Ophelia is nearly at hurricane Category 1 strength, people

[Anonymous]

Winds measured at 70 knots (80mph) in the northwest quadrant of the storm. It's a timing issue, of whether it can strengthen in the few hours before landfall and officially make it to cat 1 hurricane with verified winds of 75 mph (after measurements during reconnaissance flights, Natioal Hurricane Center does some magic to determine an official wind threshold).

The DC metro will get some steady rain, wind gusts and possibly flooding in the usual areas. Shouldn't be too bad, but please monitor the weather and don't drive into water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Winds measured at 70 knots (80mph) in the northwest quadrant of the storm. It's a timing issue, of whether it can strengthen in the few hours before landfall and officially make it to cat 1 hurricane with verified winds of 75 mph (after measurements during reconnaissance flights, Natioal Hurricane Center does some magic to determine an official wind threshold).

The DC metro will get some steady rain, wind gusts and possibly flooding in the usual areas. Shouldn't be too bad, but please monitor the weather and don't drive into water.

Ok, Mom.

[Anonymous]

I question naming a tropical storm after a character who famously drowned.

[Anonymous]

I love it! Been singing The Lumineers ever since it was named. Oh Ophelia…you’ve been on my mind girl since the flood…

[Anonymous]

Category 1? That's barely anything.

[Anonymous]

I hope they don't cancel my kid's sports games tomorrow....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope they don't cancel my kid's sports games tomorrow....

Our sports have already been cancelled

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Category 1? That's barely anything.

Hurricane Isabel did significant damage to this area in 2003, and passed over the DC metro area *as a tropical storm*. We lost power for a week, and had to carry groceries up 16 flights of stairs. Someone died at UMD, where I was a grad student at the time. More than a million Marylanders lost power and there was significant beach erosion and property damage.

Ophelia, even if it strengthens to category 1, is not predicted to have the wind span or wind speed of Isabel, so we should not sustain the damage we did 10 years ago. Furthermore, a lot of pruning has happened since then and we don't have quite the tree canopy we had at the time. We're in a drought, so there shouldn't be widespread flooding except in coastal areas.

However, everyone should be aware of possible downed trees, power outages or flash flooding in our region tomorrow and Sunday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Category 1? That's barely anything.

Hurricane Isabel did significant damage to this area in 2003, and passed over the DC metro area *as a tropical storm*. We lost power for a week, and had to carry groceries up 16 flights of stairs. Someone died at UMD, where I was a grad student at the time. More than a million Marylanders lost power and there was significant beach erosion and property damage.

Ophelia, even if it strengthens to category 1, is not predicted to have the wind span or wind speed of Isabel, so we should not sustain the damage we did 10 years ago. Furthermore, a lot of pruning has happened since then and we don't have quite the tree canopy we had at the time. We're in a drought, so there shouldn't be widespread flooding except in coastal areas.

However, everyone should be aware of possible downed trees, power outages or flash flooding in our region tomorrow and Sunday.

I already made a dash to COSTCO and loaded up. FYI it was crazy packed.
No way is my family going to go with out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love it! Been singing The Lumineers ever since it was named. Oh Ophelia…you’ve been on my mind girl since the flood…

Me too! All day today. My kids aren’t too thrilled. We’re currently on the NC coast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Category 1? That's barely anything.

Hurricane Isabel did significant damage to this area in 2003, and passed over the DC metro area *as a tropical storm*. We lost power for a week, and had to carry groceries up 16 flights of stairs. Someone died at UMD, where I was a grad student at the time. More than a million Marylanders lost power and there was significant beach erosion and property damage.

Ophelia, even if it strengthens to category 1, is not predicted to have the wind span or wind speed of Isabel, so we should not sustain the damage we did 10 years ago. Furthermore, a lot of pruning has happened since then and we don't have quite the tree canopy we had at the time. We're in a drought, so there shouldn't be widespread flooding except in coastal areas.

However, everyone should be aware of possible downed trees, power outages or flash flooding in our region tomorrow and Sunday.

That’s 20 years ago, hon!

[Anonymous]

But it seems like yesterday, hon. I remember it well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Category 1? That's barely anything.

Hurricane Isabel did significant damage to this area in 2003, and passed over the DC metro area *as a tropical storm*. We lost power for a week, and had to carry groceries up 16 flights of stairs. Someone died at UMD, where I was a grad student at the time. More than a million Marylanders lost power and there was significant beach erosion and property damage.

Ophelia, even if it strengthens to category 1, is not predicted to have the wind span or wind speed of Isabel, so we should not sustain the damage we did 10 years ago. Furthermore, a lot of pruning has happened since then and we don't have quite the tree canopy we had at the time. We're in a drought, so there shouldn't be widespread flooding except in coastal areas.

However, everyone should be aware of possible downed trees, power outages or flash flooding in our region tomorrow and Sunday.

That’s 20 years ago, hon!

Yes, but the other details are correct. I lived through it. Traffic signals were out for a week, too. I went for a drive after the storm and the top section of Connecticut Avenue was covered in pine needles. It looked like a forest floor and smelled like Christmas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But it seems like yesterday, hon. I remember it well.

+1.

It seems like yesterday, doesn't it?

[Anonymous]

My kid’s activities were also cancelled which virtually guarantees this will be a non eventz