What Will Second Storm Bring?

— from Dave Halloran —

We woke to the pleasant observation this morning that our first storm of the series has materialized as a normal windstorm in the islands. The Outage Center at the OPALCO website is thankfully free of outage reports. The big question remains, “what will Storm 2 bring”?

The latest Weather Service forecast says Storm 2 may be in the region’s “top 10 list” for severity. They compare it to the Hanukkah Eve windstorm of 2006. Winds are forecast to be 40-50 MPH sustained with gusts to 65 MPH, but may be stronger. We should see the winds from Storm 2 pick up late Saturday afternoon or early evening and peak in the early morning hours Sunday. Through all of this the NWS has stressed that the storm track can easily change, bringing a change in local wind speeds.

In the period of relative calm between these storms tonight — and Saturday morning — it will be tempting to relax and let our guard down. It’s okay to pause and take a deep breath now, but remember the worse storm is still ahead. Keeping this in mind, responders throughout the islands are ready for Storm 2.

Sheriff Ron Krebs commented, “Deputies and other emergency responders will be doing their jobs this weekend, as always. I ask that islanders just stay safe at home, keep off the roads during storm and initial clean up, and keep a close eye on older friends and neighbors who might need a little extra support. Remember to call 911 for emergencies only and call Opalco at 376-3599 to report power outages.”

Public Works Director Brian Vincent added his thoughts on storm safety this weekend: “Public Works Road Crews will be working tirelessly once the winds settle down to clear county roads. You can make their job far easier and safer by staying off the roads until their efforts are done. This would be a great weekend to spend Saturday night and Sunday at home with family.”

Going into the weekend please remember these things:

1. Islanders should stay at home Saturday night and Sunday, stay off of roads until winds have calmed and initial clean up has happened.
2. Be careful with candles, generators, propane heaters and stoves.
3. Take this storm as opportunity to check on older and/or vulnerable neighbors after the winds die down.