News: Latest from National Weather Service: Sandy to Bring Near Hurricane Force Winds and Flood-Producing Heavy Rainfall to Much of the Region Through Tuesday

Here is the latest from the National Weather Service:

AT 11 AM EDT...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE SANDY WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 37.5N...LONGITUDE 71.5W. THIS WAS ABOUT 315 MILES EAST OF WASHINGTON DC. SANDY WAS MOVING NORTHWEST AT 18 MPH...WITH MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS OF 90 MPH. SANDY IS FORECAST TO MAKE LANDFALL ALONG THE SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY COAST EARLY TONIGHT...WITH A LITTLE STRENGTHENING POSSIBLE BEFORE LANDFALL. SANDY WILL SEVERELY IMPACT THE REGION WELL BEFORE IT COMES ASHORE.


SUMMARY OF THREATS ------------------
* THE MAIN IMMEDIATE THREATS FOR SANDY WILL BE STRONG WINDS RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD DOWNED TREES AND POWER/COMMUNICATIONS OUTAGES...AND HEAVY RAINS WHICH WILL RESULT IN EXTENSIVE FLOODING OF LOCAL STREAMS AND CREEKS.
* BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST IN THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 2000 FEET WHERE 18 TO 24 INCHES ARE FORECAST.
* MAJOR RIVER FLOODING IS LIKELY TO OCCUR...STARTING THIS AFTERNOON ON SMALLER WATERSHEDS WHICH WILL LEAD TO FLOODING ON THE MAIN-STEM RIVERS SUCH AS THE POTOMAC AND THE SHENANDOAH.


CHANGES SINCE LAST LOCAL STATEMENT ----------------------------------
* THE TIMING OF THE PEAK WINDS FROM SANDY ARE NOW EXPECTED FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON TO DAYBREAK ON WEDNESDAY.
* RAINFALL AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN INCREASED. THE GREATER BALTIMORE METRO AREA IS NOW FORECAST TO RECEIVE 8 TO 12 INCHES OF RAIN...WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS.
* THE POTOMAC RIVER IS LIKELY TO GO INTO FLOOD STAGE BEGINNING AROUND WEDNESDAY AND LASTING THROUGH FRIDAY.

HIGH WINDS ----------
* WINDS WILL INCREASE STEADILY TODAY...WITH THE MAXIMUM WIND GUSTS OCCURRING LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.
* GENERALLY...SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION.
* HURRICANE FORCE WIND GUSTS OF 70 AND POSSIBLY 80 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO IMPACT A REGION LOCATED BETWEEN BEL AIR MD...POINT LOOKOUT MD...AND HAGERSTOWN MD BETWEEN 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM TUESDAY. THIS INCLUDES THE GREATER BALTIMORE AND WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREAS.
* COUPLED WITH HEAVY RAINS FROM SANDY...THE HIGH WINDS WILL RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE.

RAINFALL AND FLOODING ---------------------
* 8 TO 12 INCHES OF RAIN IN NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL MD INCLUDING THE BALTIMORE METRO AREA AND ALONG THE WEST SHORE OF THE BAY.
* 5 TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE FREDERICK... WASHINGTON AND FREDERICKSBURG METRO AREAS.
* 3 TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED FOR EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA AND VIRGINIA...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE DC METRO COUNTIES...AS WELL AS WESTERN MARYLAND WEST OF HANCOCK MD.
* THIS AMOUNT OF RAIN WILL LIKELY RESULT IN EXTENSIVE AND DANGEROUS FLOODING OF LOCAL STREAMS AND CREEKS STARTING THIS AFTERNOON AND LASTING INTO WEDNESDAY.

MAIN-STEM RIVER FLOODING ------------------------
* THE POTOMAC RIVER WILL LIKELY START FLOODING TUESDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.
* THE MONOCACY RIVER IS FORECAST TO FLOOD LATER TODAY AND CONTINUE TO BE IN MAJOR FLOOD THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY. LEVELS FORECAST HAVE NOT BEEN SEEN SINCE AGNES IN 1972.

COASTAL FLOODING ----------------
* WITH THE FULL MOON ON MONDAY...ASTRONOMICAL TIDES ARE ALREADY HIGHER THAN NORMAL. COUNTER TO THE HIGHER THAN NORMAL ASTRONOMICAL TIDES...STRONG NORTH AND NORTHWESTERLY WINDS TODAY WILL CAUSE A BLOW-OUT TIDE ALONG THE WESTERN SHORE OF THE CHESAPEAKE AND THE TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER TODAY. EAST FACING BEACHES ALONG THE TIDAL POTOMAC WILL EXPERIENCE WIND-DRIVEN WAVES THAT WILL GIVE THE APPEARANCE OF TIDAL FLOODING AND RESULT IN SIMILAR IMPACTS.
* AS WINDS BECOME SOUTHWESTERLY TUESDAY...WATER WILL RETURN BACK INTO THE BAY AND TIDAL POTOMAC AND BEGIN TO PILE UP IN THE BAY NORTH OF POOLES ISLAND AND IN THE UPPER REACHES OF THE TIDAL POTOMAC AND ALONG SOUTH FACING SHORES.
* THE HIGHEST TIDES FOR MOST WILL BE WITH THE HIGH TIDES TUESDAY.

SNOWFALL --------
* IN THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS ABOVE 2000 FEET HEAVY WET SNOW IS EXPECTED.
* THE COMBINATION OF STRONG WIND AND HEAVY WET SNOW WILL DOWN TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST WITH VISIBILITY NEAR ZERO IN PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW.
* THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS OVER 3000 FEET ARE EXPECTED TO SEE 18 TO 24 INCHES BETWEEN LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. SOME ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS ----------------------------------
* BE PREPARED FOR EXTENDED POWER AND COMMUNICATIONS OUTAGES.
* IF YOU LIVE NEAR LARGE TREES...REMAIN IN THE LOWER LEVEL OF YOUR HOME OR SEEK SHELTER ELSEWHERE IF POSSIBLE AND RIDE SANDY OUT.
* REFRAIN FROM ANY UNNECESSARY TRAVEL.
* ENSURE LOOSE ITEMS ON YOUR PROPERTY ARE SECURED.
* IF POWER LINES ARE DOWN...STAY AWAY FROM THEM AND REPORT IT TO YOUR LOCAL ELECTRICAL UTILITY COMPANY.
* IF YOU SHOULD HAVE EMERGENCY TRAVEL...IF YOU COME UPON FLOODED ROADWAYS DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS SUBMERGED ROADWAYS. TURN AROUND AND DON'T DROWN.
* IF YOU USE A PORTABLE POWER GENERATOR...PLEASE FOLLOW MANUFACTURERS INSTRUCTIONS AND ENSURE THAT IT IS PROPERLY VENTILATED.
* DO NOT USE CHARCOAL GRILLS IN ENCLOSED AREAS.
* MARINERS SHOULD ENSURE THAT THERE IS ENOUGH SLACK LINE IN THEIR BOAT'S MOORINGS TO ACCEPT A BLOW OUT TIDE TODAY AND HIGH TIDES TUESDAY.
* PERIODICALLY CHECK ON YOUR ELDERLY NEIGHBORS AND FAMILY MEMBERS TO ENSURE THEY ARE SAFE.

FOR ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONARY AND PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION... PLEASE REFER TO THE DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS RELATIVE TO YOUR LOCATION AS FURTHER DESCRIBED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE.