Grateful Dead

Our state took a direct hit in terms of rain. A uniform average of about 7" fell on all parts of the state from South to North yesterday causing towns to flood from Bennington to St. Johnsbury. The state's new emergency management agency in Waterford was evacuated yesterday when Winooski river overflowed it's banks. Many roads and bridges have been washed out. There have been numerous power outages and 1 death reported. There is widespread flooding in all parts of the state. The eye of the storm passed directly overhead of me at 6:10pm yesterday. This was caused when the storm tracked further westward than was forecast, taking a route up the Hudson Valley and then up the westward spine of the Green Mountains. There was no wind but torrential downpours the entire day. This was absolutely a result of climate change and global warming. Hurricanes and tropical storm do not usually cause such severe rainfall. The last time was 1938 for this kind of damage in the State of Vermont. This was a once a century storm for our area.

There was a major hail storm when I was on the train back from Paris yesterday. Hail the size of golf balls! Was really weird to hear it on the train-was like sitting in a tin box being pelted by ice bombs. Trees were bent over almost in half, and was an interesting little adventure for a few moments!********************************** I am not young enough to know everything. Oscar Wilde

They WAY over hyped Irene. We are now expecting 30mph winds and two inches of rain! That is in VT. Other places will see larger amounts of rainfall and major beach erosion. Don't worry 'bout your cousin, unless h/she is a crazy surfer dude.

Aaarrrgh! We pirates have battened down the hatches and left the ship to moor at Hampton Bay. We started Irene's party yesterday even we be far up in the Green Mountains we're still in for a blow. Aaarrrgghhhh! We've laid in the provisions and got the genie all gassed up and laid in provisions. Time to haul out the long glass and really get this party rockin'! Aaarrrggghhhh!!! Avast ye matie! Don't touch that pipe or you be keel-hauled when we get back to the boat. No rest till Monday.... Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!

...looks ready to dump 10" of rain in Philly, 8" in NYC and God knows what else South and North of there to a width of perhaps 100-150 miles inland. Batten down the hatches, maties and get the rum out. We're going to have a hurricane party! Aaargghhhh!! Haul up the jolly roger under those two Hurricane warning flags.

billowing white clouds strafe a light blue sky; blowing up from the South, a welcome turn from the slate grey drizzle of the last couple days.autumn is coming and can hardly wait!

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I'm in Maryland and all is OK, thank God. I sure hope everyone else is OK too. What a wild ride this has been... I don't know how you guys on the Other Coast handle this stuff on the regular. Oh and I'll skip the hurricane Oh Great DUDE, if you don't mind. I wanted to go to a local festival so that just isn't gonna work out. I'll take a rain check, if you don't mind.

Has that hurricane barrier, Gonz...that'll take care of the storm surge. Well, at least hopefully better than the NOLA levees took care of Katrina. We very much need some rain in my area, but at the cost of death and destruction on the coast, I can live with the drought a while longer.

Not here in VT! Endless summer continues. I thought GRTD was in the Boston area but he may be South of there... Looks pretty scary for you guys in NC GDean, but the projected Irene path looks like a direct hit on Rhode Island! GAWD help those swamp yankees!