It's just me, myself and Irene...New Jersey DAY 1 Morning/Afternoon update

So I woke up this morning (a little late) grabbed a snack and made it just in time to my Martial Arts class with little to no signs of Hurricane Irene.  As I started to leave at around 10:30am it did start to rain (off and on) but nothing to serious. By the time I got home it had started to get a little rougher, BUT hardly a Hurricane.  It is said that everyone in the Greater New York Area will feel this storm, with rain falling on us all.  This storm is likely to drop between 6 and 12 inches of torrential rainfall, starting on Saturday morning and continuing until Sunday evening. Some spots may receive up to 15 inches.

In one way this storm is a BOOST to the economy; as consumers have been buying groceries, hardware store supplies and gas at a extremely high rate, which I am sure store owners are not complaining about it, especially in this economy.  I personally went in to the local Pathmark and there was not 1 bottle of water or bread available...crazzzzzzy! the lines were so bad that I could not even wait, I just left.

*Also there has been 2 reported deaths (a surfer died  and a man in North Carolina was struck by a tree branch) so people please be careful, stay indoors; especially folks in expected hard hit areas.

It is important to understand that many State and private companies have closed there doors so I figured I'd provide some information about what to expect.

GoodBuy Homes NJ Realty: will be closed until Monday morning at 10am if weather permits, we advised all of our staff and clients to stay away until all is clear from Irene.

NJ Road Closures: The southbound lanes of the Garden State Parkways from Exit 98 in Wall Township to the southern end of the state were closed in order  to facilitate northbound traffic.  No traffic was allowed into Atlantic City after 6 p.m. Friday. Casinos and hotels will close at noon Saturday, some started closing from Friday night.

NJ Transit: All NJ rail service will shut down beginning at 12 p.m. on Saturday.  Station waiting rooms controlled by NJ Transit will remain open  throughout the weekend. Bus, Light Rail and Access Link service will be suspended as of 6  p.m. Saturday.  The Path Train Service has been suspended until further notice.

The MTA: which is NYC transportation service (subway & Buses) have suspended services as on noon today in all directions.

Bridges and Tunnels: Governor Andrew Cuomo's office said  major  bridges in the city and lower Hudson Valley and the state Thruway  will  close if sustained wind speeds top 60 mph. Cuomo suspended tolls  at the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial, Marine Parkway-Gil  Hodges Memorial Bridge, Verrazano-Narrows, Throgs Neck and Bronx-Whitestone bridges.

Banks & ATM: Many banks and ATM have closed early and will not be accessible until Monday or Tuesday.

Airports: Newark International and Teteboro Airport will have many cancellations as a result of the storm. Do not to be surprised if all flights are cancelled in the event we get extreme high winds mixed with the rain. The five main New York City-area airports closed to arriving passenger flights beginning at noon

I hope this info helps the residents of NJ & NY as this storm heads our way, I am one of those people that don't believe this storm will be as bad as predicted but that's just me, so I did not run to the stores and stock up on groceries and supplies but if you did; I understand and I wish everyone the best!

Remember people be smart...be careful and be safe...See you on Monday! If you get bored at home (and you have power) check out Me, Myself and Irene starring Jim Carey, its a pretty funny movie.