Update: Changed path image at top to more recent one. Added link to food safety tips. (Don’t go shopping now. Use the food safety tips to finish preparing and to make do with what you have.)
The projected track for Hurricane Sandy looks similar today to what was expected on Friday. The category 1 hurricane has begun to turn towards the east coast of the United States and is predicted to make landfall over New Jersey and Delaware late Monday evening or early Tuesday morning.
Forecasts indicate a storm surge of four to eleven feet for much of the East Coast and perhaps a foot of rain in some places. It’s important to remember that the storm is huge and hurricanes can have significant effects on places far from landfall. The worst of the storm surge is expected to be in New York City, Long Island, and northern New Jersey.
People who live less than five feet above sea level near Hurricane Sandy’s path should seriously consider evacuating further inland. Also, anyone who lives near a river, bay, or other waterway that reaches the Atlantic Ocean should consider evacuating.
On the front page of the National Weather Service site, there is a map that shows which areas can expect various weather-related risks. Look at that page to see what you most need to prepare for.
For help in preparing to stay home or deciding what to take to a shelter or to a hotel further inland, NOAA has a hurricane preparedness guide.
The unusual weather patterns which determined Hurricane Sandy’s path are coming together to push the hurricane inland, push a wintry storm moving in from the west, and send cold air down from the Arctic. The hurricane might increase in strength before it makes landfall. We’ll just have to wait and see.
This short video shows the growth of Hurricane Sandy.
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