Why Sandy Has Meteorologists Scared in 4 Images

The Atlantic ^ | Oct 28 2012, 12:23 PM ET | Alexis Madrigal

[brityank]

Why Sandy Has Meteorologists Scared in 4 Images

She's huge. She's strong and might get stronger. She's strange. She's directing the might of her storm surge right at New York City.

Hurricane Sandy has already caused her first damage in New York: the subway system will be shut as of 7pm tonight. Meteorologists are scared, so city planners are scared.
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Dr. Ryan Maue, a meteorologist at WeatherBELL, put out this animated GIF of the storm's approach yesterday. "This is unprecedented --absolutely stunning upper-level configuration pinwheeling #Sandy on-shore like ping-pong ball," he tweeted. It shows how cold air to the north and west of the storm spin Sandy into the mid-atlantic coastline. (Nota bene: his models also show very high winds at skyscraper altitudes.)

[Alberta's Child]

Besides the obvious problem of a storm surge flooding subway tunnels and cutting off power to below-ground utilities, there's another good reason why they shut down the subways in NYC as a "precaution" in a situation like this. It's the same reason why New Jersey Transit and the Port Authority of NY/NJ have shut down their systems, too.

They want to keep these trains and buses in their storage facilities so they can be protected from the elements, and so they don't have to worry about rescuing crews and passengers. They're basically just telling everyone to stay home today and venture out only at their own risk.

[bert]

No, that is not happening

[MD Expat in PA]

Exactly. If they didn’t shut down and do what is necessary to protect the equipment or kept the system running and hundreds of people got stranded should the system flood and or the power go out, people would be screaming, “Why didn’t you (officials) do something?”

[Safetgiver]

Radio saying Obama making a heroic effort to stay in DC and not campaign or go golfing, BUUUTTTT, he can do nothing about emergency action because that is TOTALLY up to GOVERNORS and MAYORS. Gee, I didn’t hear about this when George Bush was blamed for doing nothing when the GOVERNOR and the MAYOR couldn’t tell him what they needed. Must be, (from the Benghazi attack, etc) OBAMA HATES AMERICANS!

[Alberta's Child]

Every Freeper in NYC and New Jersey should do two things right now:

1. Look outside and notice how strong the wind-driven rain has become.

2. Look at a real-time NOAA weather map and see how far away the center of the storm is.

If anyone still wants to think this is all just "hype," then have at it. LOL.

[cuban leaf]

Is God sending America a message?

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If you are looking for a message from God, you will find it in the Bible. This storm is business as usual.

[cuban leaf]

Meh. You think this one is bad, you just wait until December 21st!

[cuban leaf]

This satellite inage tells a pretty serious story. This storm is more severe than I thought!

[central_va]

Wrong planet.

[cuban leaf]

Wrong planet.

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I need to recheck my sources. ;-)

[meyer]

Amtrak is shutting down the east coast runs. ;-)

If they shut down the rest of their operation, this could be their most profitable week in years.

[MD Expat in PA]

If they shut down the rest of their operation, this could be their most profitable week in years

IIRC, Amtrak’s NE corridor is the only part of the system that is profitable.

[meyer]

...tell me when you would like to plan for the safety of the 8-12 Million folk in NYC.

If this comment doesn't make the case against high-density population centers like our big liberal cities, then nothing does.

[meyer]

Let me add this - the people in these areas presumably read or watch the news. They know it’s coming. Should they not be planning for their own safety? That’s not the government’s job, it’s their own personal job to be responsible for their own safety.

[dynoman]

“infrasonic undulation” ???

Good grief some people are way out there. How in the world can anyone get to where they actually believe that kind of stuff?

[Conservative4Ever]

Thank you.

[Conservative4Ever]

Thank you.

[GraceG]

[ This satellite inage tells a pretty serious story. This storm is more severe than I thought! ]

Wow, this storm is so BAD that it currently is wrapping around the earth 3 TIMES!!!!!

[proudpapa]

Doesn’t look good for Joe Biden’s Delaware.

[proudpapa]

Doesn’t look good for Joe Biden’s Delaware.