Sandy: No New News Is Bad News

Hurricane Sandy is on everyone’s mind. I got an email this morning from a friend in Noank. He lives on the beach. He was looking for advice.

You have to leave! You have to move to higher ground with your family. Everything I see tells me flooding and destruction will be worse than anything seen since 1938 and maybe more!

You have about 24 hours, maybe a little more, but don’t push it. Water levels will be 5-10′ higher than usual plus astronomical high tides.

I would not scare you as much as I hope I’m scaring you if it wasn’t warranted. No forecast is 100% right. I could be wrong, but there’s nothing to make me think that.

Be safe. Keep your family safe.

Geoff

This is serous stuff. Hurricane Sandy will bring pain to all of Connecticut, but nowhere more than the shoreline. All the computer guidance piles water into the Sound, trapping it there.

At 2:00 PM Sunday water levels are already a foot and a half above normal. The storm is still 270 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, NC.

The high water will move inland. Roads will be washed over. Exit routes will cease to exist.

Water levels in Long Island Sound will likely reach historic levels beyond those seen with the Hurricane of ’38. We won’t have that storm’s wind, but water is actually more destructive!

One of the forecasters at the Weather Service office in Mount Holly, NJ said, “It’s guidance, not gospel.” It’s possible what I’m talking about won’t happen, but that seems unlikely right now. There’s too much downside to wait and see.

The entire state will get strong, gusty winds. It’s likely we won’t get sustained winds at hurricane force, but hurricane force gusts are possible and tropical storm gusts are probable. We will lose power in many places.

The computer projections show winds stronger than Irene.

The strongest winds will be at the shore, but damaging winds will be seen statewide. If you’re on a hill or a tall building your wind will be stronger.

How we fare versus last year’s October snow and Hurricane Irene remains to be seen. The power companies claim to be better prepared. Talk is cheap.

Rain looks less problematic than with Irene. Inland flooding is still possible, but limited.

If it seems you’ve read this before, it’s because you have! There have been few changes to my forecast or my read of the consequences for a few days.

This is a very serious situation. Though the greatest peril is at the shore, the danger inland is high too.

You have precious little time to finish your preparations. By midday Monday travel will be difficult or impossible statewide.

If you are worrying whether you’re in a safe place, assume you are not. Find a place of shelter to hunker down until the storm passes.

Be smart. Think before you act. Stay out of harm’s way.

I’ll be heading to work at FoxCT in a few hours and plan on staying at the station through the storm. I’ll see you later on-air and online.

12 thoughts on “Sandy: No New News Is Bad News”

  1. Thanks Geoff. Being in lower Ffld County and having Directv I only get the NYC forcasters. Accessing your blog is helpful and comforting. Keep up the good work!

  2. Geoff, is there a way to follow your reports if power goes down here at home? Will the cellphones that access the internet be able to still follow the reports? Thanks…

  3. So glad you are back up and running for this storm. I trust your opinion more than any other local forecaster. Please keep your blog going during the height of it, if u can.

  4. Geoff,
    When do you think Sandy will be at worse? I live in Waterbury,Ct/Naugatuck,Ct town line. I know school are closed that is good. When do you think we will see sun again? Can this storm cause people with arthrist like myself hurt for a long period of time?

    Sheena

  5. Geoff,
    Driving home to ct from KS. There are many many utility company trucks headed east. We are now in PA on 80. Want to get home!

  6. Geoff, I have to be somewhere early on Monday morning; when will the storm begin esp. in Waterbury area? I don’t want to get stuck there and not be able to make it back home. Thank you, glad you are around!

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