Definitely a storm to watch for everyone on the east coast, especially the carolinas! We already have wind in the forecast (up to 27 mph). Its rare for them to forecast wind like that this early since its still about a week out so it will be interesting to see how everything unfolds. I still think there is a chance it will turn out to sea after hitting the carolinas, but it looks like the models are saying otherwise. I guess now would be a good time to be prepared! This is going to be one rainy month. We already have a good 13 inches or so!
-Alex

I also noticed that it was being figured into the local forecasts (to some degree) and still almost a week away. I don't like the rainy forecast...AGAIN, but winds would be a different ssue as everything is outside. Really not ready to bring things in yet--especially as long range forecasts are calling for above normal temps through October. If it looks like we're going to get sustained gale force winds or better, what I'll do is just pile everything into a protected corner outside and hope for the best. If they're calling for hurricane force, it'll mean a LOT of extra work!! Hurricane Floyd flooded my basement out in my previous home--so I know, rain, in and of itself (regardless of wind), can be quite destructive!

If hurricane force winds are predicted, I will definitely take in a ton of things (plumeria are the first!). Im hoping that I wont have to bring things in and Im definitely not expecting to, but we will see what happens. 99/100 times, hurricanes just always manage to miss here. I would be worried if I lived in SC or NC, but for now, Im just getting ready for another rainy weekend!
-Alex

Hello Everyone....

Starting to get nervous here in VA!!!

We had a storm yesterday that blew down 8 of my Plumeria trees...

Now to think of the winds that may come up the coast...

I did re tie some of the trees, i had my roof replaced and had to move all of my trees, so i didnt get the chance to move them back before this storm hit...GRRrrrr!

Hope Irene stays away from us....

Take care everyone...

Laura in VB

Man i hope you guys and your plants make it ok. We get tons of severe storms here with gust to 80+ I cant imagine what 120 mph would be like.

be safe!

mike

Winds are only one part of a bad storm. I hope we don't see anything like 120. If it goes over North Carolina, that will take some of the sting out. Even so, right now I am prepping for sustained tropical storm force winds. Biggest factor with these storms in much of the North is the incredible rainfalls they can bring and we've already had 13 inches of rain since August 1st. Rain does weird things in a bad storm--like come through the walls of the sides of the house. If the storm veers any further east, it is possible it could hit Long Island full force (as the Island sticks out into the sea some 100 miles from the coastline. In that case, most of the Mid-Atlantic East coast would be in the less severe left sector but LI and New England would get slammed. What's different about this storm is its size--enormous. And it's ALREADY a Cat 2 hurricane BUT STILL HAS NO EYE! Conditions look favorable for a 4 if not a 5!
Historically, these hurricanes most typically pass the entire Mid-Atlantic/Northeast coast and safely move out to sea. In fact, this has been the pattern for the entire country for the last several years. The storm has forced to temporarily abandon another project (painting my garage) and diverted all attention to start prepping. Orchids and cacti are coming in TODAY.

Stay tuned to the weather, people.

Hey njoasis,

You just made the hair on my arms stand straight on end...

We just had our roof replaced...and ths siding is supposed to start to be replaced tomorrow...

I told my DH that we should wait...OH MY!!!

getting nervous....

watching the weatherchannel....YIKES!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!

Laura in VB

How did everyone do with the Earthquake? I definitely felt it here in NYC (it felt like being on a boat). It looks like the media forgot about Irene for a while too!
I hope everyone is okay.
-Alex

Sounds like you guys are having all the fun!

Felt the earthquake here in NJ too. I was bringing in the cacti and orchids due to the possible hurricane coming on the weekend. I suddenly noticed that my collection of plastic and ceramic calaveras (skulls) and skeletons for Mexican 'Day of the Dead' were doing a jig on top of a bookcase--along with the cacti on the plant stand. It seemed to last about one minute. Funny, earthquake was the last thing I could think of to describe the rattling. First, I though it was the wind because the windows were open, then I thought it was a truck, then I just thought my old house was just structurally unsound and about to collapse. I have never felt this before on the East coast and I've always lived within about 25 miles of current location. We get to experience a LOT of mother nature in this part of the country (heat waves, arctic blasts, blizzards, nor'easters, tropical storms, droughts, floods,etc.) but, earthquakes seem very out of place. I also thought I heard a very low, rumbling, rolling sound. Wouldn't miss this phenomenon if it never occurred again.

My grandparents in Bedford,Virginia had an earthquake today. Could that be the storm?

Lord have mercy...........

Earthquake here in VA!!!

Felt my whole house shaking....went into the street to see what had happened...noone was a round..LOL I thought was i the only one who felt it?

It was centered between Richmond Va and Charlottesville Va

WOW

Laura in VB

No one was around here either. Everyone is on the final leg of their Summer vacation as schools here open AFTRER Labor Day (which is late this year). Don't know if it's the impending hurricane, but even the birds are out of town. Between the vacant streets, dead calm, but BEAUTIFUL weather, abandonment by the birds, and today's earthquake, it's beginning to get pretty creepy around these parts!

Mrs. Laura speaking of Irine... check out the ECSC at the oceanfront. We are doing all of the palms, and there over 60 and tell me about being a little worried of all my palms! Hope everyone is doing great sorry havent posted in a while have been very busy and will post some pics here of Vb very very soon! -Justin in Vb

OMG Justin!!!

Talk about nerves.... Im biting my nails for you!

Congratualtions on the contract!!! WOOHOO!!!!

Didnt know that you were doing that....

Im really nervous about this Hurricane....They are saying that it looks like Cape Hatteras is the spot, but who really knows. It still has time to do whatever it wants.

We started filling extra gas containers to get the generators ready...Uggggg!

Plumeria are ready to be brought in...other plants trees are ready to be evacuated too!

Dont need this right now....

Ill be thinking of you and will head down to the oceanfront to see all od your work!

Im so proud of you and jordan!!!

ECSC (East Coast Surfing Championship) for those that are interested. Held here every year here in Virginia Beach!!

Stay tuned everyone...

Justin...have you planted them already?

Take care everyone...

Laura in VB

Hunter, the earthquake doesn't have anything to do with Irene, its just a coincidence that they both happen to be hitting the east coast this week.

Jim, I can only imagine how bad the east coast must look right now with an earthquake and a hurricane in only 1 week!

Laura and NJ, I experienced the same thing. When I went outside, no one was out there! All I saw on my street was a bird on the street looking for food (or wondering what just happened, lol) and some dead twigs that fell off the trees from the earthquake.

Looks like Cape Hatteras and eastern NC is the target for the hurricane! Then they are saying it might make a second landfall on Cape May, NJ or maybe Long Island, NY. Looks like everyone on the east coast from Myrtle Beach to Cape Cod is in the danger zone.

Hopefully everyone and all their plants will make it out okay!
-Alex

We are so used to these storms bending out to sea as they head up the coast
--especially for the last couple of decades, this has been the fortunate pattern. But some of the models I've seen have this one actually bending back into the coastline!--That would be disastrous and I really hope this will not occur. Expect those models to swing all over the place in the next few days. And so far, this one is just crawling at 9 miles per hour. (Not sure how fast they expect it to be moving up here.) I'm taking the smaller plants in today and prepping around the house--right now, I'm assuming tropical force winds.

"Laura and NJ, I experienced the same thing. When I went outside, no one was out there! "...Maybe they were 'raptured'. :)

Alex wrote.

"Jim, I can only imagine how bad the east coast must look right now with an earthquake and a hurricane in only 1 week!"

Yea,one natural disaster at a time please!(-;

Always interesting and exciting to watch land-falling hurricanes!

Hopefully not to much damage.

I don't think she's coming yet-just breathing hard!

Oh no he didn't,oh hes he did-

That earthquake shook my house for almost a full minute. I'm Right in between Baltimore and Washington DC. About 20 miles from both. No damage though. I hope Hurricane Irene moves out off coast....

Good luck to everyone else!
T.J.

Amazing the differences between East and West coast earthquakes. West Coast earthquakes are so much more localized. Yesterday's was felt by many millions from Georgia in the South , to Ottawa, Canada in the North, and Indiana in the West.--Unbelievable! Every time a jet flies over i think it's an aftershock.--Now we're waiting for what Irene decides to do. --Been an 'interesting' week so far.

The latest on the hurricane (cat 3) says it may vere out to Long Island but its too early to tell. Its interesting how the media has everyone all worked up and hurricanes rarely strike New York City proper. This one has the potential to strike.

As a native Long Islander who has been through hurricanes I can say, even huricanes downgraded to tropical storms surprized us with winds gusting over 75 mph. The media would report that a TS passed already or the wind and rain will be just up to 40 mph and then hours later a cat 1 or near cat 1 comes over the Island catching everyone at work. Hurricanes Gloria 1980s, Belle 1970s and tropical storm David 1980ish all were strong enough to make us stay home and bunker down.

The earthquake really shook Brooklyn, I never saw the entire earth rock back and forth with such large movements and for what seemed to last longer than ever before recorded.

"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21:25-28

Oh, give us a break already, Brooklyn. Earthquakes and hurricanes have been occurring on this planet before mankind ever crawled out of his caves.

It was reported today, that the man who went berserk yesterday in Washington Heights and started stabbing people randomly in his apartment building, did so because he was convinced that yesterday's earthquake (which basically was only between a 2 and 3 in the NYC Metro area), was a sign that the earth was coming to an end. People need to get a grip, me thinks.

Hello Everyone,

My trees are in line for the "evacuation to the greenhouse" The other large Plumeria are tied to the railing and the large potted palms will be placed down on the ground.... The Naval fleet here in Norfolk will head out to sea, including all of the Aircraft carriers and the supporting fleet. The jets are all flying here and you see huge transport planes flying into Oceana Air Station getting the jets ready to fly out to the west..

People are nervous....i will admit, im trying to get my plants in order...time consuming...but im ready...I do find it interesting to see all of my plants lined up to march into the greenhouse...LOL

Take care everyone..i think Irene is going to give a powerful punch to all of us on the eastern seaboard!

Laura in VB

One of my big palms is getting tied up and my large plumeria is the first to go inside. I will only prepare if we are under a Tropical Storm Watch or greater. Im bringing in the umbrella for the outdoor table, and maybe some chairs for the table as well. My table has a tendency of flying acoss the yard in winds greater than 65 mph (happened 2 times in the last decade).
-Alex

Good luck to anyone in the path of Irene. At first we were going to be just to the left of the eye wall (the worst place to be)and the storm turned to the right of Florida. This area was hit by a hurricane in 1928 that killed at least 2500 people.

Gonna be a busy day battening down the hatches. Taking in all smaller to mid-large pants and leaving out only the tubs of Washingonias, Phoenix,and Queens (which I've used bungees to fasten to a concrete deck. (Bungee cords come in very hand by the way.) I do hope people take this storm seriously. SOOOO many times in the past we were supposed to be hit and the storm would veer off to the northeast at the last minute. This one looks like a coastal hugger though. Wonder if climate change is taken into account when these models are generated. Historical record is taken into account but I understand ocean temps off the Mid-Atlantic coast are running 3-5 degrees above normal. TZ, I think you can virtually guarantee tropical storm force in the Mid-Atlantic & N.E. coastal--I certainly hope it's not worse. Thought occurred to me this morning about all those solar dishes that are now on nearly every street corner in suburban NJ. Large surface areas like patio tables and solar panels would seem very vulnerable. Supposedly, there was an earthquake aftershock last night, anyone feel it?

Oh David...

Ill be thinking of you all in Fl as well as everyone on the east coast...

NJ,

Im with you, im outside getting things lined up!!Now
im second guessing about leaving the large Plumies tied up to the railing...they are coming in...they mean to much to me to take the chance. Everything else is going into the greenhouse...if that holds!!!

The small fragile things (plants) will come inside too.

The large palms in containers are going to be put on the ground...beside the house on their sides...

Everything else will be protected..

I have watered other containers that will stay outside to keep them heavy.... ill make sure there are soaked before the winds hit...

Now its off to tie up the lawn furniture and get anything that can become a projectile and remove it from the yard...

Thinking of all of you guys and gals up the coast...

NJ, I didnt feel anyy after shocks here in VB, i did hear some say that they did...probably because i am moving so fast trying to get my yard straight, im swaying around anyway!!! LOL

Take care all...

Laura in VB

OK NJ,no one said it was the end of the world but your lips, the Bible verse talked about the return of Christ and the signs. As usual you comment without knowledge.

Brooklyn, why not start your own thread on Hot Topics on your belief that an earthquake estimated to be between 2-3 (in NYC) on the Richter scale is a sign that Christ is returning. Why continue abducting palm forum threads and turning them into an opportunity to proselytize your particular sect of Christianity. And, by the way, for someone who is convinced of the imminent return of the Lord, you sound angry and/or frightened.--Relax, shouldn't you be looking forward to your 'rapture'--then maybe, the rest of us sinners can talk about palms again.

Please, Brooklyn, I have asked you this before, and I will ask you again, PLEASE STOP HIJACKING THREADS HERE TO SPREAD YOUR OWN PERSONAL BELIEFS!!!!! I, and it seems others are growing quite tired of it. No offence meant, but honestly, this is an ENORMOUS planet, and we all have different beliefs. YOURS is not THE RIGHT ONE, The Muslims are not THE RIGHT ONE, NO ONE, is THE RIGHT ONE. Period. While I respect everyones personal beliefs, including yours, this is not the place for those types of discussion. The rest of us do not come on here forcing our beliefs on you, so please, do not do it to us. I'm quite certain that myself, and many others hold VERY VERY DIFFERENT beliefs / views than you, yet you do not see us constantly posting about them here. Save that for your own personal blog, website, facebook page, or some religious message boards. This is a gardening forum. Weather is pertinent here because it affects our gardens. Lets try to keep it at that, please?

Anyway, we had significant damage to many buildings in the DC area including the National Cathedral, and Washington Monument, both of which are closed indefinitely. The earthquake caused damage all across the DC area, and Baltimore as I am sure you all now well know. 12 buildings in downtown Culpepper VA have been basically destroyed. This was a fairly violent shaking / jolting in VA and MD. Less so up north. We had another aftershock last night at 1:07AM which was a 4.5 Magnitude. We had just finished watching a movie and CLEARLY felt, heard and saw it. Another "JOLT" tho not nearly as powerful as the multiple jolts over 40-60 seconds we got in the 5.8 on Tuesday. This one was very quick, about 5 seconds, and really just sounded like a boom, instead of loud thunder under our feet, and it made things rattle and hanging objects sway somewhat. This is not the rapture, but simply activity on a known as the Central Virginia Seismic Zone. There have been quakes here before, and there will be again. I wonder what would be said if another 7 or 8 struck south Carolina which is much more geologically active / prone to larger quakes? Really now, lets stop with the nonsense and see things clearly, for what they really our, which is our earth is a living, breathing organism in and unto itself and it does things. It moves, it shakes, it belches..etc. So, enough about the quake, I think its time we all focus on much more pressing matters heading our way, such as preparing for Irene.

Hurricane warnings are now posted for all of Eastern NC. Hurricane watches are posted from the VA/NC border, north to Delaware Bay. Tropical storm watches are posted for the entire Chesapeake Bay, including all adjacent tidal waters to include Washington D.C., all of the tidal Potomac River and adjacent counties in MD and VA, and Baltimore MD.

Thanks Nova, couldn't have said it better. Look, we have LUCKED OUT REPEATEDLY over the last couple of decades--this time, not so--it would seem. Yesterday, I was more concerned about the winds, today, I am equally concerned about rains--in excess of 12 inches over saturated ground as it's already a record-breaking wet August in Philly and NYC (an 8 inch surplus for the month already). The earthquake here was interesting, but nowhere near as bad as in Va/D.C. --MANY PEOPLE NOTICED NOTHING. I did. and still found it freaky. I am GRATEFUL that we do not have to deal with serious seismic activity on a regular basis (consider California, Japan, China, Indonesia, etc..) My sister-in-law went through a massive earthquake in her native Nicaragua in the 1970's--she refuses to even visit any place that is earthquake vulnerable. Yeah, Irene is going to do her damage. So far, it looks like we'll be talking about a Cat 1 Hurricane in the NYC area. Though I understand that in a city like NY with big tall buildings, you can add one category to that due to the wind tunnel effect. Whatever Sunday brings, Monday and Tuesday (when people are back at work), looks to be beautiful. Isn't it always like that. Peace out, and good luck everyone!

Hello Everyone...

Sounds like a cat 3 for me...

Mandatory evacuations and they just issued a state of emergency!!!

Gas stations are out of gas...
No water...no batteries...no flashlights or generators!!!

Stores are crazy with people buying everything...

I think this one is going to be a big one which will affect everyone on the eastern seaboard!!

All of my plants/ trees are coming inside....

Taping windows tomorrow....

Wish i could shrink wrap my house....LOL!!!!

we are expecting to loose power for at least a week...

Stay safe...

Laura in VB

Getting prepared here! Plants going inside tomorrow night (some of them). I tied up one of my banana plants and one of my large palms already.

Laura, there is a show on the weather channel about "weather proofing things" and one of the episodes was protecting your windows. The good thing about taping your windows is that if your window breaks, the glass won't shatter and make a mess, but the bad thing about taping your windows is that it would still break (usually they break because of debris flying in the wind) so the debris would still knock your window down if the wind was strong enough. Even plywood has to be at least 3/4 an inch thick to be effective. Im not bordering my windows, but I know people on the Jersey shore are.

The stores here are also very crowded and there isnt much left. Evacuations are being talked about (mandatory on the Jersey shore and evacuations may be taking place by Saturday AM). They might close all the bridges so there would be no way off of my area since you cant get to the mainland without a bridge!

Most websites are now predicting 60 mph sustained winds here with gusts up to 90mph! Its a pretty scary thought because Im just not used to seeing property damage.

The only good thing is that the models might be shifiting it a bit more east again so the center might not pass directly over my area like it was predicted to.

Good luck everyone! hopefully we dont lose power for too long, but Im kind of expecting to lose power at some point during this storm.

-Alex

Alex,

Funny that u talk of taping the windows...i used tothat along time ago and was so frustrated when the storm was over taking down the tape.... but this storm has me thinking that i might...mostly the big window that is in the great room.. the other regular room windows are on their own...but the large ones that could break might get a few X marks just in case they do break...only to hold most of the glass in place..Probably to much to do...and that is only if i finish with the tree evacuation...

I posted a few pics of my Plumies getting ready for the march into the greenhouse...now they are going inside the house...LOL

Stay safe and i hope to see u all on line soon..they say that we may loose power for a week...

So if im AWOL...no worries, ill be fine!!!

Ill look forwrd to seeing all of the picks from the storm...

I need to go and charge my battery for my camera..

Stay safe you all!!!

Laura in VB

Good luck! I know I will be updating as the storm happens so if you dont see me online, there is a good chance that I lost power!
Im charging my camera now so I have plenty of battery life to take videos and pics if the power does go out!
-Alex

Thanks for the good tip Alex, Im off to charge my battery on my camera as well...

Same for me...if im not here...im hanging on..lol!!!

Take care and be safe...

Laura in VB

I am done with moving things around outside! I am finally using my two car garage for parking of cars--but of course it's filled with lots of plants too. Still, all of my big palms and cycads are outside. They're in tubs and think they will be okay for the storm. I bungeed the queen palms and the large Phoenix and Citrus are huddled together on the side of the garages outside. Anything that looks top heavy went into the garage--including a very large Araucaria (Norfolk Island pine). I was starting to put my more tender palms in their Winter retreat (my basement) but then I realized they would be sitting in the dark for a few days if I did that so decided against it. So, now the view out back basically looks like the Winter view until you spot the towering queens. This has got to be the biggest my collection has ever been and the thought occurred to me during the mad rush to protect things, that I need to be a Fall plant sale! I bought the last D batteries yesterday from the supermarket--I could sense that I got there just as the stores were beginning to get crazy. No panic, just like the crazy buying frenzy before a big holiday! I bought a sump pump but have no generator so when we lose power, it'll be useless. Next week, the weather will be just gorgeous and I'll be busy again putting things out again. Good luck everyone!

Been out running errands and every place here is a madhouse. Shelves are emptying out, no batteries, flashlights, generators...etc. People are seeming to freak out alittle too much. Granted we are expecting 35-50 MPH sustained winds here with gusts around 65, but still, its not the end of the world, and probably wont be as bad as Isabel was for us. I think the worst things are going to be flooding from surge along the tidal rivers, trees down from high winds causing substantial power outages, and some urban flooding from the 2-6" of rain were expecting. I did notice that they now have moved the Hurricane warnings closer to us to include southern MD along the Chesapeake Bay and lower Potomac rivers. As of now though, they have not upgraded us. We are still under a tropical storm warning until further notice.

I hope that everyone on the coast fares well and either leaves or boards up because they are going to get it the worst, especially the OBX NC and Southeastern VA. Those areas are going to get the absolute worst Irene has to offer.

Taping Windows: Taping windows is really only marginally helpful. It will keep glass from flying as far to an extent, but that is about it really. An object going 40,50,60,80,100 mph or whatever is still going to end up in your house should it crash through your window, regardless of tape. At least it will help to minimise the glass flying. I will probably tape our two huge, pane-less plate glass picture windows in the front, but the smaller normal sized windows probably not.

Please take precautions and stay safe everyone!

Hey Nova and NJoasis,

You guys need to take a breath. Last I checked you do not decide whats permitable and these blogs stray onto many different topics.NJ, you mentioned the rapture and its not off topic for you??? What hypocrites! What you really are saying is you do not want to hear about Jesus at all. He is not welcome here as far as you are concerned. Than I suggest you do not mention "end of the world" or "rapture" in your blogs.

The Weather Channel was live in VA Beach and the first thing I noticed were the Sabal Palmettos (which were all the way in the corner of the TV lol), idk how I saw them, I guess it's a palm enthusiast instinct lol. They looked recently transplanted.

It'd be cool to see Trachycarpus's swaying and bending in the wind along Long Island/Jersey/NYC beaches. If I were mayor I'd have the beaches dolled up with various cold hardy palms lol.

This is going to be a rough one. I don't even have to say much, stay safe everyone. This is my 2nd hurricane, however this is my first time experiencing one at "home" (NY/NJ), the first one was Dennis in Florida in 2005. Hopefully we don't lose power, I want to watch the VMA's on Sunday lol.

Brooklyngreg: Look, you have had a history of hijacking threads with your religious, over the top bible thumping. I can probably count on both hands the times I've seen it in some form or another. Honestly, I think its just time for it to stop. I'm sure many others agree / feel the same. Honestly, its really just downright rude, inconsiderate, and almost condescending in a way. Like we are all going to go to hell or something if we do not share your same beliefs. Please.

If you read my post, you would see, and probably agree that not everyone believes as you nor agrees with you. You have been asked by me, and at least several others on here to just cool it on the religious zealot like proselytizing. We do not do it to you, or anyone else, and all we are asking is that you do not do it to us. Isn't a simple "god bless" or something similar sufficient. Im all for faith, religion, spirituality, etc. In fact I encourage it. But I also understand and realise that each persons faith, religion, spirituality, etc is a very individual thing, and I respect that. That is why you do not hear me speak of my own personal beliefs. Not so much because I'm afraid of offending anyone, but really, they just probably do not want to hear it, and probably already have their own spirituality, and that is great. Someone else beliefs etc... are for them to decide, not you, not me, not anyone else, and that is also to be respected. I'm just not sure why you can not grasp that concept. This is EXACTLY why I said save it for your personal blog, or personal facebook profile, or some such other platform that is YOURS and YOURS only. Furthermore, I never called you any names, nor been nasty. I've simply asked you, as an adult, to please just stop. You call me a hypocrite? Really? For what? Because I (and probably many others) do not come here to have your bible thrown in our faces? Please, Get over it. Its not that Jesus is not welcome here, its that any and all religious proselytizing is just not wanted here. I would say the same thing to a Jew, A Muslim, A Buddhist, Hindu, or anyone else doing the same thing. So please, I'm asking you again nicely just to lay off of it. Isn't it your very own religion that says "judge not, lest ye be judged?' Well, it sure seems to me that you are judging those that do not share your religious beliefs / convictions.

Anyway, all the best, and I hope you fare well through this big storm.

cfa_li, Yeah I saw that report too! I always look for palm trees when they are doing tropical storm / hurricane reports, even if they are not in "tropical' areas. LOL! I thought it was cool to see and know that the rest of the country was seeing that there are in fact palm trees in Va Beach! Pretty cool. I think it would also be pretty cool to have a report from say, Long Island, with palm trees in the background too. =o) Anyway, hope everything goes well for you up there.

The word is permissible, not 'permitable'. Invest in a dictionary and/or a thesaurus. Yes, this is the PALM forum, not JESUS.COM. Brooklyn, people like you are THE reason religion turns some people into atheists and worse. AND NO, I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ABOUT JESUS FROM THE LIKES OF YOU ON THE PALM FORUM!--Why is that so hard for you to understand!

cfa- haha soo cool you were watching the ECSC i put those palms in and just finished removing them again haha! the city made us because of the little Hurricane... thanks soo much for noticing them we had huge Pindos and windmills in the sand also!!

Justin, i tried to post and say that it was your trees...lol

I knew they were yours and Jordans!!!!

Way to GO!!!!

II did see them as welll..theyy were right nest to the childrens playground...

I wanted to say that they were yours...but the post didnt take... i have been so busy here...yikes!!!

My house looks like tropical paradise...as u can imagine..lots of eye rolling going on here!!! LMAO!!!

Lots of crickets sounds right now too!

Congratualations on the setup atnthe ECSC...

Im so proud of you two!!!

Pretty work!!!

Dont forget to protect ur trees at ur house...id put up some 2x4's on those large sabals...

Take cae everyone...

Laura in VB

Thanks so much Mrs. Laura i appreciate you noticing and spreading the word ;) that just amazes me and makes me feel very good that live news across the east coast was here and people noticed the sabals! Thanks again i will post pics here soon if wanted... If you need any help Mrs. Laura please don't hesitate to ask!!! -Justin in Vb

Justin, those were your trees? how cool is that! So glad you are "palm treeing up" Va Beach! I love the fact that I live in a state that has some subalpine climates, boreal coniferous forests, Mountaintop Cloud Forests, and Coastal Plains with ocean front, AND.... PALM TREES TOO!!! VA is one of the very few states that really does have almost a little bit of everything! =o) How is your yard fairing? Pics!!! haha.

Mrs. Laura how is your beautiful tropical paradise faring? I have been seeing some live shots from down there and there is damage occurring in VA Beach, and the whole area down there. Looks like 70-80 MPH winds with higher gusts are pelting you pretty good too. Looks like the eye is heading straight for you too. Not good since you will have to get through the eye wall, which is still gusting to over 100-110. Also heard reports of a tornado or two, and so far 2 fatalities, one in Newport News area. Really hope things go ok.

I love all the high winds, and the excitement of the storm but I hope no one gets damage. We have tried to get through to my partners mother, but were getting recordings. We think lines are down or something. We have txts into his sister, but have not heard from her yet either.

Still pouring here and VERY windy. There are periods of 5-10 minutes of relative 'clam' of 15 to 25mph winds, but then those are followed by 20-30 minutes of 30-40 mph winds with higher gusts and each one seems to be getting stronger. The Potomac river is whipped up into a froth, with 2-3 foot whitecaps now and is looking fairly angry. So far no real damage yet other than a few trees down and some branches here and there. The worst is supposed to be between 8PM and 8AM here, but also it is now supposed to last a bit longer since its moving so slowly.

Anyway, glad things are seemingly OK for you guys down there so far! Thanks for keeping us up to date!

Be safe!

I heard about those palms also! I hope they are okay and Im glad that VB is getting palmy! The live shots have quite a few sabals in them!

Hope all is well for you in the path of Irene. How is your yard doing Laura?

We just got a heavy rain band in a few minutes ago and the winds got a little gusty (maybe a gust of 25 mph). We are slowly getting more into the storm now and the center should be within 20 miles of me by Sunday at 8am!

-Alex

heres some pics of the Va BEach ECSC 2011. sorry havent posted in a long time but wanted to thow a few pics of some nice palms and the Vb Oceanfront in there. more pics to come of random palms in vb. thanks everyone! Have a safe fun rest of summer fall! - Justin in Vb

Oh Justin,

So proud....(Jordan too!)

We are in the eye right now everyone.

Gust are about up to 80 plus and stronger..

Flooding is a problem...

Plams in the yard are still intact, but the boat on the lift in the backyard is at the highest settting and the boat is almost floating off of the lift.

The jet skies on their own lifts are about to lift as well

Everthing is strapped down, but we were just down at the water..you cant see where the bulkhead is and where the lines are. The wind is pelting us and its hard to see..

The only casualty so far is that i bent over the water and lost my myy glasses!!! LMAO!!

Power is constantlt on and off..

so, really we have been lucky so far. Things could be worse and i thing that we were spared from a really bad one.

We only have a few more hours to worry about...

I love the pics of the ECSC.. WOW!

We have had some fatalities, due to accidents, trees falling into houses and cars....people need to stay inside.

It is very danderous outside...

Justin,, thank you for all of your help. The offers from you and Jordan are much appreciated and you know i would do the same for you all as well.

Take care and stay safe...
I cant tell you how proud i am to see the Guys ( Justin and Jordan) have that contract for the ECSC...WAY TO GO!!

YOu all are like my sons and i cant tell you how much pride i feel inside for you two!!!

Laura in VB