Hurricane Irene 8:39 PM EDT New Bern NC

The eye has passed (far too closely) to New Bern.  All reports are that Reboot has made it through OK.  I have not walked out on the dock as the winds are still gusting to 50 mph.  It is now dark so there is not a lot of reason to go out in the rain and wind.  Tomorrow will be soon enough.

The New Bern Hilton is trashed.  We had major water ingress.  XO and I were moved from the first floor to the second floor because they expected my first floor room to flood.  The maximum storm surge was most likely 12 feet, about 4 feet short of the tops of the posts in the marina but enough to breach the seawall and fill the parking lot of the hotel up to the bumpers of the parked cars.  Ceiling tiles are down, paint is pealing off the walls and ceilings, in general the hotel is a mess.  The staff on the other hand has been outstanding.  They have been mopping, cleaning, smiling, serving food and trying to keep us all intact. BZ to the Hilton staff.  There are only two computers in the hotel with Internet access so we are all sharing.  The power and cell service have been out most of the day and we have about 35% of the power back again.  There are still large areas in the hotel without electricity - fortunately my room is not one of them.

I need to move on so others can use the computer.

Keep safe.