Hey guys, I need advice on throwing a Hurricane Party...

Looks Like Issabelle is going to throw some of her mojo our way in Blacksburg Thursday night when we take on your good buddies from Texas A&M. So, instead of a tailgate, I'm throwing a hurricane party, you guys have any advice?

By the way, great season so far for you guys, looking forward to coming down to BR next September! who knows, maybe we can move this game up a little bit to January in the Sugar Bowl ;-)

 

Lots of beer and women!!!!

 

Is it scheduled to hit around game time.

Hammer the Aggies !!!!!!!!

 

If it stays as big as it is now, you might wanna change your plans from a party to a road trip...

 

It is scheduled to hit around the VA NC border around 2PM on Thursday, which if it continues inland could bring it over Blacksburg sometime around the game... It seems they are thinking of postponing the game until Saturday now, but we will see, I hope they wait until tomorrow when things are more clear before they do that, I was looking forward to the road trip

 

If the hurricane actually holds its path and is going to hit during the game, there is no way that the university would allow it to go on as scheduled. The game would have to be rescheduled. As far as your hurricane party, I suggest lots of ice and hard liquor. Beer takes up cooler space that you'll likely need to put perishable food items (just in case the power is out for a few days). Also, keep some towels handy for after you get drunk and decide to go outside to take on the storm.

 

Or people you don't like and wouldn't mind seeing die.



A gasoline powered generator can come in real handy. My electricity was out for 3 days after Andrew hit Baton Rouge. I could hear a generator running at some guys house a couple of houses away. Just hearing that sound and knowing that they could take hot showers, watch TV and run their air conditioner while we sweltered in the dark made me seriously tempted to commit an act of theft. The place where I was working at the time was without power also so I couldn't even cool off by going to work.

Seriously, Isabell looks like a real killer storm. I don't think people in Virginia have much experience with hurricanes the we we do down here. If its coming your way and its still a category 4 or 5 storm get the hell out of town and leave early enough to beat the rush of trafffic that will be clogging up the Interstates, especially if you live very near the coast.

 

3 days from landfall. I doubt they'll accurately predict the point of landfall. If they say Blacksburg now then you can expect it to hit Boston.

 

Don't forget lots of charcoal and/or propane tanks for your grill. You will need something to cook on after the power goes out. Cook all of the perishables first before the other stuff.

When Andrew knocked out the power in Baton Rouge for a few days we were grilling EVERYTHING we had, including frozen pizza and frozen egg rolls!

 

This is sound advice. Living in Mobile, I have been through my fair share of hurricanes, some of which were category 3 and up. In fact, even though this has nothing to do with Mobile, in 1995 I was in Pensacola when hurricane Erin hit as a category 1 AND when Opal hit as a category 3. Erin wasnt that big of a deal, and we did have a hurricane party for that one. Some of you may remember Opal doing circles in the gulf before strengthening to 150+ MPH sustained winds, and gusts reported up to 180. That is just off the charts for a hurricane. It eventually weakened to a category 3 with winds right at 130 MPH when it made landfall. I was at a friends house on Pensacola Beach at the time, and I remember going to bed seeing Opal as a category 2 headed to Texas. We all woke up to find out it was a MAJOR category 4 (like 5 MPH away from CAT5) headed right at us. Had we had more time to prepare, or known more about where the hurricane was going, we would have left. We didnt know if it was better to stay and hope it changed directions or get stuck in traffic on the escape routes that might get washed out anyway. We decided to stay and weather the storm, which may have been a mistake. When it made landfall, it had weakened to a CAT3 with around 130 MPH winds, and I wasnt around when hurricane Frederic (also CAT3) hit, so I dont know which was worse. I will tell you this, though- I never, ever, ever want to ride out another category 3 hurricane as long as I live. Category 2- ok, category 3 and higher- deadly. Luckily we were prepared. The owners of the house had been through many hurricanes in the past and kept the house stocked with hurricane supplies. We spent the next few hours boarding up windows and stacking mattresses in case we had to retreat to the tub. We also had a good number of non-perishables, too. Good thing we did because the roads were closed for the next 2 days and we couldnt get out, plus we didnt have power. We didnt get any structural damage to the house we were in, but one just two houses down was completely destroyed. Had we been in that house, we might not have all made it out alive.

Category 3 and higher hurricanes are nothing to scoff at and should be taken very seriously. What a lot of people that arent familiar with hurricanes dont realize is the shift in directional winds. If the eye of the hurricane passes over you, you are in trouble. In our case, they always hit from the south, so for the first hour or so of a category 3 hurricane, you will start getting 30-40 MPH sustained winds from the east with gusts in the 60s. As the eye get closer over the next hour, winds can reach 130 MPH sustained easterly winds, with gusts of 150+. This alone can take the roof off buildings and knock down large trees. Then you get about 20 minutes to breath before you get the exact same intensity from the OTHER direction. Now, you have 130 MPH winds blowing from the west against all the trees and structures that just took a beating from the other side. Trees that havent already uprooted, probably will now- or break. Winds will then gradually diminish, and if you dont have serious flooding, you can go outside to check the damages. Weathering a hurricane can be a 3-4 hour ordeal depending on its size and strength. That is a lot of time for structures and trees to weaken and possibly collapse.

If you are close to the coast, this is my advice to you:

If this thing stays a category 3 or better hurricane, and it is expected to pass directly over you, the only party you should be having is the one in the next state to the west. This is a very large storm with a fairly well structured eye wall over warm waters. I dont think there are any upper level wind currents that will shear this system, either. That all means that conditions are good for it to strengthen again. Hurricanes are fascinating to me, but this is not something you want to experience first hand. Keep and eye out and GET OUT, if you think it even might make landfall near you.