I've been watching the weather super closely and it looks like Hurricane Earl may hit Connecticut. My side yard is germinating nicely and my front yard to the right of the driveway is just starting to germinate. Is there anything I can do to protect these areas in the event that heavy rain hits me on Friday?

Unless you can erect some kind of shelter to weather the worst of the downpours, not much you can do. If you have a way to direct the water to at least spare some areas, that my be worth considering. If you have gutters, the outlets of the downspouts are probably the worst of the offenders.

I just made sure my gutters flowed properly and I may try to redirect some water from some bad drainage areas. Hopefully it will miss me. Thanks!

Is there anything I can do to protect these areas in the event that heavy rain hits me on Friday?

Holding a bucket to catch the rain is about as effective as anything else. Not much you can do.

Gryd - My reno is tentatively planned for Sat...based on Friday. 70% chance of rain for us on Friday. My prayers are with ya neighbor!!!

Thanks Dan!

Earl just swung west again--even we're now changing from partly cloudy to showers. At this rate, by Friday our forecast will be driving rain (I don't mind) and 100 mile an hour winds (I mind).

Click here for more information

This is the Summer version of shovelling 24 inches of "partly cloudy", isn't it? Been there, done that...

It looks like it will miss the Hudson Valley and may not have that big an impact on Western Connecticut. My Italian/Irish wife is raising the kids to be good Catholics. I had them on their knees last night praying the hurricane wouldn't hit us. Is that bad? I figure I'm the one who carts them back and forth to religious education classes so I may as well get some return on my investment!

Another update; our Outer Banks readers probably know it, but Earl shifted again. Hurricane watches are now up in the Carolinas. Earl's also now a category 4 storm, but looks to weaken as it undergoes eyewall replacement.

Best data indicates a 20% chance of a US Mainland strike right now. That was less than 5% yesterday. The Outer Banks is the most likely primary impact, with a secondary impact somewhere between New York and Maine (but the secondary isn't very probable at this point).

That sucks! I better get the kids to pray extra hard tonight!

gryd wrote:It looks like it will miss the Hudson Valley and may not have that big an impact on Western Connecticut. My Italian/Irish wife is raising the kids to be good Catholics. I had them on their knees last night praying the hurricane wouldn't hit us. Is that bad? I figure I'm the one who carts them back and forth to religious education classes so I may as well get some return on my investment!

I can't argue with that!

gryd wrote:That sucks! I better get the kids to pray extra hard tonight!

Stop doing that!

The 11 PM update has definite landfall in Nova Scotia, with a more probable brush of the Outer Banks. It may hit Maine. Watches and warnings haven't expanded, but that won't happen until much closer to landfall.

Earl's still a Cat 4 hurricane, and the expected eyewall replacement hasn't happened yet. If/when it does, the storm will become less intense...but a lot larger (trading angular momentum like a skater opening her arms).

So far not a drop in Western Connecticut!
All that stress, worrying, anxiety for nothing (so far).

Nothing here in the Hudson Valley either. I spent the day in NYC and the extent of it there was some clouds.

About 12 drops of rain in the Lehigh Valley. The forecast tomorrow is for some winds, and maybe even a gust or two to 45 in the morning, before the pressure changes clear out.

Next up: Gaston. Maybe. Fiona's going to pass safely offshore.

Weatherman..what a gig!!!!

I'm still delaying my reno until Sunday. No rain, but tons of wind on Saturday means I power rake the death, and based on the wind will drop my 10-10-10, peta moss and seed eother Sat eve or Sunday am

Earl Schmearl !!!

They actually did a pretty good job this time. Fiona was pushing Earl around a bit, and we're in a whole series of anomalous ocean and wind currents this year. They've been predicting a brush of the Outer Banks for days, with landfall points not moving much since Wednesday.

When Earl crossed the magic 75 degree west mark, I wondered if it was going to turn and hit NC. Turns out the weather people were right.

Mind you, I'm hoping for a nice tropical depression (Gaston, calling Gaston) to come through and ditch a lot of rain. We need it.

If the wind dies down I'm looking forward to dropping late Sat afternoon

Since I own a place right on the water in Key Largo, I pay lots of attention to hurricanes. All I can say is this: God help the Gulf Coast if one runs the Florida Straits and gets into the Gulf. The water temp is 30.5 C if I remember, a record and it will make a storm explode.