The massive storm system will pack powerful winds and could cause life-threatening storm surges, even if it's no longer a hurricane when it hits, said Rick Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center.
"The system is so large that I would say millions of people are at least in areas that have some chance of experiencing either flash flooding or river flooding," Knabb said.
Local and state officials along the East Coast have joined meteorologists in trumpeting the storm's potential breadth and impact, especially if it collides with a cold front from the West to create a "superstorm" that stalls over the Eastern Seaboard for days.
"This is nothing to play with, and this is nothing to take lightly. So take it seriously. I know that we are," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday as he announced the planned shutdown of subway, bus and commuter rail service as the storm nears Sunday night.
Computer models predict portions of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia could see up to a foot of rain. And even though it's still October, communities in and around the Appalachian Mountains could be socked by heavy snow.
Hurricane Sandy has already proven to be deadly, with officials blaming the storm for at least 60 deaths. That figure includes 44 people in Haiti, with 12 more reported missing. Another 16 were dead in Cuba, Jamaica, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico
No comments:
Post a Comment