American Red Cross Hurricane App for Android There may be a version for iDevices too. It's free and looks to be well put together.

After the storm I expect the gnomes will again take interest in links like that.

New Hampshire's Ready New Hampshire page, with information and links, and a reminder that you shouldn't call 9-1-1 unless you or someone near you needs an ambulance, a police officer, or a fire truck right now. (My own thought on that is if you're unsure if someone near you needs an ambulance ... call.)

The National Weather Service's Stormready Community program. If your community isn't part of the program, maybe find out why not.

NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) pamphlet (.pdf). I've been recommending that everyone pick up a NWR for years now. In my opinion, Midland makes the best, but there are lots and lots on the market, starting around $20.

We're talking about one day, not four, for the southern end of the storm.

The good news is that they aren't expecting snow in DC.

Hurricane Hints has an excellent reminder for anyone planning on taking their pets with them to a shelter:

"Proof of current vaccinations will be required for housing animals in many facilities. Make sure you have copies stored in a waterproof container with other supplies so you don't forget to take them."

How to Take Care of Pets During a Hurricane has good tips as well, including an interesting one for aquarium owners. I can't vouch for it being useful for a long power outage because I don't know how long those backup aerators run, but it does sound very useful in the short term.

I didn't find anything specific to hamsters. I guess if the power goes out and it does get cold indoors, you could snuggle the hamster to keep her warm. (Is this one a shoulder hamster? Some of the great hamsters of the past were champion snugglers.)

In the meantime, I give you this link, with hopes it doesn't come to that: hamster wetsuit and goggles.

They're keeping track of Sandy, and currently this is a physically large storm - it's about 40 degrees of longitude wide.

It's based on the SLOSH model, which takes both storm-specific data and local hydrology into account. As I type, the map is showing a 70-80% chance of a surge over two feet in New York Harbor between now and Tuesday evening; the chances of a surge over five feet are in the 30-40% range, while the chance of a surge over eleven feet is less than five percent.

A half a dozen tweets an hour doesn't make that much of a difference and use them as a checklist to make sure I've done/got everything I need to. And I won't have to go seeking them out after the storm hits.

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Take care everyone.

No, no, it's the Emergency French Toast Supplies. Or what I call, here in the land of snowstorms, "White Things to Appease the Snow Gods". Eggs, milk, bread, and toilet paper are ALWAYS down to bare or almost-bare shelves when a storm warning comes around. True, around here, the storm warnings are usually snowstorms.

What supplies would appease the Hurricane Gods? Swirly foods? Cinnamon-raisin bread perhaps, instead of white bread? Marble cake? Those giant lollipops?

Would the gnomes like some milk? I should use it up before the power goes out.

Wishing the best of luck to all in the path of the storm.