Hurricane Season starts

[JillA 2]

Interesting. I think I'll register.

Yeah I think it's more for if you're in a "foreign" country.... I know the US is foreign, but I mean if you're living overseas and ever have an emergency and need Canadian assistance. It's just comforting to be registered as an abroad citizen with the Canadian govt if I never needed help here.

[BermyCat 1]

I've loved hurricanes ever since I was little. You get at least a day off school. Your parents stay home. The lights go out and you play boadgames by the light of hurricane lamps.

We have special windows that can hold at least 200 lbs per square inch of pressure so you don't even need hurricane shutters. Watching the trees blow and the high surf is really cool.

If you do live in an area that is frequently hit by hurricanes, invest in a good generator and stock up on gas for it long before the first named storm. Also remember to haul it out and test it every once and a while.

~ Catherine

[Hugglebuggles 60]

You never know, hugglebuggles - but the majority of the storms seem to happen in the fall. You will have plenty of warning if there is a storm developing that will affect your travel plans.

Good to know! I've been worrying about the intense heat... a hurricane never crossed my mind. I guess if there is a hurricane the sun won't be to intense...

Thanks for the information in this thread, I never thought about registering at the Canadian consulate abroad, but it seems like the smart thing to do. I think i'll do it when I get there.

[shawna7 4]

its like being on a plane ... when your on a plane and the stewardesses start to panick ya better hold on tight and make your peace.... i figure if the locals panick ... i'll take my #### north for a few days.... anything can hit anywhere . i'll be careful .. just wont over panick and look like a fool to the locals hahaha ... but do have our hurricane kit .. we are about a 15 minute drive from the atlantic coast .. so not that far inland

The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada operates a Registry of Canadians Abroad (ROCA) service for Canadians travelling or residing abroad. The ROCA registry allows the Department to contact Canadians to offer urgent advice during a natural disaster, civil unrest, or to inform them of a family emergency at home. Registration is voluntary, and personal information provided on the registration form is used in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act.

You may register online at: www.voyage.gc.ca.

That's interesting. Has anyone ever registered?

this made me giggle! Here in Charleston, the locals freak out if its raining!! **there could be a hurricane..don't cross the bridges..they might close them!! and you'll be trapped on the wrong side** lmao! So I stick to Weather underground..and cross my fingers and hope the storms don't hit landfall here!

[MrsCat 6]

That's interesting Kathryn, I'm gonna look into it. However, not much place to go on short notice here. I suppose we could drive up the mountain and chance the volcano instead.

My husband's first day of work as a lead forecaster in Mississippi a category 3 was building in the gulf. He said he was nearly in tears because he had never done marine weather before, and everyone in the office was laughing at him behind his back.

[Reba 2]

Shortly before I moved down here to NC in 2004 there were several hurricanes one on top of another, and it rained for about a month straight. Up here near the mountains, far far away from the coast, we still get the effects. The Catawba River flooded it's banks by about 20+ feet! and half the town was underwater for a few days. I missed seeing it, but by the time I moved here a month afterward, you could still see the mud-line on the trees.

James was working at Domino's pizza at the time, and can you believe that people who were stuck in their homes on the *other* side of the flood would get angry with him when he said they couldn't deliver there because there's a bloody great river in the way?

Not his fault there's no pizza shop on their side of the river

The chiropractor that I see now has his offices along the river, and you can still see the damage line on the walls where the repairs were made. And his offices sit more than 20 feet above the river. A restaurant in the same strip mall was closed for over a year afterward, the owners ended up selling it to someone else because they didn't have the money to renovate and re-open.

Here's a website that shows some photos of the flood. IT's from Judges restaurant (different than above mentioned) here in town http://www.judgesriverside.com/flood.htm

Down at the bottom on that link there's a photo of Linville Falls when it was raging. Here's a photo of Linville with "normal" water levels. http://www.greatcarolinaproperty.com/Outdo...ville-Falls.htm

I'm almost sorry I missed the flood. Almost. The company where I currently work was also flooded, it took them about a week to clear out the water, and they lost a lot of furniture inventory.

Where our house sits though is higher up a hill, and the water didn't (and never has, knock wood) got this high up.

[Krikit 1,164]

Wow. Those are amazing pictures, Reba. My inlaws (in NC) were flooded out during an earlier storm. They had to be taken out by boat. Their brand new cars were written off and the house had to be repaired from the flood damage. Last year, here, when TS/Hurricane Fay came through, the water levels got so high that I was terrified it would get into the house. We got lucky, that time. Only the side of the house where the heat pump is got washed away. The people across the street.... not so lucky.

[Reba 2]

We've had rain the past month or so nearly every day, and there have been quite a lot of mud slides, sink holes, and flooded basements. Parts of mountain highways are closed, probably for the summer, because they've washed away. Happens quite a lot up there really. It's pretty up in the mountains, but a pain in the ####### if the highway washes out! I wouldn't want to live there.

[MapleLeafBaby 1]

I have a question....

I'm headed down the East Coast driving from PA to Fla Weds. If per chance there was an 'emergency' storm situation, would I still rely on the Canadian Embassy? I mean they help Canadians and I just arrived here 2 days ago with my I94 and not married yet. It wouldn't be the US Embassy?

I know sometimes the CA Embassy tries to get you back to Canada in an emerg, but I can't leave the US, would they still help us?

I'm hoping for an uneventful storm span while in Fla for 10 days, but you never know.

Any advise is appreciated.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

If you found you had no one else to help you and you were stranded then you could turn to the Canadian Consulate for help, however, you would probably not find yourself in those circumstances.

FYI - long term tropical weather situation looks calm right now - nothing on the near distance radar or out in the Atlantic to be concerned about. Hurricane weather systems seldom happen quickly - they develop from existing low pressure systems, become a depression, then a storm before they develop into hurricanes. Weather forecasters are very good at recognizing potential systems even before they develop and can predict path and ferocity with a fair degree of accuracy. If anything does develop - and it is extremely rare in June - and you are in an expected affected area, you will receive lots of notice going on around you. If you are near an affected coastal areas and a possible evacuation, you will notice evacuation routes and have no problem figuring out what to do. So, if you find yourself marooned down there with an imminent hurricane affecting you and you have no other resources at your beck and call, contact the Consulate for help. Otherwise, do what other American residents do under the circumstances. You'll be fine.

[MapleLeafBaby 1]

thanks K

Two years ago, we were in the Dominican and got caught in Ivan (I think that was the name?) it swept right below us and we were confined to our villa's...it was scary

I'm sure, being June, we should be fine

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Poprocks - here is today's long range forecast for what you can expect tropical weather-wise - all looks clear:

"Activity in the tropical Atlantic this morning is quiet with no areas of concern. The various model guidance is forecasting that things

will remain quiet throughout this week. Looking way ahead to next week, the GFS and the European model is forecasting that

convection may substantially increase across the western Caribbean, in response to the MJO wet pulse pushing eastward. So, conditions may become favorable for development at some point next week in the western Caribbean. It's something that I'm

going to keep an eye on and will keep you all updated.

The next tropical weather discussion will be issued by 6 am EDT Wednesday morning. No tropical weather discussions will be issued on Tuesday."

Have fun at the beach and at Disneyland!

[warlord 73]

I have yet to be in a hurricane to my dissapointment since I storm chaser as a hobby. I too will be in Central Florida in Aug, but out of the millions of times I've gone I've yet to be there anytime there's been a hurricane or even depression (bad luck for me I guess)...

[Krikit 1,164]

With my luck it'll happen while I'm on vacation in Canada in August. lol

[JMacQueen 0]

I went through Hurricane Ike last September...my first hurricane experience.

I'm looking for big things from Hurricane Larry this year. What a great name for a potentially devastating storm, right?