Good morning, Washington. It’s been a furiously busy week as reporters and readers fought to keep up with nature’s unexpected rumblings and her planned assault along the Eastern Seaboard. The biggest earthquake in Virginia in 114 years shook the ground, delivering fear, crooked misinformation, and a cracked monument, as massive Irene barreled toward our coast with a vengeance elected officials found so threatening that many of them ordered evacuations. In D.C., Maryland and Virginia, states of emergency have been declared in preparation for the Category 1 storm that lashed North Carolina Friday, and which is set to arrive over the Washington area tonight.
While the dynamics of the storm have been changing, projections have remained pretty much the same for the D.C. region. Today, we’ll see periods of moderate to heavy rain, and the worst of the storm is set to hit between 6:00 pm tonight and 9:00 am Sunday morning. We should expect anywhere from about 1.5-4.5” of rain across the west to 2.5-6” across the east, which means there’s a risk of flooding and power outages. Winds are projected to reach up to 30 mph, with higher gusts possible.
Irene 101:
Sandbags: The city ran out yesterday, but another shipment of about 2,700 bags arrived this morning, and those are available for pickup starting at noon on a first-come, first-served basis. Residents with D.C. identification can pick up sandbags at RFK Stadium, Lot 7.
Property Owners: If you’re lucky enough to have outdoor furniture, secure it.
Metro: Metro is planning to operate on a regular weekend schedule, but weather-related delays are possible. Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said Friday that “we do not expect above-ground rail service to be suspended unless conditions end up being worse than expected. If there are any changes, we’ll let folks know at wmata.com.”
Capital Bikeshare: The system is open today, but they’re monitoring the hurricane closely. Riders can visit their website for updates.
Emergency Contact Numbers: The list includes everyone from Pepco to who to call when there’s a downed tree.
Power Outages: Pepco is preparing for potential widespread power outages, and you should too.
Homeless: If you see a homeless person in need during the hurricane, call the shelter hotline at 1.800.535.7252.
What to Watch: D.C. Cable channel 16 will operate around the clock with updated information.
Intercity Buses: If you have a bus booked for the weekend, don’t forget to check and see if your trip is still on schedule. Megabus has cancelled some service on select routes for Saturday.
Amtrak: Amtrak has cancelled some train service around the east coast this weekend. Passengers should call 1-800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com for updates.
Airlines: Thousands of flights will be cancelled due to the storm.
Events: TBD has a good rundown of all the washed out events this weekend, in case you were wondering if anything was still on.
In News:
>> The New York Times decided coverage of Irene is an exception to their paywall.
>> Since politics insidiously creeps into even the weather, Salon reports that Ron Paul has taken this opportunity to call for abolishing FEMA.
>> Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) told the Huffington Post on Friday that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-Va.) requirement that any potential emergency disaster aid be offset by spending cuts is “sinful.”
>> In sports, the Cincinnati Reds beat the Washington Nationals 4-3 Friday.
>> Joe Solmonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign, will announce his departure from the organization in the coming days. He’ll reportedly step down in December.
>> The Washington Business Journal reports that Tysons Corner Center will be one of the first spots in the world to feature a Microsoft retail store.
>> Do you know the name of the scale that classifies hurricanes into Categories 1-5? Trivia!
>> While we hide from Irene, these guys fly straight for her.
