Good morning Earl, just checking in

The good news is that hurricane Earl weakened a bit last night. The bad news is that he will be close enough to our neighborhood to drop in for a visit.

I'm on Eastern Long Island 80 miles out from NYC give or take and its about another 45 to the end of the island, Montauk Point or Orient Point on the north side.  We all have bookmarked the NOAA Hurricane Center and, as an advertising person, note that the weather channel viewership goes through the roof locally at times like this.  It actually does.

We note with some disbelief all the attention that is given to the North Carolina outer banks - certainly absolutely gorgeous and a national treasure.  The south shore of eastern long island better known as the infamous "Hamptons" is equally exposed and actually more so.  We are "south facing" and the first stretch of land that is....and we have about as much beach left here as the outer banks do - not much.  I'm 1.3 miles inland from the ocean (across the barrier dunes, the inner bay and some wetlands and then me) and our property is considered waterfront. We are also 11 feet above mean high tide and have had to move automobiles during most coastal storms.  We will be evacuated in all likelihood which is no big deal but things appear that they will change a lot in the next three days and change is always "anxiety" producing.

The most telling thing I can see is that a company that makes home generators - for when the power goes out, is advertising like mad out here (Honda) and our local hardware store has sold out of that and duct tape for the windows.

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