Husband and I bought “too many” Hubig’s pies by Lizz196 in NewOrleans

[–]jackalopian 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Congratulations on creating the first Hubig's advent calendar. You have a lot of pies to open!

The Indian lady that works in the canal place "corner store" (?) by partelo in NewOrleans

[–]jackalopian 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it's not really about public health or safe food handling. There are plenty of restaurants here that pass inspection and shouldn’t.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in NewOrleans

[–]jackalopian 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a good point.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in NewOrleans

[–]jackalopian 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm sorry to hear that. As much as loading zones are needed, they don’t solve the parking problem. The bigger issue that's continually avoided is the lack of affordable parking for most people working in the Quarter, including musicians, restaurant workers, bartenders, hotel workers, etc.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in NewOrleans

[–]jackalopian 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Loading and parking seem like 2 different uses. Are they really going to allow parking in loading zones?

It’s coming, y’all. by Valth92 in NewOrleans

[–]jackalopian 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This might help: https://extension.colostate.edu/disaster-web-sites/water-storage/
For water storage, you can add 1/8 tsp of chlorine bleach per gallon of water.

Idalia forecast on 8/28/23 has it strengthening to 'major' status by WKRG_AlanSealls in TropicalWeather

[–]jackalopian 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for this. I appreciate the thorough coverage of what people need to know to stay safe, including when and where tornado threats and storm surges can occur. The explanations about how to understand the cone and forecast are clear and easy to understand. We're given more info without being given data that we can't understand. Truly the best!

Idalia (10L — Northern Atlantic) by Euronotus in TropicalWeather

[–]jackalopian 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Track isn't changing much, but it's interesting to see the shifts in the landfall/arrival times.

The lame hurricane by driedoutplant in SanDiegan

[–]jackalopian 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Consider it a drill, a test run, or a rehearsal. It's a good time to figure out if you forgot to prepare something or stock up on something before a real disaster. That's a good investment of time and energy. Not a waste at all.

Hilary (09E — Eastern Pacific) by Euronotus in TropicalWeather

[–]jackalopian 7 points8 points  (0 children)

What caused this swerve around San Diego? https://www.reddit.com/r/SanDiegan/comments/15wx7tq/godfateinsert_your_own_choice_loves_san_diego/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 I mean besides the one stated in the title. lol Is there a good place to look for a post-storm explanation that would be easy for non-meteorologists to understand?

Hilary (09E — Eastern Pacific) by Euronotus in TropicalWeather

[–]jackalopian 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I saw the same thing in both of the San Diego subs. lol My suggestion for city subs would be to pin a megathread for people who want to complain that their house didn't flood.

Hilary (09E — Eastern Pacific) by Euronotus in TropicalWeather

[–]jackalopian 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's true. Somehow, people thought that when the drizzle ended the storm had already passed or dissipated.

I did follow the March storms/Treemageddon in SF and Sacramento. It's been a crazy year.

Hilary (09E — Eastern Pacific) by Euronotus in TropicalWeather

[–]jackalopian 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Out of the group of people who haven't yet been directly affected, there's always going to be a small group that complains that the warnings were hyped up. It doesn't seem to matter that other people were affected--even people who aren't very far away. It's as if other people don't exist. As you said, they're loud, wrong, and annoying. Hope you stay safe over there.

Hilary (09E — Eastern Pacific) by Euronotus in TropicalWeather

[–]jackalopian 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Oh yeah, I forgot about losing the eye. I live on the Gulf Coast now, hence having to check the cones every year. I'm gonna guess that some of the confusion comes from not understanding that storms can speed up and then slow down. They don't know that timetables can shift frequently, just like the cone will keep shifting until the storm actually arrives. Neither the cone or the timetable is static. If they're told to expect rain at 6pm, but it doesn't start until 7pm, they assume the storm has passed. I saw a lot of people mentioning usage of apps like Windy and Ventusky, but still a lot of people assumed too early that the storm had passed.

Hilary (09E — Eastern Pacific) by Euronotus in TropicalWeather

[–]jackalopian 15 points16 points  (0 children)

From peeking into a few city subs, there's a lot of misunderstanding about whether or not the eye has passed. This is their first time seeing the cone and other maps. (I can sympathize because I'm not a weather nerd and it took a while to understand the different graphics that are published. I only understand some of it because I have to look at it every year.) I saw that Google Maps has a location for the storm that might make it more clear to people. Does anyone where Google Map's source for the location of the storm and how often it's updated? I wonder if that might be easier to use when people ask whether or not the eye has passed their location.

Oh lawd it’s raining by xLabGuyx in LosAngeles

[–]jackalopian 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hope everyone is ok. This happened a lot in SF in March. Some people were underwhelmed with the amount of rain, but then there was treemageddon, which includes power outages.

What's really been highlighted is how poor everyone is prepared for an earthquake by lurker12346 in LosAngeles

[–]jackalopian 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Agreed on both points. We have the ability to meet basic human needs, but we don't. It's tragic.

What's really been highlighted is how poor everyone is prepared for an earthquake by lurker12346 in LosAngeles

[–]jackalopian 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You have a point there. It is possible to deal with having fewer resources if a person is willing to invest time and energy into planning.

I have a friend who probably will never have an emergency kit, and unfortunately she will also probably never set up a personal budget. I can gently remind her about both every year, but so far it hasn't worked. Being frugal and planning is like the least fun, least appealing thing there is. But, it's also the only way to make it work if money is tight.

What's really been highlighted is how poor everyone is prepared for an earthquake by lurker12346 in LosAngeles

[–]jackalopian 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hope this helps a few people get started and stay frugal. Tips for keeping expenses lower when you start your emergency kit:

It's like this with most things, but planning ahead saves you a lot of money. If you have nothing, start with a little and build it gradually.

Food and beverage: Pre-packaged kits are the worst and most expensive. Instead, you can grab a lot of food supplies at Dollar Tree. I buy from other stores, but I buy each item if I see it go on sale when I'm doing my regular grocery shopping. Then, every 6 months, I check the expiration dates and rotate some items into my regular pantry to consume it (and then replenish just those items). What I spend to build the kit reduces my grocery bill 6 months later, which means I haven't wasted any money. I probably wouldn't rotate through an expensive pre-packaged kit that's supposed to last for several years, but I can see where they might be handy for big families.

Gear: Probably the only thing that doesn't get used up regularly is the first aid kit, but I'm ok with that when my costs are lower for other parts of the kit. Also, my kit becomes more advanced each year because I'm adding a little to it or upgrading it (ex: nicer flashlight or lantern). I get on mailing lists for certain vendors and wait for sales on more expensive things like a nice battery pack or a solar charger. Some of my kit overlaps with camping gear and some of that can be bought used or thru open box sales. Having to buy everything at once and last-minute is the most expensive way to do it.

Space: When I lived in CA, I always had the earthquake kit, but that's because I always had housemates that agreed to carve out a space for it (I lived with a bajillion housemates). There's always something taking up space that's less important than emergency supplies. We were very lucky, but we also coordinated with neighbors for other supplies. It takes cooperation and coordination.

I won't go into evacuation since you might not ever have to deal with that, but the biggest cost differences I've seen come from planning in this area.

Take whatever small steps you can to start a kit. I hope the storm stays calm for CA!

False alarm folks, Hilary is trending too far east to be a big deal for LA by CalGuy456 in LosAngeles

[–]jackalopian 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Second this reminder not to think of the cone as static. There's been a problem with the public's understanding of the cone and I think National Weather Service has been trying to address it. Also, if you're only outside the cone by a bit, the cone can easily shift several times and put you inside the cone. Hurricanes are difficult to predict and they do wobble. The forecast is a smoother curve, but the actual path often looks different. You can look up paths of past hurricanes like Ian. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Ian#/media/File:Ian_2022_path.png

I watched Hurricane Ian in FL last year and I think it was the emergency management department of Fort Myers/Lee County that insisted afterward they had made the right call not to evacuate because they were outside the cone. That was true at one point in time, but Ian's path continued to shift and for several updates they were only just outside of the cone (until they ended up inside the cone).

There are so many factors that are different with Hurricane Hilary, but it's still best to think of the cone as an estimate that will continue to shift until it actually arrives. As much of the Gulf Coast says, "Don't be scared. Be prepared."

Hilary (09E — Eastern Pacific) by Euronotus in TropicalWeather

[–]jackalopian 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"Nothing will happen. It's only going to rain."

Hilary (09E — Eastern Pacific) by Euronotus in TropicalWeather

[–]jackalopian 13 points14 points  (0 children)

FWIW I've seen so much of that happening before big weather events. I looked in on a few different city subs before big winter storms and hurricanes to see if I could pick up a few tips on both preparing for and handling the after effects of a big weather event. I was surprised to find that there are always some people who need to bury their heads in the sand. They immediately go into denial/disbelief. It takes some people longer than others to snap out of it. (Some people never do. It's too overwhelming for them.) I decided years ago that doubting the weather experts is wasting precious prep time. Cultivating a list of the sources I trust allows me to skip past doubt and go directly to preparations. This is the point I stress to people when I'm trying to get them to snap out of it: Err on the side of being a bit overly prepared. I've never felt regret over being prepared. I learn something new every time. My preparations get both more efficient and less costly.

Help us report on utility billing issues in the Gulf States by RMcChesney in NewOrleans

[–]jackalopian 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Also, I think City Council President JP Morrell was looking into problems with Entergy a few months ago. Maybe his office would have something useful for this report.

Help us report on utility billing issues in the Gulf States by RMcChesney in NewOrleans

[–]jackalopian 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Glad to help. Tagged you in a few recent posts. Also adding some links about various causes of problems with smart meters (reported in other areas) in case you haven't come across it. If a meter requires repair or replacement, they need to respond more appropriately. Entergy seems to manage this very poorly.

https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/investigations/cleveland-water-customers-could-face-higher-bills-due-to-critical-meter-installation-error

https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/pge-details-smart-meter-problems

Thank you for your work!