Well, I'm back -- actually a little earlier than I was supposed to be, but screw 'em. :x
According to my anemometer, I got at least a gust of 107 MPH / 170 KPH after I set it to remember all the peak settings (high/low temperature, wind velocity). Supposedly, the wind got up to 90 MPH sustained for about an hour in this general area of town. Otherwise, everything here is essentially fine. No damage at all to house (it's supposed to be rated to take a Category 3 hurricane). The oak, ash, sweetgum, and palm trees seem absolutely fine. I keep them trimmed so that none of the branches or limbs cause undue swinging -- especially towards the house or roof. However, I do have a bunch of other folk's branches and leaves in my front and back yards and what looks like the top of a Norfolk Island pine in my backyard. Ouch.
On my sojourn, I got caught up in a few hellations traffic jams way out in the middle of nowhere, which were simply part of what was reportedly "The largest traffic jam in US history." I avoided the Interstate highways and other freeways / tollways throughout the metro area, taking only back roads to my destination.
Explorer said:
...has a 22 foot storm surge and rising (maybe to over 32 feet as I'm now hearing).
A little later I re-heard that radio report: the guy explained that this was waves on top of the storm surge
out at sea, so that was actually over 50 feet, or 30+ foot waves on top of 20+ foot storm surge. So, if you were on an island about 50 feet above sea level, like Bermuda, you'd probably find yourself under water every time a wave hit. Meteorologists can calculate storm surge and wave heights fairly accurately for storms out at sea, if they know the correct wind speed. If the hurricane moves in a straight line for a long time, it can build up a really large storm surge on the "dirty side."
The Rhode Island hurricane in the 1930s churned a long way up the Atlantic Ocean in a straight line at Rhode Island (and Long Island) building a huge storm surge along the way. As it approached, just ahead of the gale force winds, the survivors (there weren't many) thought it was a rapidly moving fog bank until it was on top of them.
All indications point to the beast increasing in strength, with the water at about 86F. Things can always be replaced, just take care of yourself and your near & dear.
