IDA REFORMING

Ida is reforming tonight out off  the coast of South Carolina and is still developing into even more dangerous storm than it has been. 8 to 10 inches of rain has fallen in that area. Rainfall rates are increasing to even higher rates than have fallen as the rain groups coming in seem to be intensifying right off the coast of North Carolina. The wind gusts are up to almost 50 mph as the storm continues to intensify. TWC is talking of “danger of an epic scale.”

The water will rise to astronomical high tide of 8 to 9 feet and the waves there in Nags Head, where Jim Cantore is reporting from, are to reach 16 to 20 feet on top of the water level rise. Virginia Beach is forecast to have 18 to 24 feet waves, where Mike Seidel is reporting from.

As if that were not enough, another low, about 1500 miles out in the Atlantic is coming in and feeding into this storm to add energy to the overall misery of the situation. It will cause the rain to last 72 hours according to the meteorologists.

This situation is being compared to Hurricane Grace in 1991 and Hurricane Isabel in 2003. The claim is that the dangers in this storm, becoming a nor-easter, equals the danger and possible damage that was caused by those hurricanes. This storm is called one developing into one of “historic proportion.”

The state of Virginia has just declared a state of emergency. The time is 9:15 EST. Things are continuing to go downhill fast, and will for at least the next 2 days. It looks as if all the states on the east coast from N. Carolina to New Jersey will most likely be issuing states of emergency as they come under seige from this monstrous storm which is now being called a worst case scenario with the developing low and a high coming in from the north.

Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel has issued level 3 restrictions in which basically heavy trucks can travel, cars excluded. This occurred earlier in the evening. The Outer Banks in North Carolina needs to be evacuated now before things get any worse.