Like millions of others, I too had my shore vacation cut short yesterday with the mandatory evacuation orders. We were on the Delaware shore, at Reheboth beach. I was monitoring the storm before I left and while at the beach house, and on Wednesday morning, it became apparent to me that we were in "the zone" for the hurricane and that evacuations were going to be inevitable. I filled up the gas tank and went back to the house and suggested that we "neaten up, just in case we have to get out of here." Thursday morning, we went to the beach, enjoyed the surf and sun, had lunch and relaxed until the late after noon, and that's when I got the "tweet" from Delaware office of Emergency Management (Twitter is a fantastic tool for emergency prep when you're in an unfamiliar place) advising of the mandatory evacuation orders for visitors.

"Better gas up the van" said my wife. "Already done!" said I.

"Oy, I'm almost out of cash!" said my wife. "I packed extra cash before we left because I was concerned about the storm."

And we also had all we needed in case the traffic was horrible.

We did the only sensible thing at that point - we made clam chowder with the clams we had gathered in the bay, we enjoyed a good dinner and wine, and put the kids to bed. We packed up everything but our refrigerated food, loaded the cars and slept for 4 hours, loaded the sleeping kids into the van at 3:30 AM and made it home in under four hours.

It's been quiet here, the community is largely ready for the river to flood, some have self evacuated, and all I have left to do at the moment is to stare out my window at the massive tulip poplars that I hate so much looming over my house. The plan is to have them taken down this fall...as much as I'd like free tree clearing services from mother nature, she tends to be sloppy with her drops of big trees.

This will be a weekend we're sure to remember.

Marty, a man like you is a thinking woman's dream!

I hope it all goes well for you and your family.

Liriodendron has value for craftsmen, maybe you could work a deal with someone if they need to come down. Later.

Sue

Ditto!

any thoughts on what will happen if it's a non event?

Ah, you could have also added haupia to your meal -- haupia, the perfect appetizer and dessert (see Aloha's dinner thread).

I keep scanning news stories for a misuse of the word evacuate. When it takes the transitive object (e.g., evacuate a building), it means what we normally mean by it. But in certain other usages (reflexive, for example, or a subset of the passive voice), it can refer to emptying one's bowels. So I've been waiting like a salivating dog for something like "Mayor Bloomberg evacuated himself" or "as Irene approached, Mayor Bloomberg was evacuated."

Oh, the pleasures of the English language! All learned from watching The Wire carefully.

Da Bing

Non-event here in inland NC. Some rain, mainly on and off. winds gusting to 30ish at best. Coast is getting hammered, but hey, what can you expect? I say that as someone who grew up 3 miles straight line from the Atlantic.

Probably best they made all the people leave the beach (I didn't say evacuated Bing) as that would have merely added to the problems they are now having and will have through the next week.

Seeing a hurricane headed straight for me would cause me to evacuate in EVERY sense of the word!

Sue