Vermont in state of emergency

Governor Shumlin declared a state of emergency, as Sandy draws closer.

“I want to stress — this is not another Irene,” Shumlin said in the Emergency Management report. “The main concern we have here is the wind. The wind will be strong enough to easily take down trees and power lines with them; so Vermonters should prepare for power outages over the next couple of days.”

There's more:

The Vermont Emergency Operations Center will be fully staffed on Monday morning and will remain open as long as necessary. State preparedness activities include:
•  Chainsaw crews from the Agency of Natural Resources are on standby to help with clearing of debris.
•  Swiftwater and technical rescue crews will be staged as necessary.
•  State police mobile command posts are on standby for quick deployment when needed.
•  State utilities have brought in extra line crews from out of state to help with restoration efforts.
•  The National Guard is prepared to assist with tree clearing, swiftwater rescues, or any other missions deemed necessary.
•  The Red Cross is prepared to open shelters should homes lose power for extended periods.
“Vermonters should continue to prepare for every contingency,” the governor said. “Clear storm drains, gutters, and culverts so water can drain properly — and make sure there’s nothing in the yard that can be blown around in high winds.”

I'll keep blogging while connectivity and batteries last.

Follow Sandy through Google

Google has a good resource for tracking Sandy's onslaught:

High winds tonight

Get ready for high winds tonight, friends:

This is from the National Weather Service Facebook page.

Getting ready for Sandy

A storm is working its destructive way up the east coast, and might strike Vermont.  So Ripton is getting ready for what to happen if hurricane Sandy appears.  

 

Sandy could hit us, or maybe not.  One model has the storm turning left from the Atlantic, then invading Pennsylvania and New York, possibly hitting Vermont on the way:

(from the New York Times)

How are you preparing?

Thank you in Advance

Friends,

I'm so happy that this little internet watering hole has found a place in your lives. I'm grateful that Bryan has taken on regular posting, and that through the Daily Riptonite I can continue to feel connected to what goes on in our mountain town.

I set up the blog several years ago, and until now I've covered the expenses of maintaining it. It's not much - basically the domain name fee which lets it be accessed at the elegant www.riptonite.com. But I'm hoping that some of you who find this a useful resource might be able to help with a small donation to the cause. Should we go over what I've invested (about $150) I'll put it toward our next renewal in 2017, and remove the donation link.

Thanks very much!
Win Colwell

Donations can be made through the newly improved button on the left, or using this link.