Parts of Atlantic City are under water! (Photo courtesy of NY Times)
Sandy remains a fully tropical system within it’s core which has gotten much better organised over the past 12 hours with a slow decrease in pressure. The outer areas of this storm is injesting more cold core, baroclinic properties but while the storm outwith the truely tropical core is more Nor’easter-like, do not let this make you put your guard down. This storm is extreme, nothing ordinary and will cause significant problems hundreds of miles from the centre.
For example. damaging, hurricane-force winds are expected as far west NW as western New York, Pennsylvania down through western Virginia West Virginia and all the way to the mountains of North Carolina where a major blizzard is set to develop through tonight.
The forward motion of Sandy is now NNW and could well be moving at a rate of 30 mph now as it feels the trough over the Ohio Valley.
Folks, I can’t stress enough how serious this situation has become. This thing has a pressure equivalent to a Category 4 storm and it’s wind field is nearly 1000 miles across. According to latest radar estimates with a distance of roughly 100 miles offshore, we should see a landfall of Sandy in roughly 4-5 hours and when that centre comes ashore, DON’T be on the coast! A wall of water 15 feet high with 25-30 foot waves on top will likely devastate the area where the centre hits and potentially all the way up the Jersey and Long Island shore.
Courtesy of AccuWeather.com
Right now, the coast from Atlantic City to Ship Bottom, LBI looks the likely candidate for this historic landfall but unfortauntely, the devastation extends southwards all the way down to at least Ocean City, Maryland and may extend as far north as Massachussetts with an 8-10 foot water level rise.
There is concern over New York City also with water already covering runways at LaGuardia. The situation is bad at the moment and will worsen over the next 4+ hours. The trouble with New York City is that a storm surge will come from the Atlantic with a funnelling effect as water is squeezed between Sandy Hook and Brooklyn, then that water pushes up New York Harbour and comes up against the Battery on the southern tip of Manhattan. This water rise also raise levels in the East and Hudson Rivers. At the same time, an equally as high or higher storm surge piles down Long Island sound and comes in from the NE, further raising water levels.
Ocean City, NJ (From Facebook)
An 8-10 foot storm surge coming from both directions may put much of Lower Manhattan under water and even parts of Midtown and Uptown Manhattan. This is the scenary emergency planners in this city has dreaded and it may well be coming true..
On top of this major problem, you’ve got hurricane-force winds now set to push onshore in New Jersey and southern New York. Bare in mind that 75-80 mph winds at the surface blowing through New York City, while will tear down trees, bring damage to property and businesses, the winds INCREASE WITH HEIGHT, so if your wandering around the streets of New York City, your foolish because winds in the upper parts of those buildings may well get blown out, showering glass down.
Watch out if your near inland waterways and coastal inlets where water has nowhere to go. You don’t need to be near the ocean to be in grave danger. The estimated 10+ inch rains will force these waters to swell and WILL cause serious flooding, potentially and likely cutting off communities.
There is a lot going on. Stay tuned. Will provide a new update in the next couple of hours…
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