If there was a person in your past named Irene who made life difficult, she’s coming back to give you a turbulent weekend. Some weather experts say we may get the hit with the worst hurricane in our parts since Hurricane Bob.
Early reports range from us getting a powerful tropical storm to a Category 1 or 2 hurricane. The determining factor appears to be whether the storm travels up over water or gets slowed down by traveling mostly over land.
The Brookline Building Department is passing on a message through the Brookline Police Department for businesses and residents to secure all potentially hazardous outdoor items such as patio chairs, umbrellas, and street signs, to prevent them from becoming missiles when the expected high winds hit our area.
When this is over, before returning to work, look around to see how your neighbors are doing. Check in especially on senior citizens, people with illnesses, families with small children, or anyone who looks like they may of gotten the worst of it. Our publication will be checking in on our Senior Center, nursing homes, businesses, and the Brookline Police to get the lasted information to help our community look after our own.
What determines whether a storm is categorized as a tropical storm or a hurricane? Obviously a tropical storm is born in the tropics; a storm is classified as a tropical storm when winds gusts reach from 39 mph to 73 mph.
What to expect
According to http://pcbdaily.com, hurricanes are rated 1-5 on the Saffi –Sympson Hurricane Scale. This system is used to give an estimate of the potential property damage and flooding expected along the coast from a hurricane landfall. Wind speed is the determining factor in the scale, as storm surge values are highly dependent on the slope of the continental shelf and the shape of the coastline, in the landfall region. Note that all winds are using the U.S. 1-minute average.
Category One Hurricane: Winds 74-95 mph. Storm surge is generally 4-5 ft above normal. Expect no real damage to building structures. Damage primarily to unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery, and trees. Some damage to poorly constructed signs.
Category Two Hurricane: Winds 96-110 mph with a Storm surge generally 6-8 feet above normal. Some roofing material, door, and window damage of buildings can be expected. Also expect considerable damage to shrubbery and trees with some trees blown down. There also can be considerable damage to mobile home and poorly constructed signs.
It’s important to note that Brookline is not in a remote part of the world and the storm should be in and out of here in 36 hours. We have a strong local government, proactive police and fire departments, banks to give us access to cash, many places to buy food, and a community-minded citizenry. Brookline is part of a world-renowned medical community. We live better in a hurricane than most of the world lives on a breezy, sunny day. Making sure candles are readily available, flashlights and drainage systems work is smart. Preparing for Armageddon just makes the kids worried and you insane.
As Sgt. Phil Esterhaus of Hill Street Blues always said, “Hey, Let’s be careful out there.”
One Port Open In The Storm
In keeping with their storm policy, during the upcoming hurricane, the Fireplace’s owner Chef Jim Solomon is putting his staff up at a local hotel to provide them safe and convenient access to work. No matter how messy things get outside this weekend, The Fireplace will be open for dinner.
A fixture in Washington Square, The Fireplace will be celebrating its 10th Anniversary throughout the month of September. To mark the occassion, Chef Solomon is introducing a new grass-fed burger from Vermont, offering special pricing for burgers on their music nights, and bringing back favorites from the original Fireplace menu. There will also be a Facebook and Twitter based contest to celebrate, the winner of which will receive a dish named after them and a free lunch for ten catered at their office.
R. Harvey Bravman