Hurricane Sandy Set to Make History As It Aims at U.S. Coast

Source: Reuters

Hurricane Sandy set to make history as it aims at U.S. coast

By Gene Cherry

HATTERAS ISLAND, North Carolina | Sun Oct 28, 2012 2:47am EDT

(Reuters) - Weather forecasters worked to pinpoint the likely landfall of the monstrous Hurricane Sandy as it closed in on the U.S. East Coast Sunday with the potential to be the biggest storm to hit the mainland.

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While Sandy's winds were not overwhelming for a hurricane, its width was what made it exceptional. The storm's hurricane force winds extended 105 miles from its center while its lesser tropical storm-force winds reached across 700 miles.

Sandy could have a brutal impact on major cities in the target zone. In New York, city officials discussed whether to shut the subway system on Sunday in advance of the storm, which could bring the county's financial nerve center to a standstill.

The storm could cause the worst flooding Connecticut has seen in more than 70 years, said the state's governor, Dannel P. Malloy.

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Sandy could be the largest storm to hit the United States, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's website.

"The size of this alone, affecting a heavily populated area, is going to be history making," said Jeff Masters, a hurricane specialist who writes a blog posted on the Weather Underground (www.wunderground.com).

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/28/us-storm-sandy-hurricane-idUSBRE89N16J20121028

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@billmckibben 'Sandy could be the largest storm to hit the United States: NOAA'