Just got this from John tonight:
We are evacuating tonight because our home is just 150 yards from the beach. We are going to our Philadelphia house or our sons house in Delaware County we don't know which yet but at least we will be out of here. I hope our home is still here Monday.
36 Engineers are rugged......John Fallon II. Capt. USA Ret.
:unsure:
All my friends on the east coast are in my prayers as we wait to see the impact of IRENE. Especially thinking of Capt. John Fallon and also my friends on Rhode Island who I will be visiting in 4 weeks time. You are all in my thoughts. 
Colin.
I wish add to that my own prayer that that there is no loss of life, including pets and livestock, and that Irene might decide she will just head out to sea. Glad to know that Capt. Fallon II has opted to evacuate early and we will all pray that his house is still standing on Monday. 
Last month there was a tornado north of here,then we had an earthquake, now a hurricane. Next week LOCUSTS!!!!
I can't believe you said that, for I was just out standing on the front sidewalk talking to the post master and a few other neighbors. I had them laughing for I said, next is a plague of locusts!!!! 
:P
I said God is talking for the tea party; get the picture boys!!!!
But, do stay safe y'all.
So since I am going to this school in Quantico, I have been able to be around for the multiple plagues so far. (Rain is just starting to fall here south of DC.) Then once I get home to Albany, I'll get to have the swarm of gnats!! Actually, Vicki told me yesterday that the highs have been over a hundred still in Albany over the last few days. Sort of glad I'm here in the Hurricane!
So let me tell you about the earthquake. Having grown up in Dallas and having spent most of my service time in North Carolina, I have never been in an Earthquake. I was in an exterior room in the Communications School building when I heard and felt the earth slightly rumbling. It was the same feeling one gets when a large vehicle, like a tank, is rumbling closely by. I was standing there thinking what kind of vehicle could be that heavy and still fit through the small road out front when the ground started to shake about 6 or more inches side to side. I was actually thinking, "Holy crap! This is an Earthquake! This is kind of cool!" In about the time it took to think this, it was over. The reason I thought it was cool was the fact that I was in the lower floor of a squat, conrete, 2 story building. One of my captains was up here for a temporary trip and was, at that moment, on the 3 floor of a 6 story hotel. He did not think it was very cool at all and high-tailed it out of the building!
Ironically, there was a hurricane here the last time I was here for comm school - Isabel.
I was lucky that I only was without electricity for 3 days. Others inland were without for more than a week. Keeping my fingers crossed for this time! These rooms aren't designed to be comfortable without electricity!
Well it looks like Quantico wasn't hit very hard. The power did go out around 1930 last night but it came on (to a degree) around 0745 this morning. We seem to be on backup power here so not everything is working, but a most things are. That seems to be localized to the BOQ, however. Every other place I've seen today (the PX and Commissary for example) are back up and running.
I had my drapes open last night to watch the dark shape of the trees. Sometime in the night the wind was blowing something fierce and it would wake me up from time to time. But other than to my night of sleep, there doesn't seem to be much damage. Some trees have been knocked down here are there, but I didn't see any on anything (such as a car). Undoubtedly, there are lots of those incidents up and down the coast. One point of interest, I saw a car wreck while I was out in town. Nothing serious (assuming the people were in seat belts). I just saw it out of the corner of my eye as I went through an intersection. Just thought to myself someone's looking out for me! (Good thing I had just gone to church! 
)