We all can hope that outrageous weather is not a trend, but between the earthquake on Tuesday and the upcoming hurricane, I think this is trend-blog worthy. 

While everyone knows they can find the latest comprehensive information on Irene at nhregister.com, I thought I would mention a few tips that I learned today, other than stocking up on water and batteries, to help those battening down the hatches. 

I was told by a few sources and family members that if it rains before a hurricane (as it did in the New Haven area today) tree roots become loose in the soil so trees are more likely to topple with the help of heavy winds. One source told me he is putting heavy-duty plastic around the tree base tonight to avoid any further soil saturation and allow the water to runoff elsewhere in the ground.

Now onto technology, which won't be very usable during a power outage unless you prepare. First of all, if the power is out, you won't be able to charge your cell phone. That wouldn't seem so bad but you may need it to call for help (or play angry birds to pass the time if the weather is less severe.) This may not be doable for other cell phones but for iphone users: have a laptop charged up so you can use it as a cell phone charger if you need to. If you have an ipad or netbook, keep those charged for the same reasons.

If the weather does get nasty and cell phone calls are dropped, there is an app called Voxer that acts as a walkie talkie. This allows you to reach others in a time of emergency when cell-phone service may be spotty or the lines are clogged. Look into this before Sunday, when Connecticut is supposed to feel Irene's wrath.

 The latest on Irene.

Now, for a slight blast from the past. If you are looking for some not-so-fair-weather entertainment:

Humorous things people had to say about the August 23, 2012 earthquake