I haven't looked to determine which Carib islands Joaquin has been hovering over for the last couple of days, but with wind speeds at 130 mph they are going to be ground off flat as a parking lot.

http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/isobaric/1000hPa/orthographic=-73.98,29.93,2000

basatrds, sending the bad weather this way. We've had sunshine and blue skies for the last few days.. we need our vit D Damnit!

We're not getting the rain/wind from the hurricane's outer bands yet. But, for almost 2 weeks now, we've had a nor'easter parked over us.  Not too much rain until yesterday/today but the wind has been holding above 20 mph, sometimes 30. Even a big-bad nor'easter is usually 3 days, 4 max.

> for almost 2 weeks now, we've had a nor'easter parked over us

Finally found an article about WTH has been going on.

QuoteWhile it appears Hurricane Joaquin won't land the direct hit that some feared, communities from the Carolinas through New England nonetheless have their hands full from another storm system that's largely stalled and, in so doing, pummeled millions with rain.

"This is not just any rain," Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina said. "This is going to be the heaviest rain we have ever seen."

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/03/us/east-coast-rain-flood/

RC: How much rain can you take before it becomes a problem for you?

>rain

Charleston, SC is 'hilly' by comparison to our area. We're pretty much pool-table flat with the nation's 2nd largest estuary system in & around us. I know for sure that we've handled 10-inch rains a couple of times with only a few streets & neighborhoods flooded.  A 13-inch rain caused problems running over the highways because the ditches and culverts were too small ---particularly where 1000-acre fields were draining.

>estuary

The river is almost 3 miles wide behind my house.  If there is a wind-driven storm surge of a couple of feet AND a big rain, then we flood more because the river is our drain.

<added>
But by 'flood' I mean bumper-deep, not roof-deep like other places.

<added2>

You may recall that I've been scolded by the state for some of the amenities I've put in along the riverfront, so I try and document storm damage in order to claim "it ain't me!" when they come asking about who's been changing the shoreline.  Here are today's photos.  This is all wind-driven tide and waves.  The river is a little over 2 ft above normal. The waves add another 18 inches or so when they crest.  BTW, we've had 4 inches of rain over the last 3 days.

<added3>

If you're online tonight (now 8:55) , take another look at the wind map. Trav & I are on the line where the northern flow meets with the southern one coming off the hurricane.

http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/isobaric/1000hPa/orthographic=-76.17,36.26,2000

Thats getting close to the house...

Good luck....

If it were to get closer you could always jump in the BOAT

Stay safe

Not that it couldn't happen, but one of the advantages of living on a pool table is that it takes billions of gallons of water to raise the water level.  I've seen the pier you see in the photos completely under water twice (not just under waves, but totally submerged) immediately after hurricanes passed.  In the last 100 years or so, the worst for flooding was Fran.  Water lapped at the edges of the garage slab, but didn't go quite high enough to go in.  The living area floor level is another 2.5 feet above that.

That said, it's 45 miles of open water from my house down to the thin chain of NC's barrier islands, so I don't want to sound c##k-sure. To quote the carnies; You pays your money and you takes your chances to live here.  Still, it's the high winds of a Cat2 & up  that I believe to be the bigger risk.  Currently 30-35mph ...just a breeze.

>...just a breeze.

Same here. Really mild compared to past storms.

now 35-40mph here. not a whole lot of rain.

Trav doesn't want to think about it, but his house is only about 2000 ft from the ocean.  I recall that some storm surges in the Carolina beaches just south of him have clocked in at 21 ft high, so....

<added>
You down on the beach photo-journalizing, Trav?  Got something for you.

http://i.imgur.com/eCkk5.gif

I tried, but quickly had a layer of skin sandblasted off. Narrowly missed some flying hotel "parts".