We have now spent our first night as 'refugees'! Last night we went to the hotel next door for dinner as this might be the only chance we get to leave our hotel between now and the end of the storm. The food was very good and it was nice to get out. At the moment we are sitting watching the live updates from Battery Park City, directly across the Hudson from our marina, and this mornings high tide is showing flooding already, with water up to 4 inches deep.  This is largely without the affects of the storm - this will affect the tides and the water level to a much greater extent tonight. The storm is due to hit at about 8pm. 

The whole of NYC has now been closed down, and is partly deserted - the TV footage is very strange, no one walking about at 8am going to work etc.  

The television is showing wall to wall footage of the storm across the Eastern Seaboard, but up until this morning, there wasn't really much to see, the winds were still quite light in most areas, but now things are starting to happen.  The wind is now beginning to blow much stronger, we can hear it now, and we are getting heavy rain.  This will continue to get worse through the day.

Much of the footage yesterday was about the preparations and the evacuations.  There does seem to be a certain amount of apathy, which has been apparent from people interviewed on the news and people we have spoken to in the hotels and marina, because Hurricane Irene did not live up to the forecasted expectations. 

One of the effects of the expected surge, certainly in the Chesapeake Area, near to where some friends of ours have their Discovery named BriZo,  is that after the extra water surges in raising the water level, the receding water also surges out leaving some areas high and dry, with water levels considerably lower than they should be. In these areas boats could be left aground, where previously they floated.  Having heard from Stuart (the owner of BriZo,)in Virginia this morning, it seems the worst is over for them and thankfully they and their boat are safe. 

Thank you to everyone at home who has sent us their good wishes and who are all crossing their fingers for Seaduced's safe ride through the storm. 

If you want to see the current conditions in NY harbour, you can look at the webcam at this link http://www.nyharborwebcam.com/

Sent from my iPad