14 September 2018

The waiting game

Sorry, all I can think about right now is Hurricane Florence. The storm center — its eye — has still not crossed the North Carolina coast. In other words, the hurricane has stalled. Predictions are for at least 20 if not 40 inches of rainfall over the next day and a half. That's 500 to 1000 millimeters.

So far this morning, CNN has reported that the highest winds recorded have been gusts at 108 mph (174 kph) in the little settlement of Davis (a.k.a. Davis Shores, pop. 400) in the eastern part of Carteret County, N.C. That area is known locally as "Down East" where I come from (Morehead City), which is more water and marsh than dry land. I have old friends who live near Davis.

New Bern, N.C., and Atlantic Beach, Morehead City, and Davis Shores in Carteret County

An hour ago CNN also reported that 12½ inches (320 ml) of rain have already fallen in the resort town called Atlantic Beach, where I spent a good part of my childhood. Our house was about two miles from there by road and bridge. Atlantic Beach (pop. 1,500) is on the barrier island that protects Morehead City (pop. 9,000) from ocean waves. It has been extensively developed over the past 100 years. That's when the first bridge from Morehead to the Beach was built. My grandmother used to share memories of going to the Beach by sailing skiff.

Also, CNN has reported that a 10-foot (three-meter) storm surge has started flooding the old town of New Bern (pop. 30,000), which was the capital of North Carolina in colonial times. To give you some scale, New Bern is 35 miles northeast of Morehead City. CNN just reported that officials are especially concerned about the situation in New Bern and Morehead, which are located on very low-lying land. All the electricity in New Bern is out. No report about Morehead.

On the upper right corner of this map, you can see the settlements named Cedar Island, Portsmouth, and Ocracoke. There's a car ferry that runs several times a day (probably not right now!) from Cedar Island, which is land's end in Carteret County, over to Ocracoke and back. The boat ride takes about 2½ hours each way. Ocracoke (pop. 950) is accessible only by ferry. The old settlement of Portsmouth is now a ghost town and is part of a national park called the Cape Lookout National Seashore.

20 comments:

  1. If the electricity is out in New Bern, does it mean Morehead City could be in the same dire situation? Were you able to get in touch with your sister at any time recently?

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    1. I got an e-mail from her yesterday. Friends are staying with her at her house during the storm, so she's not alone. She said she would contact me again as soon as she can.

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    2. CNN just reported that Atlantic Beach (which would mean Morehead City too) has had 22 inches of rainfall in the past 24 hours. That's about 560 millimeters — about as much as we get in a year in Saint-Aignan.

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    3. That would be in addition to the surge, innit?
      There were pictures of flooded Wilmington on France 2, JT de 8 heures, this morning, and other flooded places, but they didn't say where it was in NC.

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    4. Well, the rain adds to the flooding, that's for sure. But the main factor is the wind from the east or northeast that keeps pushing the water up toward the coast. If the rainwater could just flow away, free of the influence of the wind, there wouldn't be such flooding.

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  2. Il y a une vidéo concernant Morehead City là : https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2018/09/14/aux-avant-postes-de-louragan-florence-une-ville-deja-durement-touchee_a_23526805/?utm_hp_ref=fr-homepage
    et quelques autres informations sur Huffington.fr
    Courage à vous.

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    1. Thanks. Je suis scotché à CNN depuis cinq heures du matin...

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  3. Just to say I am keeping you and yours in my thoughts and prayers. I do admire your family's courage and commitment to those they serve.

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    1. Thank you. My sister reads this blog so she will surely see your comment.

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  4. I was hoping they had decided to leave after all....storm is only moving 6mph....tortuous

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  5. . Hoping that the storm moves out soon- it's difficult to imagine so much rain at one time. The photos from Morehead City were awful....Praying that there is no loss of life and admiring your sister's willingness to help those who are in need.

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  6. Hoping for the best for your loved ones in the storm, Ken. Saw that Morehead City had a 10 foot storm surge, yikes. Betsy & Doug

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    1. Hi B., I still haven't heard much about the flooding or damage in Morehead City. They probably don't have power at this point. My sister, Joanna, said she would send me a message as soon as she could. Best to you and D.

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  7. We are watching too. The Weather Channel has staff in Morehead City and they are reporting from there constantly. Sounds as if this will go on for a couple more days.

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    1. No news from my sister or anybody else in Morehead yet. I hope they didn't get flooded out.

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    2. Do hope your sister and loved ones are safe. Situation looks bad in Morehead City. Wish the storm moves somewhere else fast!

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  8. Accidentally saw this with Morehead City in the headline....Very graphic forecast. May everyone be well, and safe from high water.
    https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/Florences-1-100-Year-Storm-Surge-Breaks-All-Time-Records

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  9. Would you like a brief report from New Bern? We were hit with a terrible storm surge (huge wave) on Thursday night. I live 3 blocks from the Neuse River (near Maola Dairy) and had four feet of water in my basement. My big, heavy American-style washing machine floated. There's tremendous damage everywhere below Greenville (50 miles north). In the New Bern historic district there was a great deal of damage to the beautiful pre-20th century homes. Middle St is a mess, most businesses closed until at least today. I haven't seen Morehead City or Atlantic Beach. My doctor's office is in Morehead just of Bridges Street behind the hospital. They were inundated -- called today to cancel my appointment. A great many people evacuated but the poorest people didn't/couldn't. There was significant coverage of the public housing tenants who were left trapped -- NY Times front page yesterday, Public Television news. We will be a long time recovering from this. Donald Trump came to New Bern, Cherry Point and Havelock today. No paper towels! Fight global warming! This was the worst storm ever in the Carolinas!

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    1. Thank you for the report, Libbie. I'm so sorry to hear all of this. It's hard for me to get much info about Morehead/AB. New Bern has gotten more coverage. And Lumberton — my sister and I have a good friend, now living in Morehead and working in Havelock, who is from there, and I've been there several times in the past. I have cousins in Hampstead that I have no news from. I saw them in February when I was in Morehead to say good-bye to my mother, and we talked about them coming to see us this year or in 2019. I hope their beautiful home didn't flood or blow away.

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