SWEET BASIL HURRICANE SANDY DAMAGE FINALLY CLEANED UP (PHOTOS)

One of the few examples of damage from Hurricane Sandy in Bethesda was the front awning at the former home of Sweet Basil.

The damaged - and, eventually, collapsing - canopy has been an embarrassment on Fairmont Avenue since the super storm passed through in October.

Finally the mess at the now-shuttered Thai restaurant has been cleaned up. 

The entire building is scheduled for demolition, and recently found itself as a backdrop for a holiday shopping safety report on WUSA9 news.

Reporter Debra Alfarone discussed safety with a martial arts expert in front of the green complex, and its brown-papered windows did not give viewers a flattering impression of downtown Bethesda.  I realize the building is being demolished, but even a vacant storefront is better than brown paper all over the place.

WHERE IS SANDY? WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY AFTER THE SUPERSTORM - POTOMAC RIVER FLOODING, AIRPORT OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS, AMTRAK

BETHESDA STORM CENTER

SANDY UPDATE

Bethesda may have dodged a bullet, but flooding remains a serious issue here and throughout the DC area today.  At 3 AM, the Potomac River was only 4" away from flood stage at Little Falls.  It is expected to reach and surpass flood stage within hours.  Then it is expected to recede into Thursday.  Potomac flooding also means creek flooding, so continue to drive with caution near waterways like Little Falls Stream, Booze Creek, etc.

WHERE IS SANDY?

Superstorm Sandy is currently near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at this hour.  It will continue northward, and its cloud mass currently stretches from the Great Lakes to New England.  Sandy continues to dump snow to its southwest, with one Western Maryland town having 29" so far.

BETHESDA FORECAST

Mostly cloudy today, with highs in the mid-50s.  Breeze SW, 10-15 MPH.

TRANSIT, TRAVEL, TRAINS, AIRPORTS

Reagan National, Dulles and BWI airports are open.

Newark Liberty and JFK Airports in New York opened at 7 AM this morning.  Call your airline to confirm your flight before leaving home.

Amtrak service has resumed between DC and Philadelphia, but not to New York.  Amtrak is operating south of DC, but not to Chicago.  Again, call ahead, as this could change at any time.

Vamoose Bus has resumed service to New York City from Waverly Street in downtown Bethesda.

Metro subway, Metrobus, Ride On, MARC, MTA bus, Maryland commuter buses, and MTA light rail and subway are all operating this morning.

ETC.

Little Falls Parkway has reopened.

Early voting in Maryland: 8 AM - 9 PM today.

Stay tuned for more, and make sure to follow me on Twitter at @BethesdaRow for all the latest Sandy coverage!

VAMOOSE BUS TO RESTORE BETHESDA - NYC BUS SERVICE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31

Vamoose Bus has announced it will restore bus service between downtown Bethesda and New York City tomorrow.

Which is pretty impressive, given that their route travels directly through and into the states hardest hit by Sandy.  The company says to expect some delays, especially due to closures on the New Jersey Turnpike.

But bus service it is, and a good bargain if you need to get to NYC to visit family after the storm tomorrow, for example.  Great work by Vamoose, and the men and women who have been working around the clock to keep roads open for the rest of us: police, firefighters, road crews, rest stop employees, and many more - thank you!

OCEAN CITY, MD PIER COLLAPSES, IS DESTROYED - UPDATE

A sad update to an earlier story: the damaged fishing pier at Ocean City has collapsed.  Only a few supports are left sticking up out of the ocean.

LIST OF FLASH-FLOOD-PRONE BETHESDA ROADS DURING HURRICANE SANDY

Watch out for these spots that have flooded during past storms in Bethesda:

Little Falls Parkway (the portion between Massachusetts Avenue and River Road was closed last night already)

Small River Road bridge just east of Ridgefield Road, next to Kenwood Station shopping center

Another small bridge on River Road just west of Willard Avenue

Yet another small bridge on River Road just east of Royal Dominion Dr. and Holton Arms

And wouldn't you know it, one more small bridge west of the Beltway, where River Road crosses Cabin John Creek

Booze Creek can flood along Burning Tree Road (same creek that passes below River Road by Holton Arms)

Dalecarlia Parkway

There are also random places in downtown Bethesda that can have standing water, depending on stormwater issues.  These include Wisconsin/Montgomery Aves. intersection, and Bradley Blvd./Arlington Road intersection.

Sometimes there's no way around these points to your destination.  But having this list will at least make you aware of potential danger as you approach these spots.  If it's all clear, it's safe to go ahead.  But if standing water - or even worse, rushing water - is present, TURN AROUND!

In the last 10 years, drivers have literally been swept out of their cars on Goldsboro, Little Falls Parkway near Mass. Ave., and the little bridge near Kenwood Station on River Road.

Stay in if you can, stay alert if you can't!

And stay tuned here and on Twitter at @BethesdaRow for the latest on Hurricane Sandy in Bethesda.

HURRICANE SANDY WILL HIT MARYLAND, DC TONIGHT - UPDATE, STATS - 23' WAVES IN NJ, SNOW FALLING IN WEST VIRGINIA

BETHESDA STORM CENTER

SANDY UPDATE

Hurricane Sandy is strengthening, and has just begun the northwestern turn that will bring it ashore this evening.  Sandy is likely to hit the New Jersey coast, where waves of 23' have been measured this morning.

By the time that happens  - during the late evening rush hour or later - expect 4-8 inches of rain, and winds of 40-60 MPH throughout.  There is a flash flood warning in effect, as well as a high wind warning.

Plan to stay indoors this evening, and stay tuned here and on Twitter at @BethesdaRow for Sandy updates.

Here is the latest data on Sandy:

LOCATION:  385 miles SSE of New York City

WINDS:  85 MPH

MOVING:  NW at 20 MPH

Latest developments:

+Bethesda Circulator service canceled today

+Suburban Hospital ED open; surgeries as scheduled

+17" of rainfall over the Chesapeake Bay as of 7 AM, according to Weather Channel

+Currently snowing in Beckley, Bluefield West Virginia, and in Marion, Virginia

+Coast Guard on rescue mission after ship in path of Sandy radios distress call off Atlantic Coast

+Flood warning for Philadelphia and suburbs

+N end of Atlantic City boardwalk collapsing

+Ocean City, MD fishing pier damaged, in danger of collapse

HURRICANE SANDY PANIC BUYING IN BETHESDA CONTINUES TO CAUSE SHORTAGES OF WATER, BATTERIES AND MORE (PHOTOS)

PLUS:

WHAT ITEMS ARE

YOU BUYING THE

MOST OF IN

BETHESDA?

I KNOW THE ANSWERS!

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

Saturday was far from a day of rest for Bethesda residents gathering supplies ahead of Hurricane Sandy's devastating arrival Monday.  Drivers sat in long lines at gas stations in downtown Bethesda, and over on River Road.  Demand was so high that Sunoco ran out of fuel, but called in a new tanker by mid-evening Saturday.  C and D size batteries, and bottled water remain the most-ransacked items in Bethesda.

Strosniders on Arlington Road said they are expecting a fresh shipment of those batteries today.  Bottled water shortages spread from Bethesda Row to the Arlington Road Safeway, to the Westbard Giant.

You've heard a lot about lists from the authorities and media.

But what is actually on a Bethesda hurricane shopping list?

I've gathered the answers for you, based upon the most-purchased items at grocery stores across town.

TOP SELLERS IN BETHESDA:

1. Bottled water

2. C/D batteries

3. Milk

4. Paper towels

5. Peanut butter

6. Ritz crackers

7. SPAM

8. Tortilla chips

9. Ramen noodles

10. DVDs

Enjoy this photo gallery of fellow residents furiously preparing for Hurricane Sandy, vicariously from your easy chair (unless you haven't finished shopping yet!).

Water aisle at Arlington Rd. Safeway

Westbard Giant water aisle

Westbard paper towel aisle

Peanut Butter aisle

Bethesda is crackers about Ritz

Bethesda is grabbing handfuls of DVDs, but even a
killer storm can't sell them on trash like
Angels & Demons with Tom Hanks

Lines formed at gas stations Saturday,
and some even ran out of gas

Don't "panic" about Sandy:

Follow @BethesdaRow

on Twitter!

HURRICANE SANDY PANIC IN BETHESDA, MARYLAND LEADS TO BARE SHELVES, BOTTLED WATER AND BATTERY SHORTAGES AT SOME GROCERY STORES (PHOTOS)

PANICKED SHOPPERS

STRIP GROCERY SHELVES

BARE

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

The bottled water aisle at
the Bethesda Row Giant
Friday evening

The frightening weather predictions of Hurricane Sandy are causing mild panic in downtown Bethesda.  Friday night, the Bethesda Row Giant's water aisle was stripped bare, and C and D batteries were also sold out.

It does a body good.
Empty milk shelves
at the Arlington Rd. Safeway

Safeway on Arlington Road had some water left, but no more lowfat or 2% milk.  The other Safeway - on Old Georgetown Road - was well-stocked in every department.  CVS on Arlington Road had plenty of bottled water and batteries.

C and D batteries are the
most in demand

All of this panic buying was taking place a full 3 days before Sandy is expected to hit our area, on Monday.

Two important things to do ahead of the storm, in preparation for extensive power outages, are to fill your gas tank, and withdraw the amount of cash you think you'll need to squeak by for the week.

Both gas pumps (as we already found a few months ago!) and ATMs can be forced to close without power.

Stay tuned here and at

 @BethesdaRow on Twitter

for all the latest

  Sandy information

WHEN HURRICANE SANDY HITS MARYLAND, DC, PLAN FOR "UNPRECEDENTED" WEATHER CONDITIONS - FRANKENSTORM UPDATE

BETHESDA STORM CENTER

SANDY UPDATE

Over the night, Hurricane Sandy weakened into Tropical Storm Sandy.  But don't be fooled:  Sandy is already a hurricane again.

The word most common in the latest predictions is "unprecedented."  Sandy may make landfall Monday as a Category 2 hurricane in the worst case scenario.  One forecast predicts that we could experience 48 straight hours of 70 MPH wind gusts.  Some forecasters now expect 8" of rain - that's a 2" increase since yesterday - and isolated pockets of up to 12".

We are now under a flood watch through 8:00 AM Tuesday.  The only positive news is that the latest model is showing the very worst flooding now slightly north of DC's latitude.  The bad news is that the storm will have serious impacts hundreds of miles from its center.

Let's hope Sandy stays weak.  But the storm's slowing speed does give it more ability to gain power from the ocean below it.  Fortunately, the Atlantic is not as warm as the Caribbean.  Alas, Sandy is already carrying a heavy load of tropical moisture with it as it travels toward us.

Here are the latest stats for Sandy:

LOCATION:  350 miles SE of Charleston, SC

WINDS:  70 MPH

MOVING:  NNE at 10 MPH

Make sure to follow @BethesdaRow

on Twitter, as well as this blog,

 for hyperlocal coverage

 of Sandy in Bethesda

WILL HURRICANE SANDY HIT MARYLAND, DC AREA? LATEST MODEL SAYS YES! EAST COAST FRANKENSTORM

BETHESDA STORM CENTER

SANDY UPDATE

The historically-most-accurate Euro model of Hurrricane Sandy is now predicting an almost-certain East Coast landfall by the storm, between Monday and Tuesday.  Our area is within the red zone that stretches from Norfolk, VA to Nova Scotia.  We are almost sure to be hit by Sandy, either directly or in passing.

Remember the three possible scenarios I mentioned yesterday, and how we'd have to wait until certain atmospheric trends played out, to know which track it would take?

Those have been whittled down to one by the latest Euro model.  What changed?  In addition to the jet stream staying too far west, a dominating clockwise current northeast of the U.S. is likely to hurl Sandy westward, and right into the Eastern seaboard.

Barring the chance that Sandy slips eastward before hitting that northeast high pressure system, we are now almost certainly in for a wild and wooly Monday.  Our worst case scenario would be Sandy making landfall between Norfolk and Delaware.  Aside from the danger of Sandy actually coming up the Chesapeake Bay, those located west, north and northwest of the landfall point will be the hardest hit.  And that would include the DC area.

In such a scenario, this could be a historic Mid-Atlantic storm.  Even if that doesn't happen, this pre-Halloween Frankenstorm will still cause power outages, falling trees, flooding and disruption of rail and air transportation in the Northeast Corridor.  Adding to flooding concerns, we will have a Full Moon when Sandy makes landfall.  Tides will already be higher as a result.  Forecasts call for 6" of rainfall; currently, Sandy is producing rainfall of 12-20" in the Carribean.

Continue to monitor the hurricane reports, as the final turn eastward by Sandy as it moves up the coast is the one thing the Euro model hasn't - and can't - show in advance.

One other point on flooding:  If you are in a residential neighborhood, make sure the gutters along your street are free of leaves.  Leaf collection is a couple of weeks off; leaf piles in the gutter can cause streets to flood by slowing and preventing normal function by stormwater systems.

Bottom line:  Frankenstorm may deliver pre-Halloween screams.

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

Here's the latest on Sandy:

LOCATION:  485 miles SSE of Charleston, SC

WINDS:  80 MPH

MOVING:  NW at 13 MPH

Latest Developments:

+HURRICANE WATCH FOR NW BAHAMAS

+TROPICAL STORM WATCH BETWEEN

SAVANNAH RIVER AND

OREGON INLET, NC

HURRICANE SANDY UPDATE: 3 SCENARIOS FOR BETHESDA, DC AREA

BETHESDA STORM CENTER

SANDY UPDATE

Sandy met expectations yesterday, strengthening into a hurricane even earlier in the day than expected.  Currently a Category 2 storm, Sandy has already hit Jamaica and Cuba.

What now for the U.S. East Coast?

The outcome is just as up in the air as it was yesterday at this hour.

But atmospheric conditions suggest 3 likely outcomes.

The worst case scenario is a direct hit to Maryland, via the Chesapeake Bay.  Based on current behavior, Sandy should arrive here after 8:00 AM Monday morning.  So we have a few days to track how this is going, and prepare accordingly.

Even under milder Scenario 2, Sandy will give a Winnie the Pooh-worthy blustery day - or 2 or 3.  We could still have some wind damage and power outages, but not a direct hit.

Finally, Scenario 3 finds us escaping unscathed, with no storms at all, and a return to cooler fall weather.  It all depends on that low pressure system, and if it stays over us through Monday.  That would push Sandy away from the East Coast and out to sea.

Right now, you may want to think about securing or bringing in any objects in your yard, or on your apartment balcony, as we get closer to Monday.  That would include Halloween decorations, for example.

Let's hope for the best, as a direct hit would make for a scary Halloween indeed!

Here are the latest stats for Sandy:

LOCATION:  40 miles E of Holguin, Cuba

WINDS:  105 MPH

MOVING:  N at 18 MPH

Latest Developments:

+TROPICAL STORM WARNING

S OF FLAGLER BEACH, FL

+AIR FORCE RECON PLANE

TO FLY NEAR SANDY

LATER THIS A.M.

WHEN WILL HURRICANE SANDY HIT BETHESDA AND THE DC AREA? - BETHESDA WEATHER UPDATE

BETHESDA STORM CENTER

SANDY UPDATE

Tropical Storm Sandy is currently steaming directly towards Jamaica, and is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before the end of the day.

Will Sandy hit the DC area, and the East Coast in general?  Yes, on Sunday and Monday in some degree, based on two forecast models.  Worse yet, the European model that has historically been the most accurate, is predicting a close shave for the Mid-Atlantic northward.  One Accuweather track even shows it going directly up the Chesapeake Bay.

What a low pressure front does this weekend will ultimately decide our fate.  If it stays over us, Sandy will be forced out to sea.  But if it tracks westward of the East Coast, Sandy could land a formidable punch to the DC area.

Here are the latest stats on TS Sandy:

LOCATION:  190 miles south of Kingston, Jamaica

WINDS:  70 MPH

MOVING: N at 14 MPH

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

+SCHOOLS ACROSS JAMAICA

 ARE CLOSED TODAY

+TROPICAL STORM WATCH JUST

 ISSUED FOR SE FL, UPPER KEYS