Massive Hurricane Sandy building a huge and destructive storm surge

[jeffreyi]

Source: Weather Underground (Dr. Jeff Masters' Wunderblog)

Massive and dangerous Hurricane Sandy has grown to record size as it barrels northeastwards along the North Carolina coast at 10 mph. At 8 am EDT, Sandy's tropical storm-force winds extended northeastwards 520 miles from the center, and twelve-foot high seas covered a diameter of ocean 1,030 miles across. Since records of storm size began in 1988, no tropical storm or hurricane has been larger (though Hurricane Olga of 2001 had a larger 690 mile radius of tropical storm-force winds when it was a subtropical storm near Bermuda.) Sandy has put an colossal volume of ocean water in motion with its widespread and powerful winds, and the hurricane's massive storm surge is already impacting the coast. A 2' storm surge has been recorded at numerous locations this morning from Virginia to Connecticut, including a 3' surge at Virginia's Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and Sewells Point at 9 am EDT. Huge, 10 - 15 foot-high battering waves on top of the storm surge have washed over Highway 12 connecting North Carolina's Outer Banks to the mainland at South Nags Head this morning. The highway is now impassable, and has been closed. The coast guard station on Cape Hatteras, NC, recorded sustained winds of 50 mph, gusting to 61 mph, at 5:53 am EDT this morning. In Delaware, the coastal highway Route 1 between Dewey Beach and Bethany Beach has been closed due to high water. Even though Sandy is a minimal Category 1 hurricane, its storm surge is extremely dangerous, and if you are in a low-lying area that is asked to evacuate, I strongly recommend that you leave.

Read more: http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2278

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More details and graphics at the link.

[xtraxritical]

1. Our President Obama has suspened campaigning and is back in the Whitehouse monitoring the situation.

He is readying FEMA for quick response and is doing everything a "real" president is supposed to do to protect the American people. What a change from the last administration. OBAMA/BIDEN/CONGRESS 2012 - FORWARD

[bluedigger]

2. "50% chance that Sandy's storm surge will end up flooding a portion of the New York City subway"

The storm surge section is pretty frightening. "$55 billion" in damages to NYC alone?

[Ghost Dog]

6. It'll be a 12ft surge at NYC, from the latest I'm seeing,

so make that chance 100%.

[center]
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at3+shtml/151337.shtml?gm_esurge#contents [/center]

[kentauros]

15. The "$55 billion" number

was just for the subway system. I suspect that number would be much higher with everything else that may get damaged. This will also be saltwater, so plants like trees and shrubs will suffer (or die) from having the ground soaked in salt.

[snot]

3. Great link, thanks!

[Auggie]

4. Brighton Beach / Battery Park under evacuation orders ....

NYC transit system will be shut down tonight ... 20 ft waves forecast for Lake Erie ... wow!

[Harry Monroe]

5. One of my best friends lives in Hicksville, Long Island

He's headed to Jacksonville, FL tonight on business, but his wife is deciding to stay put. Tried to talk him out of it, but he says because they're in the middle of Long Island, they'll be on high ground. I don't want to preach to him, but he and his wife haven't really experienced hurricanes (I live on the Gulf Coast, so I've got some experience with these things). I'm just afraid she'll end up being cut off and isolated because the storm surge will approach from both LI Sound and the Atlantic. Wish I could talk more sense into them, but don't want to preach to them too much about the dangers, lest I alienate them.

[Strelnikov_]

8. She better have about 2 weeks worth of food and drinking water.

Looks like a large region will be without power.

[snagglepuss]

16. I understand your concern. Please let us know how she fares.

[Strelnikov_]

7. Startin' to look bad for NYC

About 40 hr. to zero hour, maintaining or getting stronger.

Forecast track appears to be about worst case for NYC surge.

[lovuian]

9. Is Bloomberg going to evacuate some people?

Any news I heard a possible 375,000
any news on that front

[aquart]

14. Yes. Zone A has mandatory evacuation. Subway shuts at 7pm.

They're moving the trains to higher ground.

[HooptieWagon]

10. The size of the storm influences storm surge as much as the strength.

Don't be fooled by Sandy's minimal wind-strength status. This storm is huge, and will have the storm surge of a much more powerful storm. Coastal areas are going to get a real battering.
Also, there will be much inland flash floods and power outages... these are somewhat unpredictable and random. Everyone should be prepared.

[Strelnikov_]

11. Startin' to look like an extratropical Ike n/t

[adirondacker]

17. There is a bit of talk within the scientific community about replacing the Saffir-Simpson Scale

As you pointed out, the wind speed is just part of the equation. The size and tides have as much to do about the potential devastation. They really need to change this since most folks look at tropical storms and Cat 1's as just another excessive windy day.

[Princess Turandot]

12. NYC Flood/Evacuation Map

Zone A was ordered to evacuate by 7PM by the mayor. (They did that for Hurricane Irene last year as well.)

http://gis.nyc.gov/oem/he/map.htm

[bucolic_frolic]

13. All those Republican Luxury Super Oceanfront Mansions

along the New Jersey shore will meet

the superstorm consequences of Global Warming Denial

What a fracking shame!