Irene wasn’t really a hurricane when she finally reached New York after some 18 hours of waiting, waiting, waiting. By 6:00 am on Sunday, August 27, 2011 Irene was a tropical storm. The most horrifying aspect of the storm for us in Brooklyn was the waiting. It was like being stuck behind a slow walker or a tourist or a sudden-stopper on the sidewalk. Horribly aggravating, enough-so to ruin a day, or at least a morning.
I live across the street from the Prospect Park Parade Grounds. A number of photographs featured on this blog have come from this very street, Caton Ave, some even from the same dining room window from which these two Irene videos. From this vantage point I was able to record the storm safely. By 10 am on Sunday, the storm was largely over.
Finally, by the early afternoon I was ready to go find brunch. After being cooped up in the house for 24 hours, my son and I were eager to get into the fresh air. On our way, we documented our journey to the Windsor Cafe, just across Prospect Park from here.
Notes and Credits
These videos were taken with my new Canon Powershot SX20 IS. It’s a baby camera, a point-and-shoot, but it’s a good camera for me. These videos and hundreds of photos I have taken since buying the camera have convinced me of its fit with my needs. Ironically, I decided to buy the camera to document my vacation in Nova Scotia with my father and son. The vacation was set to begin Saturday morning, August 26. Then my father abruptly canceled, claiming that Hurricane Irene posed too great a danger to travel. On my end, I though the trip to Nova Scotia would be the perfect hurricane evacuation, which it would have been. My view, however, was not the majority view, and I lost. So for Irene, my son and I spent Friday night through Sunday afternoon preparing and enduring the storm. Ugh. It was so good to get outside and take these pictures!
truth and rocket science 
Sorry about your trip, but really glad that you didn’t have much to contend with once Irene hit New York.
Yeah we were ok here. How were you? You were in the tougher spot with Irene, correct?
Yes, some of the area was badly hit, but we were fortunate. We lost the top of an oak tree which fell, very fortunately, away from the house. We were only without power for a few hours, so other than those things, we fared well.
I like how your intrepid neighbour went out with her dog like the dove from Noah’s Ark. Glad to know you survived Irene and the damage wasn’t too bad.
Those pie looters really are a force to be reckoned with. Hahaha.
I like the shots you have taken with your new camera a lot!
Oh the new camera is a joy, after a year without a camera following breakage on the older one. Went to Atlantic City last week and took 411 photos! Look for a posting soon. Our damage with Irene was not bad in the city here; upstate and Vermont and New Jersey had bad flooding. But this passes….
Cheers,
John