Bitching about Boston

[gotsnowgotslush]

On vacation ?

Hail and pouring rain, lightning-

Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Statement as of 4:44 PM EDT on June 25, 2014

...A Severe Thunderstorm Warning remains in effect until 500 PM EDT for extreme north central Rockingham...east central Merrimack...west central Strafford and southeastern Belknap counties...

At 439 PM EDT...National Weather Service Doppler radar continued to indicate a severe thunderstorm capable of producing quarter size hail. This storm was located near Center Barnstead...or 7 miles northwest of Northwood...moving east at 25 mph.

Other locations in the warning include but are not limited to Strafford and Barrington

Precautionary/preparedness actions...

This is a dangerous storm. If you are in its path...prepare immediately for damaging winds...destructive hail...and deadly cloud to ground lightning. People outside should move to a shelter... preferably inside a strong building but away from windows.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

It is starting with a gentle pitter-patter, here. Who will have a turn, dragging the vehicle out from under a tunnel/bridge, this time ?

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Transformer fails, Canobie Lake Park patrons stuck on amusement park rides- Salem, NH

Power was out for about 13 minutes, officials said. (Friday)

Officials said it was an issue with a transformer on a main road.

Everyone was OK. Thank goodness!

(Seems as though the copper thieves are causing much of the blackouts, nationwide.)

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

The Usual Suspects / Tornado Alley East

Severe thunderstorm warnings for this afternoon to this evening

Jaffrey NH/ getting hammered

...Strong thunderstorms in

Berkshire County in western Massachusetts...

At 346 PM EDT...National Weather Service Doppler radar indicated a line of thunderstorms capable of producing...winds around 50 mph... frequent lightning...and heavy rain. These storms were located along a line extending from Otis to 14 miles south of Great Barrington...and moving northeast at 40 mph.

http://www.wunderground.com/US/MA/001.html

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

wheeee
Clusterfuck in the making-

Thursday is a work day, and everyone trying to get out of the city, will be having a headache-

Boston Fourth of July fireworks moved to Thursday, July 3, 2014


The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular has been moved to Thursday, July 3, due to the impending Tropical Storm Arthur.

"It's not optimal, we wish it were, but we've got to deal with this," Massachusetts State Police Col. Tim Alben said.

Authorities say that Storrow Drive will be closed in both directions on Thursday starting at noon.

http://www.necn.com/07/02/14/Boston...ding_weather.html?blockID=868730&feedID=11106

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Today-
Tornado Alley East
Wall cloud, tornado warning near Exeter NH
Blasted earlier this morning- golf ball sized hail
Rain falling Rockingham County
Portsmouth NH getting slammed by severe storm

Over by 5:00 ?

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

oh dear- Watch out for the Undertoad!

http://www.weather.gov/

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Yeah I chickened out- Dragging strawberries around, during the crowded crush did not sound like common sense.

How did they talk the Beach Boys into doing the concert a day early ? Rehearsal night turned into something more.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Fireworks first, 1812 Overture after (If the weather holds!)

 

[Dream59]

I always thought Boston would be a cool place to live. Skimming through this thread has given me second thoughts.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Thought I was listening to rolling thunder of the cannons-and the sky lit up for the blow off
(to a canned 1812 Overture)
Oh no I was informed- Instant severe storm
That was rolling thunder and the lightning made itself clear
People ran away from the esplanade

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

yikes Nature's fireworks are much more impressive (scale counts) and this is thick, fast and violent- and persistent

and Loud!

Is this what you get, in the Original Tornado Alley? wow- out of nowhere- violence

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

I have not been that impressed by a storm, since I was 6 years old. 50 mph storm blew through. Knew something was strange, when the wind made a "voice sound," just before the wind started to toss the trees from side to side.

Kind of funny, though. "When did the fireworks leave off, and the storm start ?"

Ha! This was dress rehearsal for the real storms, that will be shooting through New England- check list for when the power goes off. (need more cold packs for the cooler)

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

So, the celebration ended at 10:30 What the heck was all that stuff in the sky, until 11:30 ? Deep cloud cover diffused everything.
(I should have known the difference between a report and thunder! Then again, Virgin airlines jets are truly annoying. Ripping the sky and making mechanical thunder.)
Looks like we got some lightning strikes in the city, almost as impressive as Chicago.
(That is OK, after last night's demonstration, you can keep the really big ones!)

Strawberries for breakfast, and I am hoping that people from NC will check in. 100mph eeeee Do. Not. Want.
The Gloucester Fisherman will not be too happy.
Neither, will our big beach crowd.
That big wet monster is headed our way.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Charming little Andover, and her brother Lawrence got stabbed by the dart of Nature's dartboard. Venerable old trees snapped like dry twigs. Ice cubes flung from the sky, and into the skylights and windows. Who needs a hurricaine, when you can have damaging winds from Tornado Alley East ? Drenched to the core ? Everything soggy ? Well, that is better than living inside a tinder box. Just ask Colorado, and some out West. Fools, and their explosives kept the fire department busy. Thank goodness, they were rained out. A dry June produced a martini that had a green, miniature, vegetable mummy. How unusual! Crispy and crumbly. (I do not know if I should hope against a weather whirpool forming outside of Boston. Perpetual rain is not something that New England is built for. It starts to melt, after awhile.)

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Ah, New England- In the olden days (1967 ?) ladies would sip their tea in the sun, and debate which day would be good for playing croquet, and preparing a Pavlova. Now, the ladies throw an energy drink down their throats, and shout over the roaring wind- about which car should be used to get through the instant pond blocking their way to the emergency shelter.

We do have beautiful, peaceful interludes, in between hammerings-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s3UogfAGg0

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

238 candles ? Better, that you would draw a graphic on the cake with frosting and icing. Candle power from fireworks, is much more fun, anyways.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Wheee! Concord MA is now part of Tornado Alley East. How is the weather, Acton ?

Something loud, rowdy, and violent is headed this way. Just like 3rd of July night.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Seems, as if the weather people are predicting that the storms might stick to the backbone of Tornado Alley East.

I do not know if I am ready to agree with that statement....
Is the definition of sultry, is swimming through air as thick and warm as a bowl of tomato soup ?

OK, then it is sultry in New England.

"The reason for the storm threat is due to heat & humidity across the region. Most towns will reach the low 90s this afternoon & combined with humidity leads to the threat of some scattered afternoon storms. I don't think the storms will be as organized/widespread as they were on Monday as there isn't a pocket of energy in the sky that can lift all this heat/humidity. It's a classic summer day with heat, humidity & the risk of some afternoon storms."

http://www.whdh.com/story/25962324/wild-weather

gsgs comment-I love it, when they post that the air content is 100% humidity

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

yep- Confirmed- Bedford MA had a visit from a microburst- 100 mph winds pulled trees out of the earth from the roots.
Nasty storms along the Tornado Alley East- Three dead- Tornado sightings in New York

Perg, hope you and Mrs. Perg are OK- Bad stuff in Vermont

Headed my way ?- It is 11:00 yikes

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Tornado Alley East

Severe Thunderstorm Watch 407 remains in effect until 1000 PM EDT

MA . Massachusetts counties included are

Berkshire Franklin Hampden Hampshire

Laconia NH seems to have a target on its back....

Seems as if the towns targeted for the dart are in Vermont and Western MA. Poor little Wilmington MA seems to be in the way. Hope that it missed them.

Possible tornado, possible microburst, possible straight line winds...

Summer of Hail 2014- We have come a long way, since the beginning in Western MA
There were no straight line winds, just wind shear out at Logan. I miss those days.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Olden Struggles

More than 1,000 New Englanders lost their lives, largely to exposure, disease and harsh conditions while mounting the six month siege that brought down the fortress in June 1745. A portion of Louisbourg has been left in ruins and today makes a beautiful seaside walking tour on a sunny day. A few tombs remain along with interpreted archaeology. The monument on the right was erected at the turn of the 20th century by a colonial preservation society from New England, a group that also installed monuments around this region in the USA.

'In 1758, the British had made operations along the Hudson-Lake Champlain route their first priority. In 1759, the target was the St Lawrence and it was there that British naval power could be used most effectively. American provincial troops garrisoned Louisbourg, freeing regulars for the advance on Quebec. Benefiting from reliable pilots and nearby harbour facilities at Halifax, both of which had been lacking in 1690 and 1711, the navy convoyed a force of 8,600 men under Wolfe to Ile d'Orléans, near Quebec."

http://www.historytoday.com/jeremy-black/three-sieges-quebec

More fun, to re-live it, than to live it-

All three of the main eateries offer local 1744 cuisine only. Potatoes were not eaten at the time and tomatoes were considered deadly, so there were none to be seen. The appropriately limited menu here included a wonderful soup of root vegetables, coarse bread and butter, tea, blocks of cheese and beer. Lower-class visitors like us, must wear a napkin the size of a tablecloth and eat only with a giant pewter spoon.

http://www.seacoastnh.com/dct/louisbourg2.html

"After stopping by the homes of the villagers of Louisbourg, visitors can choose to dine in the style of the common folk or the privileged, in two restaurants that serve food as it would have been served in the past. One eatery outside the Fortress also provides a historic dining experience."

Fine dining and silverware ?

L’ÉPÉE ROYALE served finer fare that would be served to sea captains, wealthy or upper class. Visitors can dine in the fine style of the past at this eatery where food is served on replica dishes imported from China.

"You’ll show off your good breeding and manners as you skillfully manipulate a full set of cutlery and bask in the New World ambiance created by our reproduction furniture, linens and décor."

http://www.fortressoflouisbourg.ca/Lepee-Royale/

July 28, 2008

LOUISBOURG - Members of the Canadian and British militaries returned to their roots Saturday during a moving commemorative ceremony at the Fortress of Louisbourg.
The ceremony, in honour of all those who lost their lives during the second siege of the Fortress of Louisbourg in 1758, was held as part of the 2008 encampment marking the 250th anniversary of the historic battle between the French and English troops.
Major Cameron Simpson of the 53 Louisbourg Royal Artillery of the British army was in Louisbourg for the encampment. He said every July 26 they hold a ceremony at home to remember their own who died in the siege. He said it was very special to be on this side of the ocean to see first-hand where those who came before him fought and where some lost their lives.
Simpson said Saturday's service, which involved military members, re-enactors and visitors, was a touching tribute.
"It was lovely. It was all-inclusive and in a historical context that I didn't appreciate until I arrived," he said, adding that he'll take back what he's learned and seen to his colleagues. "We knew all the facts but we didn't have the feeling which we now take with us."
The siege, in which the British side defeated the French, is generally regarded as one of the most definitive moments in Canada's history and Lt. Col. Joseph Gillis, commander of the Sydney Garrison and the 2nd Battalion Nova Scotia Highlanders, was also honoured to be a part of the ceremony.

http://www.trurodaily.com/Living/Wo...50th-anniversary-with-re-enactors,-ceremony/1

http://www.pc.gc.ca/APPS/CP-NR/release_e.asp?bgid=1000&andor1=bg

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

July 30, 2014 - March across the Boston Common to the Statehouse- Protest unethical behavior, danger to your community-

The question arises, is it necessary for ratepayers (yes, we’ll be footing the bill) to spend billions of dollars to build a pipeline, with no proven necessity?

July 8, 2014
Opponents will hear natural gas pipeline plan tonight in Andover, MA
Tennessee Gas proposal to get airing

Opponents, including property owners and conservationists, are expected to turn out in large numbers Wednesday for a presentation on a controversial natural gas pipeline that's being proposed to run through town.

Representatives of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners and its subsidiary, Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, are expected to give a two-hour presentation about the pipeline proposal followed by a question-and-answer session starting at 7 p.m. in Wood Hill Middle School auditorium on Cross Street.

Town Manager Reginald “Buzz” Stapczynski said he expects as many as 400 to 500 people to attend.

The company that wants to build a high-pressure natural gas line through town agreed to convene the meeting last month after the town manager issued a cease-and-desist order against pipeline workers trying to survey residents’ properties.

After getting a series of complaints from residents reporting heavy-handed tactics by energy company surveyors, Stapczynski sent a letter demanding that they cease all of their activities in Andover until an information session could be scheduled on the pipeline proposal. Surveyors working for Tennessee Gas had been going door to door, sending letters and making phone calls to owners of property that may be on the path of the proposed, new pipeline.

The company called to arrange the meeting shortly after receiving the letter.

Kinder Morgan and Tennessee Gas have held numerous public forums across the state and much of the Northeast to present their plans for a pipeline that runs from Wright, N.Y., to Dracut, with feeder lines, known as “laterals,” running from Dracut into Methuen, Haverhill, Andover and beyond.

The so-called Lynnfield lateral would run from a central hub in Dracut into Methuen before heading south through Andover along the Tewksbury line. It would then cross into North Reading before hitting Lynnfield.

The Haverhill lateral would run north, through part of Methuen and along an existing pipeline corridor in Haverhill.

It is the Lynnfield lateral that would have the most impact on Andover, because it is new and does not follow an existing easement, according to maps provided by the company.

Andover Conservation Commission Agent Bob Douglas has said the company wants to install a 30-inch pipe that would require a 50-foot-wide easement. He said conservation agents across the state are opposed to it because of the damage it would inflict on wetlands and other natural areas as a result of clearing and cutting needed to install the pipe.

http://www.eagletribune.com/local/x1927847374/Proposed-gas-line-meeting-tonight/print

June 19, 2014. Gas pipeline agents told 'cease and desist'. Aggressive tactics to acquire land surveys anger Andover residents ... Stapczynski said he was tired of getting complaints from residents living near Fish Brook.

Kinder Morgan is proposing to build a large, high pressure natural gas pipeline through 45 towns in Massachusetts, including Groton. More than five month ago, agents of this company entered the town of Groton and began requesting that affected residents sign survey permission forms. They did not disclose the true scope of the pipeline project or that your participation in it might be anything but completely voluntary —- since they plan to use eminent domain to take easements from property owners as necessary. When concerned residents called Groton town officials for an explanation, they were met with silence -— the officials had not been informed of any such project. When Kinder Morgan tried this same tactic recently in Andover, they were told to cease and desist until such time that Kinder Morgan representatives had presented their plans at a public town meeting.

Why didn’t Kinder Morgan approach each of the 45 impacted MA towns and request a meeting with town officials to explain their plans? And then request that these officials set up a public town meeting to include all town residents and the Kinder Morgan representatives as soon as it made sense to do so? Why didn’t they fully present their plans in an open and timely manner before they started asking for survey permission? Why the secrecy and why the five month delay? And why is all of their decision making done behind closed doors rather than in an open, public forum that includes the many MA residents so greatly impacted by their plans?

http://grotonspace.com/pipeline/not...latedposts_origin=426&relatedposts_position=1

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Just, really strange. Why are the local weather stations blocking out parts of the weather graphic that they were so excited to present on July 15 ? Massive lightning on Cape Cod. 300-400 strikes in a short time.

 

[gotsnowgotslush]

Where is the severe storm/ weather event, this time ? Up and down the coast, or Tornado Alley- This week, we had both systems, at the same time.

Down, at Four Corners-

07/09/2014

Confirmed tornadoes touched down Tuesday night in the New Albany area.

"Never say never because you never know. We're very lucky though," said Gerard McKernan, a New Albany homeowner.

The McKernan's are reliving what they saw Tuesday night, an EF-1 tornado in their yard.
Mother Nature's activity had National Weather Service officials out in the field assessing the damage.

"We look for tree damage, which way the trees are laying to get an idea on which way the winds were blowing. If you see a swirling motion in the trees that are down we have an idea it's at tornado," said Dave Nicosia, a warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Uprooted trees, a displaced mobile home and a collapsed barn are evidence of the twister that traveled southwest to northeast.

"It was getting louder," said Gerard.

"The wind was going like this," said Paula McKernan.

"Then the noise of all the debris flying through the area here the barn, it snapped beams twelve by twelve down there," said Gerard.

"There are pieces of this barn that's back here that are driven into the ground. At first when I saw this I thought they were fence posts and I look and I got closer and oh my gosh, the force of the wind drove this wood right into the ground," said Nicosia.

The McKernan's have lived in New Albany for 32 years and have never seen anything like this and there's some truth to that since officials with the National Weather Service said these storms came in rare form.

"The storms that we had last night were rare. They were super cell thunderstorms maybe a little bit of a scale down version of what they see in Oklahoma but they certainly were super cell thunderstorms that spawned tornadoes," said Nicosia.

http://centralny.twcnews.com/conten...confirmed-tornadoes-in-pennsylvania-counties/

Why take notice of what happens in New York ? It all started with some straight line winds, in Western MA It kept getting worse, until it killed some people.

FOUR TORNADOES CONFIRMED ON JUNE 1 2011 IN MASSACHUSETTS

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/box/sigevents/jun01_2011_summary.php