Hurricane Sandy Path & Track Predictions, Still Worrisome For U.S. East Coast
Latest computer models show Hurricane Sandy not veering away from the U.S. mainland and continuing its steady pace across the country's East Coast.
By late October, hurricanes forming on the western Atlantic Ocean typically have a good chance of "recurving," meaning getting caught up in a jet stream and turning away from the mainland that it nears, according to The Weather Channel. However, the latest forecast models for Sandy show the storm following its predicted path- making its way northwestward toward the U.S. East Coast.
Sandy is said to cause a serious threat to those in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Residents from New England to New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia are particularly warned to keep watching weather updates following Sandy and to prepare for any havoc it may cause on land.
Experts predict that Sandy could hit those areas as early as Sunday and intensify early into the week. The Weather Channel noted that Sandy is expected to bring "destructive" winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge flooding and even heavy, wet snow.
Sandy can bring sustained (1-minute average) surface wind speeds "equal to or exceeding 64 kt...74 mph (hurricane force)," according to The National Hurricane Center. As of Saturday at 8 p.m., NHC said that Sandy is still making a strong move northeastward along the U.S. East Coast while high wind watches and warnings stay in effect for the mid-Atlantic states and New England. Currently the hurricane is centered near Charleston, N.C.
At least 43 people in the Caribbean died from storm-related deaths while Sandy was in the area. The extent of the damage to the mainland - including destruction to homes, power lines and trees - and the most number of deaths happened in Haiti. The Weather Channel reported on Saturday that it has rained almost non-stop in the area since Tuesday, Oct. 23.
