The shore seems to have only minor damage. However, in my area, Trenton, and the entire Phila area, the big problem is floods. All-time record amounts of rain, looks like about 9" average, 14" in some places! Rivers will be at 5 to 10 feet above flood stage. Many roads closed, some rail.

I hear NYC told businesses to close early if possible. Jeez, why even open on a day like today?

Good side is that we can use the water. Been pretty dry here the past couple of years. But, since it was so quick, much of it will run off, and not end up where we ned it.

All in all, not a bad deal. <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), September 16, 1999

Answers

Why open the businesses? Because some of the NYC workers live in NYC and it's not quite that bad here. Oh, yes, a lousy day, and windy, but you can make it if you try. I personally didn't try because I'm a comfort-loving unemployed loser.(But having fun.)

-- Mara Wayne (MaraWayne@aol.com), September 16, 1999.

Yeah, flooding is a problem up here too (Paramus area). Good thing was that my family was totally relaxed about it. My wife kept referring to our Y2K preps and deep-cycle batteries and the kids just played game-boy.

Let's hope Hurricane Gert is as gentle...

-TECH32-

-- TECH32 (TECH32@NOMAIL.COM), September 16, 1999.

Wind blowin' pretty good right now. I'm near Cape May. Heard a couple of trees go down. Good day to be online.

-- BB (peace2u@bellatlantic.net), September 16, 1999.

Gotta tell my story. On my way home, I managed to stall my car driving through a flood at the TOP OF A MOUNTAIN! It happened in Cokesbury, a tiny hamlet in Hunterdon County. The little creek that usually runs under the road was 30 feet wide and over the road. I plowed through, stalled on the other side. There's water around here in places I've never seen it. Amazing.

-- Thinman (thinman38@hotmail.com), September 16, 1999.

Mrs Driver indicated that the area around Secaucus/Teaneck was pretty much standing water. She isn't real sure about class in the AM (PeopleSoft) and how or when she'll get back to Cleveland. OH DARN! If I was there with her or the situations were reversed it'd be an ADVENTURE, as it is, it's just a worrier.

Chuck

-- Chuck, a night driver (rienzoo@en.com), September 16, 1999.

Chuck,

My housemate was in NYC earlier, and left about 3 PM. Most of it was down by then. Things were slow but OK at the tunnel, turnpike, etc. Many "local disruptions" but no big deal overall. Goin' west looks great! I don't think you need to worry too much. Just a little, tropical vs. cat 4... <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), September 16, 1999.

Several streets blocked by standing water water in Saddle Brook / Fair Lawn area. Electricity out in several places - the most important of which is the hotel where Greybear is staying.

Amazingly small amount of traffic on the usually overcrowded roads.

-Greybear, TDY in the wilds of NJ

-- Got Batteries?

-- Greybear (greybear@home.com), September 17, 1999.

Heard from S-I-L from Washingtonville NY last night. She barely made it home (1.5 hrs for a 15 min. trip) before roads were closed in and out. Voluntary evacuations in their mobile home park. Water up to the shed in the back yard. Hope the level was on its way down and not up by then (midnight local time). No power since 5pm.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), September 17, 1999.

Saw the footage from parts of NJ--Floyd hit there much worse than in the Raleigh-Durham area--but we're a bit more above sea-level. I imagine Sea Bright, where I once lived, is under water. Hope all our forumites are okay and that you have your Y2K supplies stashed on the upper floors! Best of luck from

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), September 17, 1999.

Guess who got sent to NJ to work on a remote client site just in time for Floyd.

I didn't think it was a big deal, just alot of rain, but apparently Jerseyians are panty-waists. Or alot of it is flat and collects water rather well. Some place called New Brunswick (sp?) is closed. News reports major roads under water. That's bad for a place that has more people and cars than grass. And I drove by some place called Bound Brook while traveling down 287 from the hotel. The river (raritin? raritan? somthing) looked very high, and had smoke billowing across it from the bound brook business district. National Guard (I think) helocopters were carring giant buckets and dumping water on what I am guessing was buring buildings. (Trees in the way. Yes they got 'em here.) All the exists were closed off in this area. Radio said that people were trapped on the roofs of some of the burning buildings. Almost everything else looks unscathed.

And for those of you who have never been here, don't come. This place is all full up. They have this giant three (sometimes four) lane road called the Parkway. Apparently named so because cars on it do more parking than driving. NJ got it's "Most Butt Ugly State" rep from people driving on another giant freeway (which you have to pay to get on so it's not really free now is it) called the Turnpike. We all know it as interstate 95. It goes through the bad old refineries and rust belt areas and you can can the air for use as bug spray in those sections. The Northwestern parts of the state ain't that bad. Kinda pretty.

As far as Y2K goes, if it gets bad don't be here. Just don't.

And had I known you folks were out here I might have stayed the weekend and visited some of TB2K celebrities. You folks are the second best thing to come out of the "Garden State". (The first being an air liner with me on it.) God help you in the event of a bad roll over.

Watch six and keep your...

-- eyes_open (best@wishes.net), September 17, 1999.

Around here (Northwest NJ) lots of roads still flooded. Trees, limbs, and lots of branches down all over the place. A real mess. Best bet if you have a flight is to call ahead. Not much was getting in or out last night. Probably better now. Still very windy. Many havent had any juice since last night. We had a brief outtage.

Other areas are worse. Much worse. The shore got whacked hard. Bound Brook is under water. Houses covered up to the first story. People are on their roofs. Its incredible. The governor has asked for a federal disaster declaration. Damage is in the hundreds of millions.

It hasnt been real pleasant here. Thank God for our preps. Lots of clean up to do today. May pop back in late tonight. Thats the latest from here in the Land of the DGIs BFN, Rob

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@com.net), September 17, 1999.

Up here in Vermont- it's raining cats and dogs, the winds blowin and the power is off all over the area here.

But- the kid's school is open- although the bus never came. We sure do need the water- the wheelbarrow was full this a.m. as was a cooler left out and open- that's alot of water.! wish I had finished harvesting all the taters already......

-- farmer (hillsidefarm@drbs.net), September 17, 1999.

I'm in Northwest Jersey, and we got over 12" of rain.

I stayed home on Thursday to dig a trench in the back yard because water was rising to the top of the sliders in our walk out basement. Power went off at 3PM and didn't come back on until 7AM this morning (16 hrs.) So, it was kind of a Y2K drill in the Lurker household. Got the propane tree and lanterns out, the semi-DGI wife filled water bottles. Found out the gas stove works without power, just no electronic starting. Also found out the manual can opener we have is a piece of junk, so picked up two nice ones this morning at Wally World. ATM machines were down this AM, and Walmart was not accepting ATM cards also, so it was real eye opener for the coming year.

Also, went to work this morning in Bridgewater (near New Brunswick and Bound Brook) and our office was closed due to a county wide travel restriction (that explains the relative lack of traffic on my way). So even if Y2K is a wash, at least we were prepared for Floyd.

-- Lurker (lurker@eyespy.net), September 17, 1999.