Storm Update

October 30, 2012

7:00 AM

It's still raining desultorily here and the trees are moving slightly but as though they're tired from all their previous enthusiasm, such as that was. Since the mayor yesterday barred all traffic from our streets except for emergency responders and until noon today, the streets are still strangely deserted, the street lights, now calm, making red and green reflections in the rain, alternating, to control traffic that does not exist. I still have electricity and never heard the roar of the storm that John Roman described as terrifying, from his home in Lewes. From the safety of my perch on the fourth floor of The Fitz, the storm was pretty much a dud.

After the shrill commentary from all three Baltimore TV stations all day yesterday, it was odd to turn on the TV at 2:00 AM this morning and find "Dr. Phil," "The Mysteries of Hercule Poirot," and the ubuiquitous advertising for exercise machines. Of course the three stations are back this morning with storm news - the number of deaths in Maryland (two), the number of houses in the city still without power (15,000) and photographs of snow in Western Maryland. And, of course, since no one can drive on Mount Royal Avenue (for instance), I have no morning paper. I guess I, at least, have been very lucky. Moving to an apartment has meant no worry about a tree falling on my house, a concern that my old neighbors on Linden Green still carry.

As light returns and the day progresses, I may venture out to explore Bolton Hill but unless there is more to tell, this will end my reportage on The Storm of the Century, or The Megastorm, or Frankenstorm, as TV commentary has called it. To me, it was just a steady rain and a little wind. Stay tuned? We'll see.

STORM UPDATE

October 30, 2012

2:00 AM

It appears here as though the worst has passed while I was sleeping. The rain continues, hard, and collects on the big windows in my living room where droplets form and run from somewhere near the top down to the bottom, like candles dripping wax. The trees are mostly quiet now and nothing in the street looks out of place. From my perch on the fourth floor, I can't see any damage. And although I hard boiled some eggs just so I'd have something to eat in case the electricity failed, it's still on. It looks like a normal night, with rain. I'll go back to bed to try to sleep some more and post again in the morning. Stay tuned.

Storm Update

October 29, 2012

8:30 PM

The rain is now coming down sideways and scudding across the streets in rippled sheets rushing toward the curb or wherever the wind is blowing it. The trees are dancing like partners in a lively jamboree, bouncing up and down and throwing their branches and leaves in many directions like a woman who might be celebrating the drying her hair. The city seems deserted, the stop lights swinging back and forth as though metronomes keeping time with the wind. The windows of The Fitz, designed to keep out the noise of the light rail that is so near, prevent me from having any sensation of the velocity of the storm; all seems quiet inside. The storm is now nearing the coast and I'm sure we'll have the worst of it yet to come but I'm tired of following it all day and will soon go to bed. If the storm wakes me in the night, I'll be back. Otherwise, I'll report again tomorrow. I feel sorry for the people on TV who have been there since four this morning, talking enthusiastically all day, trying to keep us interested in what may be a once in a lifetime occurance. Back tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

Storm Update

October 29, 2012

4:30 PM

I've just been talking to John Roman in Lewes, Deleware, who told me that the situation there is very dire. All of lower Lewes, from the bridge to the beach, is under water and the bridge is closed. The canal is rising and with a creek just behind Bill and John's house, they feel very surrounded, and threatened by water. All the roads in Delaware are closed so even if they could get out, they couldn't go anywhere. John says the rain is coming sideways and the trees around their house are bending dangerously. He's very afraid one of more of them will come down on their house. The connection was broken in the midst of our conversation and John called me back some time later to tell me that their power is now out. More later. Stay tuned.

Storm Update

October 29, 2012

3:30 PM

The wind is now blowing hard and loose debris is skittering across the streets like rats running for cover. The trees jump around as though they needed to go somewhere but can't quite decide which direction to head. The rain continues steadily although I can still see clearly from all my windows. The Maryland Transportation department has closed the Bay Bridge and the bridge across the Susquehanna on I 95, which is sure to disrupt major traffic (such as it is) going north and south. Our mayor has just declared the streets of our city closed to all vehicular traffic beginning at 6:00 PM and continuing until noon tomorrow, except for emergency responders. Still no problem here at The Fitz. I'm very snug and feel perfectly safe here on the fourth floor. But the storm is beginning, only beginning, to live up to its much vaunted reputation.
More later. Stay tuned.

Monday, October 29, 2012

10:30 AM

There's very little change from my last post. It's raining steadily, and perhaps a little harder than at 6:30 but there is no significant wind so far. The streets are wet and cars go by with their windshield wipers on but it's still easy to see through the rain.

Stay tuned

ANATOMY OF A MEGASTORM

Since some of you may be interested in the Megastorm now threatening the East Coast, I thought I might keep you posted on how it is here, in Baltimore, high and dry on the fourth floor of my apartment building. If the storm evolves in an interesting way, I’ll keep posting.




Monday, October 29, 6:30 AM

Our governor has declared a state of emergency for all of Maryland and the TV news has been full of dire predictions, closings, and shots of Jessica Cartalia in Ocean City, hunched in a poncho over her microphone wrapped in a plastic bag. But here, where I am, nothing seems ominous. In accordance with instructions from my building, I was sure all the windows and doors to the outside were closed and locked – did they think the wind would open a heavy, closed door? – before I went to bed last night but now that seems silly, and I missed the fresh air in my bedroom. From my living room, I can watch the storm as it progresses, if it does, and that seems far from real to me now and from here. My New York Times was outside my door this morning, as usual, and all seems normal. There’s a steady, if desultory rain, and the trees are moving a little at the tops but nothing seems out of the ordinary. I have a 10:30 physical therapy appointment in Towson, about 15 minutes north of here. Should I cancel?

Stay tuned.