UPDATE: The National Hurricane Center said that Hurricane Sandy now has strengthened to maximum sustained winds of 90 mph and is slowing down to 18 mph.
As residents along the Northeastern coast prepare for the monstrosity that is headed towards them, Hurricane Sandy continues to move north northwestward at an accelerated rate, the National Hurricane Center announced in its 8 a.m. ET advisory. According to the Miami-based center, Sandy is "expected to bring life-threatening storm surge and coastal hurricane winds plus heavy Appalachian snows."
The Category 1 storm strengthened overnight and now has maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, the center said. According to the Miami-based center, "Sandy is expected to transition into a frontal or wintertime low pressure system prior to landfall. However, this transition will not be accompanied by a weakening of the system and, in fact, a little strengthening is possible during this process. Sandy is expected to weaken after moving inland."
Moving north-northwest at 20 mph, Sandy is about 265 miles southeast of Atlantic City, N.J. and about 310 miles south-southeast of New York City. According to the NHC, Sandy is expected make a turn towards the northwest later Monday morning, followed by a turn to the west-northwest on Monday night. Hurricane Sandy is forecast to move over the coast of the Mid-Atlantic states Monday evening or night, the center stated.
Hurricane-force winds have extended out up to 175 miles, the center said, with tropical-storm-force winds extending out up to 485 miles. The NHC reported that sustained tropical-storm-force winds have been felt along the coasts of southern New Jersey, Delaware and eastern Virginia. The sustained tropical-storm-force winds "extend as far inland as the central and southern Chesapeake Bay."
The NHC updated its tropical storm warning to include north of Surf City to Duck, N.C., Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds and Bermuda. The Monday morning advisory also warned that hurricane-force winds are expected in portions along the coast between Chincoteague, Va. and Chatham, Mass. Tropical-storm-force winds are expected north of Chatham to Merrimack River, Mass., the lower Chesapeake Bay and south of Chinoteague to Duck, N.C.
Hurricane Sandy is expected to bring a combination of an extremely dangerous storm surge and tide, the NHC warned. Storm surge flooding could reach up to six ft between North Carolina and Upper Chesapeake Bay. Up to 11 ft of storm surge flooding is expected around the Long Island Sound, Raritan Bay and New York Harbor. According to the center, Ocean City, Md. up to the Massachusetts/New Hampshire border can expect anywhere from four to eight feet of flooding.
The hurricane is also expected to bring massive amounts of rainfall of isolated maximum amounts of up to 12 inches in some areas, the NHC warned. Mid-Atlantic states can expect rainfall amounts of four to eight inches and up to 12 inches, the morning advisory stated. The southern tier of New York State northeastward through New England can expect a bit less rain, up to five inches of rainfall.
Further inland, in the mountains of West Virginia, southwestern Virginia to the Kentucky border and the North Carolina/Tennessee border can expect snowfall, the NHC said. The most snow, between 12 to 18 inches, will be produced over the mountains near the North Carolina/Tennessee border and in the mountains of western Maryland.
The National Hurricane Center will release its next advisory at 11 a.m. ET. Look out for continuous updates from Latinos Post throughout the week.
Updated Path Maps: