Community Corner

Hurricane Sandy: Latest Track and What to Expect

Worst part of storm for New England is expected to be from 9 a.m. through midnight Monday.

 

As of 5 a.m., the National Weather Service Hurricane Center has Sandy is about 385 miles south, southeast of New York City. The storm is traveling at approximately 15 mph toward the north. It is expected to turn northwest today, then turn toward the west-northwest tonight. The center of Sandy will move over the coast of the mid-atlantic states in the evening hours.

According to reports, Sandy is a hybrid storm, meaning it is a huge Nor’easter with a hurricane in the middle. The storm is currently measuring 900 miles wide, making it the second largest storm on record.

Hurricane force winds are expected along portions of the coast between Chincoteague, Virginia and Chatham, Massachusetts. This includes the coasts of Rhode Island.

Tropical-storm-force winds are expected north of Chatham to the Merrimack area of Massachusetts.

The storm is also expected to bring widespread flooding throughout the area.

The worst part of the storm for New England is expected to be from 9 a.m. through midnight Monday. According to WHDH meteorologist Pete Bouchard, wind gusts are already topping 40 mph along the coast and they will continue to get worse.

The storm is expected to last through Tuesday in terms of wind and rain, easing up on Wednesday. Showers and breezes will persist for Halloween, but they will be lighter all around according to Bouchard.

This is a serious storm. Amtrak canceled service up and down its NorthEast corridor for today. New York had mandatory evacuations of low lying areas of the city and subway service has been shut down since last night. In Boston Governor Patrick issued a state of emergency and urged residents throughout the Bay State to stay off the roads and asked communities to close schools. All state office buildings are closed today.


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