PPS TO LAST POST [IRENE UPDATE]

Took a drive around town a little to check on the old house where my youngest's mother has an apartment. Probably shouldn't have, since the system isn't entirely out of the area yet, but I'm back home and safe now.

Lots of large branches down pretty much everywhere, but fewer trees than in some of the worst thunderstorms we've had in recent years. Lots of police tape cordoning off streets I had to detour around because of the downed branches and trees.

The ones on my street were being removed when I returned (I can here the electric saws as I type this). A few folks out, but only a couple of cars (but a lot of police and emergency vehicles out). Most of the people I saw were down by the river which is over its banks and a raging turbulent bright brown. I can see where it had come up onto the street at one point where it curves and flooded during Floyd ten years ago or so. But I'm hearing on the local news that there's town near here that are flooding worse than they have in thirty years or more, so I guess it depends on where you are.

For now, we can all be grateful the damage and loss of life is minimal, and that a lot of that is the direct result of government regulations and preparations and manpower (and research and investment, especially in the case of the weather predicting equipment and systems etc.).