Waiting for the “monster” storm
Last night, I was about to go to bed when my cellphone made an alarm sound.
It was not the same as the noise it makes when I set the alarm to wake me up in the morning. This was a sound I’d never heard before, a significantly more alarming alarm.
When I checked, I saw there was a message from the National Weather Service that a blizzard was coming. It told me not to travel, and to listen to the radio.
Is it the government sending these messages, the cell phone company, or what? Who has taken it on themselves to use this method to warn people of what they already probably know, which is that a “monster” storm is hitting New England?
I say “hitting” as though it’s already happening, which I suppose it is. There’s some light snow outside the window even as I type these words, and the wind is starting to pick up, although it’s not too bad yet.
Wind. That’s what I’m most concerned about. Where I live, the power goes out when someone breathes heavily. I fully expect to lose it some time today or tomorrow, and I hate hate hate when that happens.
Wish us all luck. If the blog goes silent for a day or two, you’ll know why.
I very recently moved from a neighborhood where “the power goes out when someone breathes heavily.”
And like you, “I hate hate hate when that happens.” Wellll, add an extra “hate” to that. Glad I’m living elsewhere now.
Take care, neo. Very best wishes . . .
neo if you have a weather application on your S3, and notifications/alerts is enabled, it might have been that which sent the alert.
And now for your weather update from a former NY Yankee – It’s a sunny clear day here in the Lonestar state, 60 degrees, no wind. You can get even when the next hurricane swings through here.
Be sure to update us on the Global Warming coverage, that will no doubt explain the scientific principle whereby you get opposite outcomes from the same input.
Anyway good luck.
Good luck weathering the storm! I’m sure you’re prepared enough to not have to run out to Shaw’s or Stop’n Shop to stock up on t.p., bread, batteries, and twinkies…
This was probably the “Wireless Emergency Alert System” in action.
This system is integrated into the cell network infrastructure. The messages are *not* regular text messages.
Not all devices nor all carriers nor all areas support the delivery of these message, but apparently this was one of the first wide-spread uses of this network.
Here is an article about the use for this blizzard at Slate
Good luck in your neck of the woods. I’m on the Cape about 2 miles from the ocean and the wind kicked up hours ago. Currently looks like there is a change over to all snow from snow/sleet.
Stay safe and warm. I hope this storm front blows over–literally–very quickly.
its interesting…
but now you have governers using executive orders to make law, create fines, and order people around
deval patrick has issued an executive order that declares a state of emergency, and if your in a car after 4, your going to jail for a year or paying a fine…
i wonder if every human in masachusettes has heard of the new law created as a kings writ today?
or is this a good way to get 400 a pop from people to pay taxes?
i shouold point out that he is also claiming that this storm is unlike other storms. its special… a storm unlike others
i guess he dont remember the storms from the 70s…
oh, the order is an outright ban on all roads..
oh. and he has called up 1000 national guard troops with 4000 more coming to make sure his writs are followed
will they shoot?
After the storm is over there may be a lynch mob out hunting for Punxsutawney Phil.
Good luck Neo, and stay safe!
artfldgr, I actually have mixed feelings about governors “declaring” such state of emergencies.
On the one hand I cannot stand the idea of something being law just because one person said so. (makes me want to break the law just because)
On the other hand, I think it does give a lot of people “power” to push back against a$$h*le bosses. I’ve seen too many bosses threaten employees with being fired if they don’t risk going to work in bad weather. With such a “state of emergency” the employee can push back.
Of course, it would be even better if Obama weren’t screwing up the economy and employees could tell their a$$h*le bosses to drop dead instead.
Everybody stay warm and dry! I’ll keep my fingers crossed that we all don’t lose power, again.
Hold tight all who live in the path of this storm. It sounds like you are in for a rough time; but well prepared, competent adults will survive this with ease. As a midwesterner, I find it a bit amusing the national attention given to severe weather in the NE or the SE hurricane zone. When severe weather hits us in the heartland, no matter what season, it rarely becomes an issue warranting national attention.
As an example, we had a severe ice storm Valentines Day 1990. Up to 3 inches of ice caused by freezing rain coating everything. In our town some neighborhoods lost electricity for 10-15 days. No one die, we took care of each other, there was no panic. We took it in stride. FEMA did not come to the rescue, we did.
Parker said ; “FEMA did not come to our rescue, we did”
And that buddy, is why you’re NOT in the news. Who wants to cover a bunch of stoic people going about business as usual?
If you guys all had a big townhall meeting, and everyone was wailing and bleating at their congressman, THAT would get covered. Like Harry Reid says about the republicans, ” you’re not doing it right! “
I remember how Democrats like Obama intentionally cut off money for Republican states when they had disaster relief to take care of.
However, it is Republicans like Bush that are the ones who hate black people and those in the cities.
When one can hold two mutually contradictory thoughts at once, congratulations, you have become a little brighter in the Leftist intellectual world.
Yamarsakar – you are correct Texas was burning to the ground in the worst drought in 100 years; when Rick Perry requested federal disaster relief for the farmers who lost a few million acres, he didn’t even get a pail of water.
Americans like to talk about taking care of each other, but when it comes to voting, there’s little thought given to the kind of thing you point out. No doubt the people hurt by this storm will expect the rest of the taxpayers to help, and they should get it if they need it. But it would be nice if they held the same feelings for others. Using federal disaster aid for political purposes is reprehensible, but nobody seems to have held BO accountable when he does.
“No doubt the people hurt by this storm will expect the rest of the taxpayers to help, and they should get it if they need it.”
I beg to disagree. They should not expect to receive help from the rest of us. Deal with it locally and on the state level. We have tornadoes, floods, droughts, blizzards, and ice storms in the heartland. Nothing new, same as it ever was. The reason other areas can not deal with catastrophes is because they never save for a rainy day. They tax and spend and when winter hits they are penniless.
well I am a New Englander currently “enjoying” the blizzard from Clearwater Fl.
Channel 7 has live streaming video of the whole deal. Just heard the weather guys say the “bands”will sit over some areas & temperature contrasts (boston is 30 So NH 18) will wring out all the moisture in the atmosphere, those areas may get 30+ inches, yikes !
Parker – you’re correct they should not expect it. My bad. I believe however that they should expect to be treated the same as every other state. FEMA exists as I understand it for communities that are in desparate need. We all pay for it, like it or not. No president of any party should decide who gets it and who doesn’t. It Shouldn’t be a political issue.
Morning report from CT: 30-36″ in our yard and still coming down. Amazingly we have power. It looks like the New London area was hit the worst in terms of power outage with about 80% out. the state is closed except for DOT, emergency, and power company trucks. It may be late tomorrow before we get out assuming a plow can get up our driveway.
More bad weather coming in Monday…. gotta love New england.
When I lived in Washington, there was a running joke about stocking up on bread, milk, and toilet paper. I also remember a joke about when a forecast of snow was broadcast: “ABANDON YOUR CARS NOW!”
However, when I heard a snow forecast in Memphis (I now live in Florida), I didn’t hear a warning about stocking up on toilet paper. Is this a Northern thing?
Hey, Parker, in 2003 we had a windstorm nicknamed “Hurricane Elvis” (technically a derecho or straight-line winds) that caused widespread power outages. No national coverage there either.
“We have tornadoes, floods, droughts, blizzards, and ice storms in the heartland.”
Well, they could have taken care of it, if the feds had taken their money via taxes and spent it on Katrina, New Orleans, Detroit, California, and other Democrat fiefdoms.
One should never underestimate the power or veracity of evil, merely by brushing it off as a case of personality responsibility. Evil does not give a damn who is responsible, because it will take you and yours and pave a highway to hell. That’s about it, really.
The basic problem with a police state is that it tends to make neighbors inform on each other, merely for survival. When one’s own money is depleted to pay for the rich Democrats of another place, either they will repay the money, provide disaster relief the same as for everyone else, or war will become the inevitable way people deal with disasters of a human variety.
Rich aristocrats starving the peasants and serfs with 90% taxation, until the serfs go crazy in famine and start killing people, including themselves. At least it’s a good way to maintain Green population controls.
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