Here Comes Your 19th Nervous Breakdown

Batten down the hatches 'cause a big blows a-comin'. No Shite Sherlock!

The satellite image animations show (from top to bottom) the surface winds and pressure in twelve hour increments from 10Am yesterday to 10PM Friday.

Here it is right off the NWS press:

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

Flashlights? Alternative heating and lighting sources? Battery powered radios?

People get ready...Stay updated with the NWS (as long as the power and your battery backup lasts.)