Lop Notes: Hurricane Sandy Update

As Hurricane Sandy’s assault on the New England region, municipal (as well as state and Federal) government agencies continue to meet the challenges being thrown at them.

Government leaders throughout the region have noted that the lessons learned in the aftermath of last year’s Tropical Storm Irene have resulted in significant improvement in a number of areas, including electric utility preparedness and communication with local and state emergency management officials and other residents.

All six New England governors have now declared states of emergency.

A major challenge facing the region this evening is the anticipated storm surge coinciding with a wind shift to the south and an astronomical high tide.

Here is the updated National Weather Service 5-Day Forecast Cone for Hurricane Sandy:

High wind warnings, coastal flood warnings, and other advisories extend for several hundred files outside of the forecast cone. As noted above, the worst of the flooding (including a combination of storm surge plus incoming tide) is anticipated at high tide this evening. For location specific forecasts, please consult the guidance for the appropriate local weather office:

National Weather Service: Weather Forecast Office, Caribou, ME

National Weather Service: Weather Forecast Office, Gray/Portland, ME

National Weather Service: Weather Forecast Office, Taunton/Boston, MA

National Weather Service: Weather Forecast Office, Burlington, VT

National Weather Service: Weather Forecast Office, Albany, NY

National Weather Service: Weather Forecast Office, Upton/New York City, NY

Media reports:

NECN: Hurricane Sandy: Photos of the storm

CT: Officials fear 'unprecedented' damage as Hurricane Sandy nears state (Connecticut Post)

CT: Shoreline Officials Monitoring Sewage Concerns (Hartford Courant)

CT: Hurricane Sandy Slideshow (WFSB-TV)

ME: As more lose power, LePage calls state of emergency (Portland Press Herald)