New York Subways Are Shut Down as Hurricane Irene Nears

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/28/nyregion/new-yorkers-warned-of-possible-electrical-shutdown.html?hp=&pagewanted=all ^ | Aug 27 2011 | James Barron

[equaviator]

New York became a city without one of its trademarks — the nation’s largest subway system — on Saturday as Hurricane Irene charged northward and the city prepared to face powerhouse winds that could drive a wall of water over the beaches in the Rockaways and between the skyscrapers in Lower Manhattan. Multimedia New York City Braces for Irene Slide Show Hurricane Irene Makes Landfall Interactive Map Hurricane Tracker: Irene Interactive The Preparations for Hurricane Irene and Reports of Damage Interactive Map: New York City Hurricane Evacuation Zones Interactive Feature: Scenes From the Storm: Readers’ Photos of Hurricane Irene Related The Lede Blog: Latest Updates on Hurricane Irene (August 27, 2011)... An Evacuation of...

[srmorton]

I also remember Donna. In fact, that is the first hurricane I remember knowing anything about. We were living in Duplin County at the time which is further inland than Jacksonville. I was only 10 years old, but I still remember the eerie feeling as the eye went over and being without power for several days.

As far as the suburban sprawl, you would be even more surprised if you were to visit the area now. In anticipation of the influx of several thousand Marines, they have been building apartments like crazy as well as more base housing. Now that Obama has put the increase on hold. I'm beginning to wonder who is going to be occupying all of these new apartments!

[Leep]

Oops, I meant Schlep SMITH is a twit!

[ELS]

LOL! “He’s dead, Jim.”

[oh8eleven]

I was only 10 years old, but I still remember the eerie feeling as the eye went over
Very interesting - that's how I remember Donna too (I was 13).
I was stationed at Lejeune late 60s and was married. Base housing back then was worse than a VN hooch, so we rented over in Hubert.
Why are they building more apartments? Do Marines now have a choice where they can live?
Back in the day (IIRC), you had to be NCO to move off base.

[Right Wing Assault]

with an observer... at the front of every train to monitor presence of water, they could just shut down sections as needed.

So that train can't go forward. It can't go backward because there are trains following. Now everyone is stuck on that line.

Parts of the subway are well over 100 feet below ground. Water has to be pumped out and with heavy rains, they are overwhelmed. Water and the 600 volt third rails don't mix well, either. The signals can also short out. If the pump system goes out, you're going to get dead people.

Read this story from four years ago: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/08/why-do-the-subways-flood/

[C210N]

Thanks!

Clearly a reporter doing an extremely thorough report - kudos to them.

[srmorton]

I think these apartments are designed mainly for families. Married enlisted can definitely live off base even if they have no children. Single Marines can also, but they can not get BAH unless they are corporals or above.

[Coleus]

barf.

[oh8eleven]

Thanks - in my opinion, the only ones allowed to live off base should be brown baggers.
And squadbays within the barracks should be one big room ... with a Sgt's quarters.

[gleeaikin]

I don’t know if you would call it a flash mob, but two winters ago in Washington, DC during or after a 24 inch snowfall, about 200 people showed up at 14th and U Sts., NW to have a snowball fight. They were haveing a great time when an off duty policeman showed up and pulled a gun. The crowd began shouting, “You don’t bring a gun to a snowball fight.”

[stonehouse01]

I realized that was an oxymoron -both can’t be true at once - the democratic machine is well oiled and evil and Bloomberg was very smart to stop the trains so the looter population can’t get to the loot.

They created the looter population,