Sandy Ready To Roar: Gusts To 100 MPH Across Northeast

Sandy continues to be a large and dangerous system and poses a major threat to portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Residents from New England to New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and eastern Ohio should prepare for Sandy immediately and finish those preparations by Sunday night.

Below, we have a breakdown of the impacts and timeline for Sandy beginning with the serious threat the system poses to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. You can find more information on the Carolina impacts at this link.

Northeast/Mid-Atlantic:  Prepare for Widespread Impacts

Effects from Sandy are being felt now, but will peak in intensity late Sunday night through Tuesday.

Our latest projected path takes the center of Sandy into the Northeast coast between Long Island and the Delmarva Peninsula.

However, it is very important to not focus on the center of our projected path map since the major impacts will extend across a wide area well away from where Sandy’s center eventually moves inland.

The impacts will range from widespread destructive winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge flooding to even heavy, wet snow. Below we have an initial look at the multiple threats we expect from Sandy.

Destructive Wind Potential – Winds will be strong over a very large area and capable of downing or damaging many trees and possibly blowing out windows in skyscrapers. Where the strongest winds occur, flying debris will add to the danger. Power outages are expected to be widespread and could last for days so be sure to charge cell phones and have any other supplies you may need. Wind damage will spread well inland, especially over higher terrain, due to the extremely large size of Sandy. In some areas, sustained winds of 30 to 50 mph could last for more than 24 hours. Gusts may top 80 mph.

Heavy Rain Potential – Widespread heavy rainfall will likely lead to flooding problems in some areas. Rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches are expected to be widespread in parts of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic with locally 10 inches or more possible.

Storm Surge – In general, the most significant storm surge will occur to the north of where the center eventually moves inland. The National Hurricane Center has released storm surge forecasts of 5 to 10 feet above ground level if the peak surge occurs at high tide for Long Island sound, and 4 to 8 feet from Ocean City, Md. to the Connecticut/Rhode Island border. This includes Raritan Bay and Delaware Bay.

Heavy Snow – Yes, this setup will even wrap in just enough cold air on its western edge to produce wet snow, possibly heavy, in some parts of the central Appalachians (mountains of West Virginia and southwest Pennsylvania). Total accumulations of a foot or more will be possible. The combination of snow and strong winds will damage trees and cause power outages.

Everyone:

• Needs to complete preparations by sunset Sunday
• Needs to be prepared for extended period without power

Coast:

• Follow orders from local officials and know if you need to evacuate due to coastal flood threat
• Prepare your home/property for frequent hurricane gusts

Inland:

• Prepare your home/property for occasional hurricane gusts
• Know if you are in an area prone to flooding from rainfall
• Beware of the potential of lakeshore flooding on the southern end of the Great Lakes as far west as Chicago

Snow (core of that being in W.V. mountains):

• Prepare for blizzard conditions
• Expect near freezing temperatures with no power

Source: WEATHER.COM

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