conversations competing for space.

I wrote a thing about what might've happened after this.

1. NO. YOU CANNOT MAKE IT THROUGH THAT WATER ON THE ROAD. I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'RE DRIVING. TURN. AROUND.

2. DO NOT GO WADING THROUGH THE WATER. EVEN IF YOU JUST WANT TO SEE HOW DEEP IT IS. THAT. WATER. IS. CONTAMINATED.

3. IT IS CALLED FLASH FLOODING FOR A REASON. THE WATER RISES AND SURGES IN A FLASH. STAY. HOME.

4. If you're at risk of flooding, raise up any of your belongings now. Put the legs of tall things in buckets. Know where your important documents are.

It is cliche, but "hide from the wind, run from the water" is absolutely true.

Storm surge at a certain point will try its best to kill you and anyone foolish enough to try to rescue you while it's still raging. EMS hunkers down and you are on your own. Multiple agencies are using "you will die" language that I haven't seen since Katrina.

Inland river flooding can easily wash out roads, total cars, and wreck the lower level of buildings. And what's worse is that you might not see the effects of inland flooding immediately, so you think you got off easy with just a few squall lines.

And now this particular storm is of such an enormous size, that I am seeing flash flood and mud slide warnings from the Appalachians.

This is not going to be a "once in a lifetime" storm. I've lived through multiple of those now and I'm 47. Weather events like major hurricanes are going to increase in intensity, frequency, and range and folks need to learn how to live with and avoid these hazards.

Please listen to your local emergency ops folks. It isn't worth it to be outside until everything is calm and the water has receded. You have no idea what kind of (literal) shit is lurking under all that, with electrical hazards being a top threat. A good chunk of people who die or get hurt do so directly after a storm.