"Endure another night"? After hurricane Andrew in '92, we were over three months without electricity.

Like Jim said, don't " over-dramatize."

I guess I can't post before the anti-hype brigade... :(

Jim! Right on! I was without it for 3 weeks after Ike.... you know... the hurricane that hit Houston a couple years ago and was no longer front page news after 2 weeks.....

But if the media doesn't hype it... then they wouldn't be doing their job....

To refer to people who have no power as their only problem as victims is being a bit melodramatic. Victims are those who were injured or killed in the storm. I can even agree with calling people who had their houses severely damaged or destroyed victims of the storm. People who have to endure a few days without power are not victims. People lived for hundreds of years without electricity, a few days is nothing more than a minor inconvenience. I have been through numerous hurricanes and spent many days without power as a result. We easily got by with candles, camp stoves or gas grills, and ice. Most of the people without power are not even having to deal with high temperatures that could make things very uncomfortable. Let's stop looking at everyone who has to deal with a little inconvenience as a victim. The victim mentality of people is really wearing thin and is a disservice to our society. Let's reserve the word victim to describe those who really are victims and stop throwing the term around so freely.

So let's see - we have 4 victims of media over-hype here...

Let's see. A week without power in the summer. Or a week without power in the dead of winter. I tried the winter scenario. I think I'd rather 'endure' a week without power in the summer.

You have to admit, some nasty flooding with this storm. However, the media created far more wind than Irene. And Al Roker with his 'perfect storm' fiasco. What a blowhard.

JS in SD great post, that was exactly what I was going to say. The Media likes to hype, thinks it will bring them more readers. Instead they create indifference, since we can see through the hype since there is an over-saturation of the event on visual media as well.

Jack, I'm with you concerning power outages in summer rather than winter. Been there with the winter outage. Only benefit was to put the food on the back porch when the freezer defrosted to keep it frozen.

Thank goodness I have a town utility that actually gives a crap. They have their own generators and linemen. Didn't lose power from this for more than 3 hours while my neighboring towns are covered by national grid, who will get to them when they get to them.

@JD

Don't worry, we'll next be hearing about the people who've got power but are victims because their internet service is out. Every winter, we were "Victims" of power outages. When it snows in the PNW, it's often this water laden, heavy stuff that snaps trees like toothpicks. You improvise and get by. We're pretty resilient when we put our minds to it.

I've been with no electricity for 3 - 4 days after a hurricane, which is nothing compared to what others endure. I will say I got teary-eyed and had a proud feeling when I saw those utility truck conveys coming down the road from other cities and states to work around the clock to give us our power back. I AM VERY THANKFUL TO THOSE PEOPLE to this day.

I was living in Brevard County in 2004, Frances and Jeanne particularly were bad for us. If anyone else knows what it's like in August-September in Florida and imagine that without power for two weeks...yeah. It could be worse.

I don't think the people without power are complaining... it's the news making it up as they go along! Lady just wanted a shower.. and for that I can't blame her LOL I didn't lose power (thank God hate replacing all that food I had to buy cause the news said it was the end of the world LOL)... but My sister is still without power since Sat.. she still gets up goes to work for two whole days. It's power and can be lived without and if you can't go to a hotel!

All I can say is, glad I'm in Chicago - whew! I keep thinking about moving south or maybe east coast, but after all these disasters, I'll stay put.
And to know that the Government & FEMA have NO MONEY -- NO MONEY to help these areas!
The Republicans want more cuts to pay for the disasters.

I can recall when Osama Bin Laden said he would break the commerce of America with his terrorism....and he aint no match for Mother Nature.

In a way, I don't mind pre-storm hype from the media. Because people don't listen and do need to prepare. Plus, it really is hard to predict how much damage a storm can do, so it is useful.

Now that it has passed, I do expect more level-headedness. My question is how many of these flooded towns are in flood zones to begin with. It would make a difference, wouldn't it, if we knew 50% or more of these towns are in flood prone areas? As mentioned, I am not unsympathetic, but it would help to understand exactly what part of this flooding was to be expected, and what wasn't.

We were lucky with this storm. We didn't lose power, we just lost our cable and internet for about 6 hours on Sunday. There was a lot of flooding around us, but my boyfriend put sandbags at the end of our driveway to keep the water from coming in off the street into our yard when it was downpouring. We had very little water in our basement, but others in our area weren't as lucky.

There are some people around us (my sister's family included) that still don't have power, but it's not that big of a deal. Her family was prepared with a backup generator that they're using to keep the fridge cold. And the kids have been playing a lot of board games.

There was a big ice storm in central MA about two years ago, and that was much worse to be without power. My boyfriend's house was without power for over a week in the middle of winter. His house was about 40 degrees when they finally got the power back on.

Try being a dairy farmer with no power.... You people who don’t work the land have no clue. If an adult milking cow isn’t milked twice daily they can get sick of mastitis. And if you do have a generator and can keep milking the cows then you better hope the road to your farm is passable so the milk truck can come pick it up or you will end up dumping the milk on the ground. Also our crops have been washed away so now I need to worry how Im going to feed them this winter.
We aren’t all up here just camping

We got our power back late last night. So glad. I feel for those with serious damage and loss of life & injury. We have a huge maple 1/2 dead, in our front yard. I thought for sure our home would be wearing it, but it stayed put.

Amazed on Cape Cod

Ohh Sally we in Philly Area need to that you then... it appears that some of Chicago utility crews Drove here with equipment and man power to assist in restoring power :) Hope nothing happens in Chicago that you may need them back

Been through hurricanes in FL and ice storms in Mississippi; and no matter how many days power was lost or we almost froze to death (very low temps and not the greatest insulation) or had to take cold showers or whatever, there were always people worse off than we were. Once we took in people when we got power back before they did. It kind of helps keep things in perspective when we are tempted to play the "I've suffered worse than you did" game. Someone has ALWAYS suffered worse than we have, at least in my experience, and there are never any winners in that game. Besides, suffering is suffering-how can I judge what is suffering for another person? Maybe they really can't make it without power for a few days, whereas to me that's not such a big deal for only a few days (See Locke's comment for extenuating circumstances that make it hard to make it without power for even a few days). Everyone has a different tolerance for things. (ie, some people freak out over getting a shot, whereas others can practically be stitched up without numbing-and I'm not judging either one, just pointing out that there is a difference) Unless I am actually there, I really can't judge.

@Locke

No kidding on that one. I've had to stand by and watch 4-5,000 gallons of milk being dumped because a power spike and compressor failure let it warm up and put our tank out of action. Sickening to realize the same thing happens for the next few milkings until the refer guys get your compressor back on line. Pretty small potatoes in comparison to your scenario, but hurts all the same.

Look, we get it, people always want to play the "my pain is worse than your pain" game.... But really to begrudge others help and sympathy because you had it worse... Is that really how you live your life?

Huge portions of every state along the Missouri River were underwater all summer long, causing damage that those on the east coast can't imagine. Where was the media coverage? The point is not begrudging anyone, differnet; the point is preposterous media overreaction.

Spider that made national media.. It was horrible to see. I completely agree that Irene has all but dominated at least our local media and it's quite annoying.. I missed the LLWS.. it was sad.

I cant believe how callous some of these people are being. In Vermont and Upstate NY whole towns are under water. People who make thier living by farming have no lively hood now, the waters swept it away. Yes I guess some have had it worse but right now these people cant even get away from it because every road is blocked. Its going to take some time to get electricity to everyone. Where is the big Hollywood fundraiser for these people. Have a heart.

I am from the Schoharie Valley in the Catskills of NY. I have gotten pictures from friends that took my breath away. The entire Valley is flooded more than ever and this valley floods almost yearly with the snow melt. A bridge there that has stood for 150 years with a span over 230ft, that is on the National Register of Historic Landmarks, that had it's foundations rebuilt and reinforced in the 70s after Hurrican Agnes, is now driftwood in the Mohawk River 50 miles downstream.

We are not talking about power out for three days or three weeks, we are talking about entire Towns swept downstream. Very narrow valleys with all access roads destroyed and no way to get out. We are talking about the poorest counties in NYS and we are also talking about huge old reservoirs and dams that supply all the water for NYC at the brink of failure. We are talking about Hollows so isolated and mountainous that Helicopters can't operate. Entire yearly crops wiped out to boot. That's just in a small part of NY.

This is an area that has lake effect snow that falls in feet and is as heavy as concrete. These are TOUGH people that face harsh conditions every year and don't ask for anything.

Not people people around the Gulf that say "Oh no, my beach house is destroyed, by yet ANOTHER Hurricane", yet stupidly rebuild in the same place, then look for disaster aid the next year when another Hurricane wipes them out.

SO .... Over hyped? NO

Northerners have thicker blood than Southerners..it's in the breed.

Did you ever think that the people talking about going without power haven't been able to see the news to see how bad others may have it right now. When you are without power you loose your connection with the outside world. I'm sure these folks being interviewed don't have the full picture. Also, this is still a tragedy to people who have lost their loved ones, homes, and businesses - stop having a pi$$ing contest w/ natural disasters.

thank you Krash66....I'm here in Delaware County, NY, in Margaretville, which too has been devastated by this flood and aftermath of Irene.....most of you folks out there in the world don't know how bad it really is here right now...our town is virtually gone - it has managed to survive through floods and tough conditions before for more than 150+ years...but today...only remnants are left....we are just now getting back some power and internet service, phone service, etc., (there is little to no cell service here...there are no towers)....to let our loved ones out there know we are okay....and despite the devastation, we ARE okay and we're helping each other the best we can to cope, clean up and get settled with what's ahead of us.. there are still many out there that haven't been rescued yet - up on the mountains who are cut-off since the roads and bridges have also washed away - and smaller villages and hamlets like Prattsville who have also been devastated and cut-off from access so please be mindful that just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it isn't really happening or that this devastation doesn't really exist....

wow what did they do in 1903? Catskill alot of the east coast has that devistation. Cell service is really what you worry about? Your town is "gone" yet you complain about cell service and internet. Believe me it sucks to worry about loved ones in areas that were hit hard but c'mon?

I'm not complaining about anything...I don't give a rat's a** whether we have cell service or not...you completely missed the point....we had no power, we haven't had the ability to communicate with you outsiders to let you know how bad it really is here.....it's called comprehensive reading skills... read what I really wrote instead of skimming it....yes, our town is gone, we don't care about the cell service and we don't particularly care whether we have internet either...it's a nice touch in modern day...but just so you know, there are still people trapped and unreachable here...and yes, you can see the devastation on major tv stations for vermont, nj, north carolina, etc., but unless you're in it, you haven't got a clue

Cats I'm in Yardley/New Hope area of PA - look it up when you get the internet back.. town is destroyed almost every flooding (1 every 5 yrs or so) but I wouldn't live anywhere else... I know it will happen I accept it will happen and we live learn and move on... Still haven't been home... will wait and see

Not to mention staying in this hotel since Friday has been like a mini vacation for me and my kids

Your disgusting Lyndanne. Your such a toughy! If it doesn't fit your macho definition, it's not suffering. The world is a very complicated place. You have no idea what is happening in millions of individual situations playing out because of this storm.

If I were one of your children, being locked in a hotel with you, would be the definition of suffering.

The way some of you responding it may have been better if you were there. Why do people always have to compare what happened to them in bad situations? The problem with this country is no one wants to help anyone anymore. Some of you are talking about losing power for a week or more, but a lot of people have lost more than just power, they have lost everything.

A lot of these ares like upstate NY and Vermont never get hurricanes, this wasn't just all hype. If you don't want to watch the news then don't, but it is nice to see how family members may be doing in areas we can't hear from.

thank you James and Jeigh...no, we don't usually get hurricanes like Irene here...we were warned of high winds, rain and possible flooding and a tornado warning was also issued....much of which we have endured before and most of us are readily prepared for....we weren't given sufficient warning for the flash floods that have ripped through here...the flash flood warning came less than one hour before the water came...those that COULD get to higher ground went with only the clothes on their backs and what little they could grab...their homes and businesses and livelihoods are piles of rubble downstream now...others were trapped when the roads and bridges were washed away....until today, there has been virtually no safe roads in to the Catskills nor out because of the tremendous damage. As a community, we have come together to help each other and to support each other and we are extremely grateful to those outsiders who recognize the severity of the situation here and have come from around the country to help rescue folks, provide support and provide simple basic necessities that many take for granted....like clean, drinkable water..... Because of the terrain here, cell service is very limited on a normal basis but without power or regular old-fashioned land lines, cable or internet service, we weren't able to reach people or get the word out to our friends and families that we are indeed OK...and we will be okay...with time.

You ppl who are being *victiminized* by *hype* don't know what you're talking about. This is not waah waah we have no electricity, internet access, or cell service (once you get E of Syracuse NY a cell signal is hit & miss all the way to Portsmouth NH anyway, not like ppl in the area are used to the *convenience*).

These are landlocked mountainous regions on the Canadian border, for Pete's sake. These are not the yahoos who keep building vacation beach homes that blow down in every hurricane that passes by or you ppl who *choose* to live in hurricane-prone areas. These are not the ppl who went panic-shopping last wk & are now standing in line trying to return everything they didn't use. This is an area that doesn't get hurricanes.

Vermont has every single road closed. An entire state has shut down. Individual homes & whole communities are flooded out & cut off from the rest of the world, & there's no way in or out. The death toll is rising. There are likely still an unknown amt of ppl who are stranded w/ no way to contact anyone for help. These are not ppl who laughed in the face of a hurricane, decided to ride it out, & then were sorry later & had to be rescued. These are ppl so far from the coast they've never seen the ocean, let alone regard the beach as their private playground.

Harmless little creeks have turned into raging rivers, while the rivers are really raging. Picturesque covered bridges that have stood for nearly 200 yrs have been swept away. Roads have collapsed or turned into impassable lakes. This is so incredibly worse than the normal spring run-off that occurs when all the snow melts (some time around April or May) that the pix are amazing to behold. Look at the pix of the Outer Banks & multiply by 10 or so to get an idea of the damage & destruction.

These are some of the poorest areas of the US, right on a par w/ Appalachia. Lots of trailers in Vermont just over the NY border. Lots of trailers on the NY side as well. Lots of old homes & bldgs dating back to when this part of the US was 1st settled in the 17th & 18th centuries. They're not on designated flood plains, so guess what? No flood insurance. A lot of these ppl are screwed.

The infrastructure was not that great to begin w/. NYC sucks NYS dry (don't see y'all volunteering to pay for 9/11), nothing ever seems to get done *upstate*. There is real fear some of these elderly dams are going to give way.

And in E NY, these valleys are also farm country. Y'all go ahead & *whine* when the price of apples alone skyrockets from these drowned orchards that have bruised fruit lying underwater from being knocked off by high winds 1st, never mind the vineyards that produce a lot of domestic wine, plus the dairy farms & the veggies that were just about ready to be harvested. Guess Vermont's not going to be ready for maple syrup season this yr, either; remember that when you *whine* about how expensive it is to wet your pancakes.

Everyone who thinks they have hurricane bragging rights & dismiss this as *whining*....are you kidding me? You think 70F & humid is tough sleeping conditions w/o your a/c (um, we get that in NY every summer, too, & lots of ppl don't have a/c up here), you're welcome to try it out lacking heat when it's 50F & you've got a stagnant pool of standing water in your basement, maybe even your 1st floor. Or when your house is on an island that wasn't there last wk, precariously close to its edge.

Y'all don't know what a flash flood is like. It's not watching the water rise. It's not there one min & there the next, that's how fast it is, you're lucky if you have time to get the hell out of its way. These waters won't even have receded in a wk, & by then maybe Katia, predicted to be a category 3 & turning toward the Northeast again, will add more. At least y'all had a few wks btwn Katrina & Rita. In a month or 2 it's going to be snowing in these areas, not just compounding the problem, but making it impossible to repair all these broken roads. Asphalt or cement don't set when it's cold. We're talking a catastrophic mess tht will be lucky to have been cleaned up by this time next yr b/c we have actual seasons up North.

And the *best* part of all is the US is flat broke & these heartless bastards in Congress don't give a @!$%# about any of it, any more than they did about New Orleans or Joplin. It's our *punishment* for allowing gay marriage. Next thing you know, Perry's going to say his rain praying worked, just got a little misdirected. And these are the @!$%#wit yahoos you ppl adore, defend, & vote for. Pffft. Nature just created a @!$%#load of jobs & will they take advantage of it? Of course not, they're too busy playing schoolyard bully & making sure something's in it for them 1st or it's no go. Christ, even former Communist bloc countries have a better infant mortality rate than the US does. But let's keep those fetuses a-comin', we don't need no steenking Planned Parenthoood, birth control, abortion, or prenatal care in this great country!

Epic fail all the way around, & yes, I'm pointing at anyone who thinks what's going on in Vermont & NY atm (NJ & PA as well), plus the *normal* hurricane aftermath down in NC etc, is reason to tell ppl they're *whiners*. Y'all got yours & you don't care about anyone else's misfortunes. Disgusting attitude. Congressmen don't need $174K/yr & a fat pension after a single term, if they think charity begins at home then let them show us how it's done by giving up some of their goodies to fund this series of unfortunate events.

http://news.yahoo.com/east-coast-feels-irenes-effects-091516589.html

Maybe this will help ppl understand it ain't just *whining*.

Vermont alone estimates infrastructure damage in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Jeigh my children and I are also greatful you are not at the hotel with us to whine and complain. Sorry that I was taught the pick myself up by the boot straps and rely on noone but myself and my family. I never ONCE said I did not sympathize with everyone effected by Irene or any other disaster. Disgusting is a bit over dramatic don't you think... because I do not feel as you or my opinion differs I'm disgusting. I have posted many many posts regarding this so keep reading. I was replying to Catskill regarding the complaints about cell phones she responded it wasnt' a complaint... I misinterpreted how her post was written.

what the hell is vange? you mean "vonage", Beavis

Didn't you hear? It's God telling us to cut spending.

Just ask Shelley.

No it's god telling us to get the he**ll out of these wars we're creating. We don't have to worry about the terrorists bankrupting us, Mother Nature is doing a good job.

Should we have empathy and concern for those dealing with natural disasters? Rather, than comparing we should show concern and empathy because that could be us and our families. Wow! There is some insensitivity here, hopefully it doesn't overtake you.

GOD and His son, Jesus are telling us something more important than getting out of the wars and bankruptcy. Perhaps THEY are telling And, that our ways of doing things a us that better times are ahead. Why, else would we be experiencing these "critical times hard to deal with"?

Hope that generator isn't in an attached garage. People die after storms from improperly ventilated generators, from carbon monoxide poisoning.

After many power outages (from thunderstorms, straight-line winds, and ice storms), many of my neighbors have whole-house generators. It is getting to the point where a whole-house generator will be a requirement to sell a house here. We have private wells here, so if you are out of power, you have no running water, and it is kind of nice to be able to flush a toilet!

Not if all that crap got blown away or damaged by flood waters :(

In VA were I currently live almost 20% of the people lost their power. Most of them live hours away from the storm but lost power because they were "downstream" of the current or just because they were dependent upon the grid which went down. Solar panels could have easily survived these conditions, plus, the batteries are usually located in a protective building and aren't nearly as vulnerable.

.

NAh, just keep the panels down during the storm and put them up after! But ya' know wind and hydro sound like that they might have done some good!

I know this sounds harsh, but after Ike and 2 weeks w/out power...It sure is beautiful at night, all those stars and no sound but Nature itself, beautiful!

solar power wont work if it is very cloudy, beavis!

Actually solar power DOES work if its cloudy, because solar gathers most of its energy from the mostly invisible part of the light spectrum (aka UV). UV penetrates clouds fairly easily, which is why you can still burn on a cloudy day.

End of science lesson.

Another conservative ignoramus spouting off about technology they know nothing about. Must live under a rock.

That's funny, Rick the all knowing, my solar powered lights don't get a full charge on cloudy days. Though you are correct, one can burn on a cloudy day, but not as severely.

End of corrected science lesson.

To anat80: when the power goes out here--a week at a time is usual, for an ice storm or from high winds--the roar of generators wrecks the silence. I think we've had about 7 or 8 week-long power outages in the past 30 years.

Another conservative ignoramus spouting off about technology they know nothing about. Must live under a rock.

solar power wont work if it is very cloudy, beavis!

what the hell is vange? you mean "vonage", Beavis

If I were one of your children, being locked in a hotel with you, would be the definition of suffering.

CoH

Yes--it is amazing how people come together in times of trouble and disaster. Had only been in my house for 3 months when IKE hit. Got to know my neighbors real quick. And found out what great neighbors they are.

I live in Florida since the end of 2004/beginning of 2005 (currently not there because of active military service in the Army) and only serious Hurricane I had was Wilma, only lost power for 2 days and had no school for 2 full weeks, because other places had no power still. Nothing too big, not a victim but still had small issues because of gas. But before I lived in NJ and NY and was in the 2003 black out which was not even terrible, no power, still lived life no big deal, power came back on in 3 days if I remember correctly.

LMP, same here, had Hurricane parties in Florida after Wilma and the power randomly came back on at night.

As a retired utility line crew worker, I am so glad I hung up my keys to my bucket truck (in July). The East will get their crews that they ask for, and I won't miss those days and nights working long hours, dodging debri, working til I drop and cleaning up nature's messes..... Seeing some of the pictures of the power lines, I hope people realize it could be weeks or longer before they get everything back on in the residential area's....

I think that the government did and excellent job with warnings and evacuations, these are the cases where you can't take enoughh precautions and have to fairly warn and evacuate all those in the affected area's. The low loss of life is a direct result of the implementation of these plans and their effectiveness. Everyone can criticize the media "overblowing" the storms dangers BUT the low loss of life is the direct result of good planning and informing the public. They did an excellent job.

oh, reary?

Ed McT: Have you ever heard of battery operated radio? Whether we had EBS or not, I have always had a battery operated radio on hand. Why should people depend on TV or Internet or telephone to receive emergency warnings?

Those "poor" people on the east coast, what a shame that they should have to do without power, lol. They get hurricanes and nor-easters all the time, what are they crying about. Irene was nothing compared to the destruction of other parts of the US, ie Katrina and the tornados that wiped out parts of Kansas. Just another one of Mother Nature's stupendous acts. And those "poor" people who were killed? Why were they out in the storm in the first place? Did they not know the signs of weather, or listen to the news? Two teenagers were killed due to the fact that they went "jogging". I am so sick and tired of hearing about how the "storms are blamed" for people dying. Get a life. If you're asked to evacuate, don't you think it would be a good thing to do? especially if you found that you survived it. Mother Nature does her thing every year, yet DUMB people think they can ignore all warnings and prevention measures, etc. believing they are invincible. Humans are supposed to be top of the line intelligent. Every time I hear that a storm is blamed for someone dying, I want to know if that person or persons were brain dead or something.

As for the media, I think they need to dry up and shut up on this "storm" that turned out to be pretty much of a dud further up the coastline. People deal with heavy snows thawing out each spring, causing flooding and excessive run-off. I have purposely ignored the news reports on Irene, as it has only been so much hype. Apparently, areas in the mid-west that are tortured by nature just aren't as important as when a dribble hits the east coast. Must be the pioneer mentality of those living in the mid-west areas where they insist on rebuilding by themselves and not waiting for the lame government to cover/repair/rebuild their losses.

I agree. I still think that analog can still provide better service than digital in some instances. I have DirectTV and sometimes it just freezes up. The only way I can fix it is to change to another channel and then change back. At least with analog, you might get a little snow or something, but by and large, you still got a signal; it wasn't an all-or-nothing proposition as it appears to be with digital.

Umm, I don't have cable or satellite and I watched TV this morning. But I agree with Texas here, I get fewer clear channels since the digital switchover than I had with analog.

Ed, some people can't run a generator. I live in a condo with no ownership of the space external to my place. I suppose I could run it if I wanted carbon monoxide poisoning. I can't afford a house, so I live within my means. What I do for a power outage such as this is a few sealed lead acid batteries. They work great for lights and cell phones, not so great for refrigerators.

That's digital for ya - it's either a 1 (on) or a 0 (off). Nature of the beast! I get awesome over-the-air TV signals where I am. Some actually seem better than cable.

Prag: No balcony? Wow. I don't know how you can take that. Sounds like a good application for a couple of solar panels. . . For a fridge, you might look into propane-powered refrigerators like they put in RVs. Not cheap, but they always work.

Not everyone ws outside in the storm, one report says a tree fell on a house killing one person.

If you want to put it that way, Patricia, then I'm *so sick* of hearing people complain about how it was worse in Katrina and the tornadoes in Kansas. You KNOW there's tornadoes every year in the west, and you know hurricanes hit hard in the south. Are you trying to tell me there was no warning for people to evacuate that hurricane? Yet you CHOOSE to live there. And you're stupid enough to rebuild each year!!

As for your statements, we get hurricanes.. hardly ever. So think again, dumb@ss. We do get nor'easters more frequently, but THEY DON'T FLOOD PEOPLES HOMES, which is the major issue, not the power loss.

Next time think before you type, as you say, get a life. Get back in the kitchen where you belong.

Those "poor" people on the east coast, what a shame that they should have to do without power, lol. They get hurricanes and nor-easters all the time, what are they crying about.

Not in Vermont & NY. Have you a shred of compassion at all?

Irene was nothing compared to the destruction of other parts of the US, ie Katrina and the tornados that wiped out parts of Kansas.

Tell that to the state of Vermont, which is totally shut down & fragmented atm. Selective rdg?

If you're asked to evacuate, don't you think it would be a good thing to do? especially if you found that you survived it. Mother Nature does her thing every year, yet DUMB people think they can ignore all warnings and prevention measures, etc. believing they are invincible. Humans are supposed to be top of the line intelligent. Every time I hear that a storm is blamed for someone dying, I want to know if that person or persons were brain dead or something.

I'd like to see how well you evacuate in front of a flash flood. *Superior intelligence* counts for naught when Mother Nature is pissed.

As for the media, I think they need to dry up and shut up on this "storm"

Do you live in the sole spot on the planet that has no weather at all, that you need to put that in quotation marks? It was a very real storm, its aftermath is ongoing, & more ppl are dying & losing homes & livelihoods in states that are never touched by hurricanes.

People deal with heavy snows thawing out each spring, causing flooding and excessive run-off.

This is much worse than that. It's a true catastrophe.

I have purposely ignored the news reports on Irene, as it has only been so much hype.

Then I don't think you're qualified to comment at all, since you just admitted you don't have a clue what's going on. And I think you're indulging in *hyperbole*, or you wouldn't have previously remarked upon media anecdotes.

Must be the pioneer mentality of those living in the mid-west areas where they insist on rebuilding by themselves and not waiting for the lame government to cover/repair/rebuild their losses.

Yes, b/c no one in Vermont or NY was ever a pioneer. Neither state was even settled when y'all hit the Midwest. /s/ Do you even understand that the ppl who settled New England & Mid-Atlantic States, as well as the East Coast, created the original colonies w/ their *pioneer mentality*? They came all the way from Great Britain & Holland across the Atlantic Ocean. Y'all drove a covered wagon a few miles. Big diff.

The Midwest just got plenty of FEMA cash for their *spring run-off*, that's why there's nothing left for anyone else. Brad Pitt donated $500K to Joplin & more than that to Make It Right in New Orleans, but I don't think he can support every American disaster. You act as if where you reside never touches govt funds. I beg to differ. You can't get out of your own driveway w/o using govt $. Citizens didn't build your infrastructure, the govt did. And it pd out when you flooded out.

At least with analog, you might get a little snow or something, but by and large, you still got a signal; it wasn't an all-or-nothing proposition as it appears to be with digital.

All I get, & I do have an HDTV w/ a digi-antenna, is Fox & CW, & only if I put the antenna in the window! And I live on a flat plain near a major metro area w/ no hills, let alone mtns, to be had, so dunno WTF is up w/ that nonsense. Steel-beamed construction preventing the signal from getting in? Can't even get in the 2 local channels or the 2 Canadian ones I got on analog, let alone the *major networks*. My old analog w/ the rabbit ears did better & I wish I'd just gotten the convertor box rather than new equipment, seeing as it turned out to be a waste of $. Therefore, I don't watch TV. I refuse to pay for what was supposed to be *free* when the transition was made. Luckily my HDTV has PC capacity, so it's now a nice big monitor instead. That digital crap is useless.

That will probably be a pretty short list.

We turned away help for Katrina. Numerous countries offered to help-including Japan, Russia, most of Western Europe and Cuba, but Bush turned them away.

Look things up before you post.

These people are muckrakers. If they looked things up, they wouldn't have anything to say.

um ok.. honest it is hard to imagine a real hurricane with wind hitting us here in the philly area.. but then again I never thought I'd feel and earthquake.. I have lived in this area my entire life.. never experienced a "real" earthquake nor a "real" hurricane or a tornado.. why I love where I live little bits of all but never the full. I laughed outloud with some of the California peoples comments on how we handled the earthquake. We did it wrong because honestly most of us do not prepare for the like. Now gimme two feet of snow and I'm on my way to work.

I suppose it would be the equivalent of the way we (people in the north) laugh at the way you in the south handle 3 inches of snow. Everything cancels like it's the end of the world. Why? Because you *almost never* get snow.

We almost never get:

Tornadoes
Hurricanes
Earthquakes

It's been a rough year for New England, especially after having had the tornadoes back in June. Give these people a break.

I forgot to mention flooding, we hardly ever get that either, and this is historic.

I couldn't have picked a better summer to take off from the east coast. The first NYC blizzard nearly did me in, and I am usually directly in the middle of the schit. I did end up in tornado alley while visiting relatives near Joplin... maybe I should just keep quiet while I am ahead.

what if the grill floated down stream? can we come over and you can grill for us <grin>

I don't think you realize how many people live in apartment buildings without decks and grills.

Wow, now that's an upside! A week or two not listening to my boss do his parallel political campaign telling us who to vote for would be an added plus.

Kinda like the difference between a boat and a yacht. Although there's a "technical difference," in conversation someone's else's vessel is a boat. Your own vessel is a yacht!

I have to go watch Deep Blue Sea again LOL :)

The difference this time idiot - FEMA's doing a good Job. No more dumb Brownie. HEY BROWNIE YOUR DOING A HECK OF A JOB!

FEMA is doing a good job here. The only thing anyone can possibly say is that we were too prepared!

they are geting the food together and shipped form father west to the helio sites and the antional guard will have to fly the food in

FEMA is running out money because the high number of natural disasters.

By the way the tea party says FEMA should be disband and the cost hand back to the states. So Do you have the engineering experince to rebuild roads or powerlines or how about fixing a partial destroyed house? if not the state would have to pay for. This is not the 1790 anymore when anyone could do anything becuase what they did only affect a dozen people.

The pioneers also had a much higher death rate in storms like this.

When are people going to learn NOT to depend on the government for quick fixes

Do you understand what FEMA does? They do not fund things that insurance would cover... How exactly is "neighbor helping neighbor" going to remove a tree? How is "neighbor helping neighbor" going to set up shelters or fly in food and supplies?

I am all about neighbor helping neighbor-and agree that there should be more if it...But if a tree is sitting in the middle of the road surrounded by live wires-it is going to take more than that to fix it. When bridges are wiped out (as was the case in several places) neighbor helping neighbor is not going to rebuild it. When the water supply is contaminated and bottled water running low-not sure what neighbors are supposed to do there. Evacuating elderly and sick patients to safe areas requires a lot of coordination. Charities also need to play a role-but they will never be able to accomplish it all at their current funding. None of these things would be considered quick fixes.

Not everyone's forefathers were pioneers. You are obviously living in the past.

TGFD, didn't you hear, this morning they announced that FEMA is running out of money so it doesn't look like they will be doing a lot to assist the east coast.

When are people going to learn NOT to depend on the government for quick fixes. Just do as others do (of course, not Louisiana), and take care of the problems themselves. Rebuild and repair, not a tough issue, our forefathers (the pioneers) used to do it all the time. Neighbor helping neighbor.

I think it would be a great idea if you went to Vermont for your Labor Day wkend vacation. It would be a real eye-opener.

FEMA is running out of $ b/c the 1st *disaster* we experienced this yr was the Midwest's *spring run-off*.

Interesting comments, but this story is primarily about those in towns nowhere near the ocean who remain cutoff because of road closures and the large number of folks who still do not have electricity.

What I don't get is why people build homes on the ocean, yeah, the view is great, but every year, some coastal homes succumb to a storm and this is surprising?

Absoulutely. Those people in Vermont who have homes on the ocean and live in the tropics were foolish to build there!

I agree that some people do continue to rebuild on property that keeps getting hit-but that was not the case with this storm. The reason it was such big news was that the areas that were hit never get storms like this. If we are going to say no one can live by any body of water-ocean, lake, river...that is not going to happen.

but aren't there any building codes along rivers or near dams where most people would expect flooding

The whole point is that flooding like this was not expected because it has never happened before.

I agree that foolish people such as those who went surfing or did not follow evacuation orders were reckless-but a lot of people died from things like live wires setting their home on fire or a tree falling on their home.

There are natural disasters everywhere. It doesn't matter where people build. Near the ocean you are at risk for hurricanes and tsunamis. Near a river you are at risk for flooding. In the desert you are at risk of drought, fires, and sand storms. On the west coast you are at risk for earthquakes. East coast blizzards, and nor'easters. Midwest has tornadoes. So where do you suggest people build? In a plastic bubble?

actual the east coast has earthquakes ,floods and tornadoes too.

The east coast just had one little earthquake. I'm an NY'er living in LA... let's not get carried away here.

But your right about the floods and tornadoes on the east coast... the poster also left out quite a bit about the west coast. Earthquakes, tsunami, fires, floods, drought, tornadoes, mudslides... it's a dangerous world.

I wasn't trying to be specific; more just giving examples. But since we are being specific I also didn't mention the active volcanoes along the west coast and southwest as well. But yes, it is a dangerous world, and no where is safe from mother nature!

Referring to uchusky99's post:

Vermont is on the ocean? Am I missing something here? LOL

It was a sarcastic response to Deena's post which said that people shouldn't continue to build on the ocean-refering to vermont. Vermont is also not in the tropics...

Ahhh totally missed the sarcasm...sorry bout that!!!! good one

Showers I believe are not a luxury.. can't even jump in the local river to bath right now... Just ewwww <smile>

Katia's coming....

Someone actually stole your generator while it was in use? WOW.

Cam-3915193, not sure who your talking to, maybe yourself????

I don't see any whining from East Coast people. No looting reports here. Maybe you should move to the East Coast.

I've only heard of 2 arrest for looting in Virginia Beach. But lots of stories of whining. I don't think there will be major looting hopefully those 2 will be it.

So many idiots. The only one whining is you... baby. You hijacked a post about other people's suffering, so that you could whine about your own hardships. Get a clue.

Cam,

I am a proud N. Eastern Girl and I am not whining. All I hear in your post is "Weahhhweeahhhweeaahhh!" Pot, Kettle, Black!!! Peace