US braced for arrival of ‘Frankenstorm’
Shelters have opened and tens of thousands of people are evacuating coastal areas as big cities and small towns across the north-eastern US prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Sandy.
Residents throughout the north-eastern US have been stocking up on supplies in preparation for Hurricane Sandy. Governors all along the east coast have declared states of emergency in anticipation of potentially heavy damage.
From the Carolinas to Maine, local authorities have been keeping a close watch on forecasts tracking the shifting path of Sandy, which could come ashore on Monday with heavy rain, storm surges and strong winds.
In New York City, officials were considering closing down bus and subway lines next week, a step taken only once before when Hurricane Irene hit the city in 2011.
Superstorm
Some forecasters have dubbed Sandy “Frankenstorm” because three merging weather systems are expected to meld into a single “hybrid” super storm.
It will combine elements of a tropical cyclone and a winter storm. As it merges with an Arctic air mass high over the eastern US, forecast models show it will have all the ingredients necessary to morph into a “super storm.”
Coastal flooding could pose a major threat, especially in low-lying areas like New York City.
Meanwhile, in the final days ahead of the US presidential election, Sandy has presented a challenge to the campaigns of President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney.
Romney canceled a rally scheduled for Sunday evening in Virginia Beach, Virginia, while Obama’s re-election campaign announced that Vice President Joe Biden had also canceled a Saturday trip to that city.
