"Free-for-All" Board

Lenin_N_Things

Storm closes in on mid-Hudson Valley
4-5 inches of rain likely
By Larry Hertz and Sarah Bradshaw • Poughkeepsie Journal • September 6, 2008
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080906/NEWS01/809060313/-1/NLETTER01&source=nletter-news

The heaviest impact of Hanna should be felt later today.

That was the word from weather forecasters this morning as the first hurricane of the season to target the region churns its way up the East Coast.

"The Wappinger and Fishkill creeks, Ten Mile River over in Amenia, they'll all see some flooding," said Robert Kilpatrick, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Albany.

The storm is expected to arrive in the Hudson Valley sometime this afternoon and dump 4 or 5 inches of rain before it heads to New England Sunday, Kilpatrick said.

Rain could become heavy later in the day.

The strength of wind associated with Hanna "all depends on the track of the storm, and that could go several ways," he said. "There will be some wind, but probably not a lot."

Hanna's impending arrival had already forced postponements of several events, including Hyde Park Community Day and the Arlington-Roy C. Ketcham football game.

But the annual Hudson Valley Wine and Food Fest, featuring wines from more than 50 local vineyards, will go on as scheduled today and Sunday at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck.

"Everything is still on," said Diane Gumpel, office manager WineRacks.com, organizer of the event. "All the wine and food sampling will be going on in buildings, and everything else will be under tents."

For local fruit growers, the storm could pose some problems if it is accompanied by strong winds that knock fruit off trees, but otherwise, it will be a welcome event, a spokesman for Cornell Cooperative Extension in Ulster County said.

"Some rain would be very helpful," said Michael Fargione, an education specialist for the agency.

"More moisture at this point would increase the size of the fruit, although too much rain can cause it to swell too quickly and crack," Fargione said. "But we have hurricanes every year, so there's certainly nothing to panic about
_________________

Obama should get every bit of the respect and cooperation the outgoing president got.