Perfect Storm, the. The 1991 storm that inspired the book by Sebastian Junger and the movie starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg in which things ended not perfectly at all. Sandy has been called this. The phrase is being used in numerous headlines, with varied success: Sandy is a "Perfect Storm for Gas Prices," for instance.
Quibbling. Particularly, over Sandy's name:
Rockaway. Zone A, a mandatory evacuation zone.
Sandbags. Are all over the place, to prevent flooding—at Goldman Sachs, for instance.
Sandy. The name of this storm. Media organizations, please don't put it in "scare quotes," which seem to indicate it's not real. It seems pretty real.
Shandy. The unofficial drink of the storm. Beer plus lemonade, ginger-ale, cider, or whatever you have on hand.
Squall. "A raucous cry" or "a sudden violent wind often with rain or snow" or "a short-lived commotion."
Storm Surge. From Weatherbug.com, this is "a rise above the normal water level along a shore caused by strong onshore winds and/or reduced atmospheric pressure." This is what meteorologists say will cause the most damage. Via the AP, "National Hurricane Center Director Rick Knabb said Hurricane Sandy's size means some coastal parts of New York and New Jersey may see water rise from 6 to 11 feet from surge and waves. The rest of the coast north of Virginia can expect 4 to 8 feet of surge. The full moon Monday will add 2 to 3 inches to the storm surge in New York, [Weather Underground meteorologist Jeff] Masters said."
Twitter. A place to look for breaking news and hurricane Sandy info. Check the Wall Street Journal's Weather list.
Umbrellas. Will they do any good in Sandy? Don't go outside, don't try to find out, and we don't think so. (Umbrellapocalypse: What we're likely to see in the aftermath, if people do not heed this advice.)
Very bad. The simplest phrase being used in weather reports to describe what is clearly a "very bad" storm.
Viral. What your fake Sandy photo may go, if today is any indication.
Weathering the storm. What punny types say as they deal with Sandy's beginning, middle, and end—and then the aftermath. Meaning "to survive a difficult situation," it's an idiom to refer to something that is not a tempest in a teacup. Other weather idioms here.
Wikipedia. Sandy has the honor of an already extensive page.
Wind Event. In possible 90 mph doses with gusts of 110 mph—currently, as a Category One hurricane—we have a "wind event" not a "rain event." (Expect flooding from storm surges and wind, not a ton of rainfall.)
XO. Give your loved ones a hug.
Yes. It will, at some point, be past us. Hang in there.
Zone A (and B, and C). Your likelihood in New York City of experiencing flooding, from high to lower. Zone A currently has mandatory evacuations. Check your zone here.
This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.