8:30 a.m., I’m hearing that our garage will run “full service”, and recycling pick ups will take place as well. I am sorry for the confusion. Let’s hope the storm is not as bad as expected.

Judy Stanton, BHA Executive Director


Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/50167

From the Web

Brooklyn Heights, News

Hurricane Sandy Update: 310 Miles From NYC At 8 AM

October 29, 2012

As rain began falling steadily early Monday, winds are slowing picking up, reaching around 27 mph by 8 a.m. Temps: 54 degrees, remaining steady throughout the day. The storm is currently 265 miles southeast of Atlantic City, and 310 miles south-southeast of New York City. Maximum sustained winds are predicted to reach 85 mph, according to the National Weather Service. A northwest turn is expected later this morning, followed by a move west-northwest tonight. See interactive storm map here.

A quick trip to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade post-dawn revealed plenty of leaves collecting—a good thing, since that means trees have less weight to carry amid gale-force winds. “It’s living up to all the hype,” 1010 WINS reported after 8 a.m. “The Hudson River looks angry.” More pics below. (CT)

Check out MTA’s Flickr page for some eerie images of empty subway stations around NYC.


Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/50126

From the Web

Brooklyn Heights, News

Brooklyn Borough Prez Markowitz Weighs In On Hurricane Sandy

October 29, 2012

Brooklyn Borough Prez Marty Markowitz has posted a statement for Brooklyn residents regarding Hurricane Sandy. See his full statement here. He advises, “Forecasters expect Sandy to have more far-reaching impacts than Irene, so residents need to remain vigilant, follow directives of the city and emergency officials, and remain home if not under an evacuation order. Brooklynites are tough but it’s important to use common sense and err on the side of caution. I know our borough and city will band together, help our neighbors, and weather the storm.” See the link for webbie, Facebook and Twitter resources, as well. (Graphic: CT)


Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/50105

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Brooklyn Heights

It’s 9 O’Clock. You Know Where Your Storm Center Is?

October 29, 2012

The waiting continues, as Hurricane Sandy continues barreling Northeast, with “unheard of” winds already reaching 75 mph. The storm is moving 15 mph, and could make landfall anywhere between Sandy Hook, N.J., and Delaware. “Once it arrives, a high-pressure system will have the effect of a cork in a bottle, sealing the storm in the area so it can’t escape,” reports CBS 2 meteorologist Lonnie Quinn.

Meanwhile, the BH Promenade is eerily quiet and virtually deserted, while the BQE was spooky desolate, as area residents hunker down for predicted rains of 5-9″ and sustained winds of 40 mph, with gusts up to 80 mph, which could persist for up to 36 hours. Quinn says, “It’s like giving this storm a Monster energy drink.”

Last year, Hurricane Irene dumped 11 inches of rain over 3 to 7 hours, as opposed to “Frankenstorm’s” predicted 24-36 hour lockdown. Photos below. (Chuck Taylor)


Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/50053

From the Web

Brooklyn Bridge Park To Close At 5 P.M. Sunday

October 28, 2012

With the impending storm, Brooklyn Bridge Park will close at 5 p.m. Sunday. The park advisory reads: “Hurricane Sandy is headed our way. For your safety, Brooklyn Bridge Park will close, when the likelihood of high winds will increase the danger of downed limbs.” Obviously, Smorgasburg, scheduled today from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., is also canceled. (Photo: Chuck Taylor)


Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/49979

From the Web

Around Brooklyn, Bloggers

Live blogging Hurricane Sandy from Brooklyn Heights

October 28, 2012
An encouraging omen? Brooklyn Heights Blog reader Jay took this video from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade of a rainbow appearing to extend from the Statue of Liberty to lower Manhattan.
9:30 a.m., Tuesday, October 30: There’s still a brisk wind but, at the moment, no rain. Lots of people are out, and the flimsy tape barrier across the Promenade entrance is being ignored with impunity. Our building crew are out clearing leaves from the sidewalk.
Damage to the Brooklyn Heights area has been limited to downed trees and limbs and some minor structural damage. Nearby low-lying areas have been flooded–the storm surge was a whopping thirteen feet above normal–and, in a flooding related incident, there was a fire, evidently caused by electrical problems, in the basement of a large co-op apartment building just below the Heights. Fortunately, no one was hurt. 
Other areas of the City were not so fortunate. Probably the worst disaster was a fire that destroyed about eighty houses in the Breezy Point section of Queens. There is extensive damage to shorefront properties throughout the region. As has been widely reported, an explosion destroyed an electrical substation in lower Manhattan, and much of that part of the City, which includes the financial district, will be without power for an indefinite period. A concern for Brooklyn residents like me is that the subway tunnels connecting Brooklyn to Manhattan have been flooded with salt water, which could damage switches and signals and keep trains from running for several days.
Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie….
Gerard Manley Hopkins, Spring and Fall (1918). 

It’s dark outside, and there’s a steady rain falling, The wind seems to have abated, but as I type this, there’s a strong gust. I’ll be back in the morning.
4:40 p.m.: Despite the police barrier, and a cruiser occasionally coming by with a loudspeaker imploring people to get off the Promenade, they keep coming. This is confirmed by the video made by my BHB colleague Karl Junkersfeld today, featuring an appearance by our publisher, Homer Fink.
Update: The Daily Beast has this snarky view of what’s going on in the neighborhood.
2:30 p.m.: The wind is stronger and steadier, but there are still people on the sidewalks, some walking dogs.
11:30 a.m.: The wind is picking up again. Tape has been stretched across the entrance to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, which is part of the New York City Parks system, and therefore subject to an order closing all NYC parks for the remaining duration of the storm. A civilian leaving the Promenade helpfully lifts the tape for an NYPD car to enter.
10:30 a.m.: I decide to take a walk to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, just across the street from where I live. The wind is minimal, a few desultory drops of rain come down, and lots of people are out. Afterward, I walk back a block and find our local supermarket, Key Food, is open, so I’m able to score two things I forgot yesterday: half-and-half for my coffee and kitty treats.
Fellow Brooklyn Heights Blog contributor Chuck Taylor went out with his camera earlier and got these photos.
8:15 a.m. Monday, October 29. There’s a strong, steady wind, and some rain has fallen during the night. A neighbor is walking his French bulldog.
10:30 p.m.: the Jersey lights are still bright, the wind has settled, and The Weather Channel’s storm tracker shows the center of the storm still a little south and east of Cape Hatteras. The North Carolina Outer Banks must be taking quite a pounding now. TWC’s projected path has it somewhere well east of the Virginia capes tomorrow evening (gad, this thing moves slowly), though we should be feeling its effects pretty strongly by then. Projected landfall is somewhere around the mouth of Delaware Bay Tuesday morning. I hope Cape May’s Victorians emerge unscathed. 
It’s 8:55 p.m. and I can still see New Jersey from my window. The wind seems to have calmed down a bit.
At 6:30 p.m. I realize I’ve forgotten to put Idaho potatoes in the oven prior to my wife’s safe arrival from Boston, so I go on an emergency run for Tater Tots. I find the wind picking up, but still no wet stuff.
At 5:21 p.m., dusk is approaching. The sky is a solid gray overcast. The playground is empty. There is a steady, soft breeze. Sandy, it seems, will arrive after nightfall.
For the duration, I’ll be posting updates, including photos when possible, on the storm’s progress as seen from my window overlooking Pierrepont Place in Brooklyn Heights. If things get exciting enough, I may include some video snippets. This was the scene at 10:20 this (Sunday) morning: some sunshine, a gentle breeze, and kids in the playground. New York City is taking storm preparation very seriously: evacuation orders have been issued for low lying areas as a storm surge that could be as much as eight feet above normal is possible; and the subway system is shutting down starting at 7:00 this evening. Stay tuned.


Source: Self-Absorbed Boomer
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tzVM/~3/FIO-qxbtUB0/live-blogging-hurricane-sandy-from.html

From the Web

Brooklyn Heights

Calm Before The Storm: Key Food Aisles Virtually Cleared As Residents Prepare

October 28, 2012

As one might expect, hundreds are rushing to neighborhood groceries to scoop up what appears to be enough staples for the remainder of the year. A stop by Key Food on Montague Street around 1 p.m. Sunday revealed a checkout line that more closely resembled the Court Street Trader Joes—wrapping all the way from the front aisles around the entire back of the store. Bread, veges, milk, eggs… gone! Spirits, however, were high, as smiles were in abundance amid the mob scene. And speaking of spirits, a clerk at nearby Montague Wine said that sales were “crazy.” Food… check! Booze… check! More images below. (Photos: Chuck Taylor)


Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/49944

From the Web

Calm Before The Storm: Bossert Hotel Awning Taken Down

October 28, 2012

As winds are expected to reach 40 to 60 mph from Hurricane Sandy on Monday, the Hotel Bossert on Montague Street is taking no chances. Early Sunday afternoon, its cup-shaped awning was wisely removed… Stay tuned for more images as the storm mounts. (Chuck Taylor)


Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/49934

From the Web

Frankenstorm Sandy Open Thread

October 28, 2012

It’s coming! Frankenstorm Sandy is on its way to our area. Comment here about what’s happening in Brooklyn Heights – let us know how you’re preparing before the storm. During the storm check in here with any updates about storm damage or dangerous conditions in our area.

Check here for the latest tracking on the storm and follow our NYC Emergency List in the right column of the site for the latest updates from government agencies and weather services.


Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/49909

From the Web