Winds pick up, so does flooding as Sandy advances
In this image taken Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012,
Hurricane Sandy is seen on the East Coast of the United States. Sandy,
at Category 1 strength, is packing 75 mph winds. It was about 260 miles
(420 kilometers) south-southeast of Cape Hatteras, N.C., and moving
northeast at 13 mph as of 5 a.m. Sunday, according to the National
Hurricane Center in Miami. The storm was expected to continue moving
parallel to the Southeast coast most of the day and approach the coast
of the mid-Atlantic states by Monday night. (AP Photo/NOAA)
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and Aubrey WhelanBy Sunday morning, it was clear that
people were taking seriously officials' warnings to prepare for the
coming wrath of Hurricane Sandy.
At the Shore, traffic was bumper to bumper on the Garden State Parkway North heading up from Cape May - straight lines of people heeding the order to evacuate coastal towns. At mid-morning, there was no rain, but winds were substantial and picking up.
Route 40 headed into Atlantic City has been shut down due to flooding. The casinos will be closing at 3 p.m.
Flooding made parts of Sea Isle City impassable. Parts of Landis Avenue, the island's main thoroughfare, were flooded, as were smaller roads on the ends of the island.
Some smaller streets in Ocean City were also under water, making travel difficult, though main roads were passable at midday.
In Camden County, authorities announced they had ordered all county parks closed at 2 p.m. and said they had lowered the Cooper River and "are taking all necessary precautions to prevent flooding."
In Center City, crews in bucket trucks were taking down banners on light poles lining 8th Street between Chestnut and Market as winds started to pick up. Later Sunday afternoon, a decision is expected on whether Philadelphia schools will open Monday.
If schools are open, spokesman Fernando Gallard said, students at the three schools being used as emergency shelters would be kept out of the gym and cafeteria areas. Students would be fed in their classrooms, he said.
The University of Pennsylvania announced it would suspend both classes and university operations on Monday and Tuesday.
A SEPTA spokeswoman said there were no plans for service interruption or suspension as of midday, but said officials were monitoring the storm's path closely and would make adjustments to service as necessary.
The Eastern Seaboard prepared for a major blow as Hurricane Sandy took square aim at Delaware Bay and officials ordered evacuation of most of New Jersey's barrier islands Sunday afternoon.
New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority has ordered subway service suspended at 7 p.m. Sunday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Bus service will stop at 9 p.m.
Officials had no shortage of superlatives to describe the storm, expected to make landfall before midnight Monday, with the eye of the storm projected to strike between the Delmarva peninsula and New Jersey. It is expected to assault the Mid-Atlantic with fierce winds, drenching rains, and, in the Appalachian Mountains, heavy snow.
"We should not underestimate this storm," New Jersey's Gov. Christie said Saturday in North Wildwood.
Coastal residents were instructed to relocate to higher ground, and inland residents were told to prepare for up to a week without power.
The rain in Philadelphia is forecast to become steady by Sunday evening, with winds above 30 m.p.h. early Monday. By midnight Monday, gusts in Philadelphia could exceed 60 m.p.h., according to the National Weather Service.
The region's electrical utilities, stung by criticism they were unprepared for the damage caused by last year's twin storms of Irene and Lee, put out a nationwide 911 call for help from other power companies. Convoys of bucket trucks from Kansas, New Orleans, Chicago, and Florida hit the road for the East Coast.
"People should be ready for the possibility of power outages paired with cold temperatures," said Craig Fugate, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "Now is the time to prepare. Review your emergency plans, check your supplies, and stay informed."
The storm could be more fearsome than Irene, which caused more than $15 billion in damage. Forecasters said hurricane-force winds of 75 m.p.h. might be felt 100 miles from the storm's center.
Sandy was briefly downgraded to a tropical storm Saturday morning. But Marshall Moss, vice president of forecasting at AccuWeather Inc., said it hardly matters what you call it; the storm will wreak havoc for hundreds of miles.
"It's going to affect millions and cost billions," he said. The storm will cause flooding and power outages that could last for days or weeks.
The storm is an unusual combination of a tropical weather system with a cold air mass that Moss called a "truly historic" event and said would act more like a nor'easter than a hurricane.
Most jurisdictions in the area - New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia - declared states of emergency and set up shelters in anticipation of the storm.
New Jersey ordered evacuation of most of its barrier islands, including Atlantic City, by 4 p.m. Sunday.
At the Shore, traffic was bumper to bumper on the Garden State Parkway North heading up from Cape May - straight lines of people heeding the order to evacuate coastal towns. At mid-morning, there was no rain, but winds were substantial and picking up.
Route 40 headed into Atlantic City has been shut down due to flooding. The casinos will be closing at 3 p.m.
Flooding made parts of Sea Isle City impassable. Parts of Landis Avenue, the island's main thoroughfare, were flooded, as were smaller roads on the ends of the island.
Some smaller streets in Ocean City were also under water, making travel difficult, though main roads were passable at midday.
In Camden County, authorities announced they had ordered all county parks closed at 2 p.m. and said they had lowered the Cooper River and "are taking all necessary precautions to prevent flooding."
In Center City, crews in bucket trucks were taking down banners on light poles lining 8th Street between Chestnut and Market as winds started to pick up. Later Sunday afternoon, a decision is expected on whether Philadelphia schools will open Monday.
If schools are open, spokesman Fernando Gallard said, students at the three schools being used as emergency shelters would be kept out of the gym and cafeteria areas. Students would be fed in their classrooms, he said.
The University of Pennsylvania announced it would suspend both classes and university operations on Monday and Tuesday.
A SEPTA spokeswoman said there were no plans for service interruption or suspension as of midday, but said officials were monitoring the storm's path closely and would make adjustments to service as necessary.
The Eastern Seaboard prepared for a major blow as Hurricane Sandy took square aim at Delaware Bay and officials ordered evacuation of most of New Jersey's barrier islands Sunday afternoon.
New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority has ordered subway service suspended at 7 p.m. Sunday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Bus service will stop at 9 p.m.
Officials had no shortage of superlatives to describe the storm, expected to make landfall before midnight Monday, with the eye of the storm projected to strike between the Delmarva peninsula and New Jersey. It is expected to assault the Mid-Atlantic with fierce winds, drenching rains, and, in the Appalachian Mountains, heavy snow.
"We should not underestimate this storm," New Jersey's Gov. Christie said Saturday in North Wildwood.
Coastal residents were instructed to relocate to higher ground, and inland residents were told to prepare for up to a week without power.
The rain in Philadelphia is forecast to become steady by Sunday evening, with winds above 30 m.p.h. early Monday. By midnight Monday, gusts in Philadelphia could exceed 60 m.p.h., according to the National Weather Service.
The region's electrical utilities, stung by criticism they were unprepared for the damage caused by last year's twin storms of Irene and Lee, put out a nationwide 911 call for help from other power companies. Convoys of bucket trucks from Kansas, New Orleans, Chicago, and Florida hit the road for the East Coast.
"People should be ready for the possibility of power outages paired with cold temperatures," said Craig Fugate, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "Now is the time to prepare. Review your emergency plans, check your supplies, and stay informed."
The storm could be more fearsome than Irene, which caused more than $15 billion in damage. Forecasters said hurricane-force winds of 75 m.p.h. might be felt 100 miles from the storm's center.
Sandy was briefly downgraded to a tropical storm Saturday morning. But Marshall Moss, vice president of forecasting at AccuWeather Inc., said it hardly matters what you call it; the storm will wreak havoc for hundreds of miles.
"It's going to affect millions and cost billions," he said. The storm will cause flooding and power outages that could last for days or weeks.
The storm is an unusual combination of a tropical weather system with a cold air mass that Moss called a "truly historic" event and said would act more like a nor'easter than a hurricane.
Most jurisdictions in the area - New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia - declared states of emergency and set up shelters in anticipation of the storm.
New Jersey ordered evacuation of most of its barrier islands, including Atlantic City, by 4 p.m. Sunday.
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