Irene Is Coming

Radio Roundup

If you are up and about at 6:35 a.m. (EDT) tomorrow, you can hear me be interviewed about personal preparedness.  I'll be on 1140 WRVA, a 50,000 watt powerhouse clear channel that has been heard as far away as South Africa and British Columbia.  You can also hear it stream live at www.WRVA.com or on your smart phone with the I "heart" Radio app.  It will be great exposure for If It Hits The Fan and hopefully get some good information across to a bunch of new folks.  Richmond's Morning News with Jimmy Barrett is consistently one of the top morning shows in Richmond, and Richmond is the 55th largest radio market in the country.


Public Preparations

Irene is the hot topic at work.  This afternoon, I went to a meeting with the city manager and emergency management folks.  It's still too early to make any firm decisions, but I think it's pretty likely that I'll be in the Emergency Operations Center during Irene's visit to Virginia.  We're potentially looking at some sheltering operations and limited evacuations.  Current forecasts call for Irene to be centered about 50-80 miles off shore from where I work, and hurricane force winds hitting us.  Living about 60 miles inland, our house might still be on the edges of tropical storm force winds.  Rain could be anywhere between 1 and 7 inches, and it looks like it might hit between high and low tides, which helps limit some of the street flooding.  The public information office is also trying to get the word out to residents encouraging them to "get a kit, make a plan, stay informed."


Personal Preps

Yesterday I listed the few things I need to do around the house to finish getting ready for Irene.  Knowing that I'll probably be in the EOC, I also need to adjust my BOB in the Element to add a change of clothes and a few hygiene items.  I also need to stick my hard hat and an extra pair of work gloves and safety glasses in my kit.  I'm thinking about packing my chainsaw just in case I need to clear some debris getting home.  I'll decide that as we get a little closer and the projected path is more determined.  We'll make sure our cell phones are completely charged Saturday, and other than these few things, I think we are pretty set.