iradiophilly | News - "Frankenstorm" Hurricane Sandy bears down on Philadelphia; PA DE NJ Emergency / Closings / Evacuate

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"Frankenstorm" Hurricane Sandy bears down on Philadelphia; PA DE NJ Emergency / Closings / Evacuate

by: iradioal - Philadelphia, PA
started: 10/29/12 2:19 am | updated: 10/29/12 2:19 am

Hurricane Sandy is still a Category 1 Hurricane with winds of 75 mph and now off the coast of North Carolina on Sunday night. It will continue on a northerly track before making a sharp left when it is off the coast of our area. Currently the forecast track has it making landfall somewhere near Atlantic City on Monday night. Of course that exact location will be better known the closer the time comes.

â€œFrankenstormâ€, as it's been nicknamed, will become a hybrid storm. The strong cold front moving in from the west and a blocking high pressure off the coast will start to interact with Sandy and morph the storm from a tropical Hurricane into an extratropical type Nor'Easter. It will also meet up with a low pressure system moving across the country. Whatever type of storm it is, when it does make landfall, it will have the strength of a Category 1 Hurricane. It is expected to bring high winds, heavy rain, widespread flooding, high coastal storm surge, and numerous power outages across the entire Philadelphia region, South Jersey, and Delaware.

The timing of Hurricane Sandy will play out over the next several days. This storm has already started to affect our area. The rain and wind will become heavier and stronger as Sunday night progresses. Monday into Tuesday will be the worst of it. The heaviest rain and strongest winds will occur between 4pm Monday and 6am Tuesday. We could still see lingering showers into Wednesday.

Mayor Nutter enacted a State of Emergency for Philadelphia starting Sunday at 5 a.m. and lasting until 5 p.m. Tuesday. All city offices will be closed on Monday and non-essential city workers are told not to come to work. Nutter encourages everyone to stay home unless you absolutely need to go out. Please keep the roads clear for emergency responders. Nutter joined a conference call Sunday with various governors and mayors led by President Obama who assured that he would act quickly in providing help to the regions that will be affected. FEMA is also readying their aid. They've pre-classified Philadelphia as a Category 1 Hurricane zone. Three emergency shelters will be open. Those are located at West Philadelphia High School, Roxborough High School and Fels High School. He again urged everyone who lives in a flood prone area to leave immediately and find friends, family, or a shelter to stay at for the duration of the storm.

Philadelphia Public and Archdiocesan schools will be closed on Monday. Many Charter schools are following suit. Most area colleges and universities have already cancelled classes and will be closed on Monday and Tuesday including University of Pennsylvania, Villanova, LaSalle, Drexel, University of Delaware, Temple, and St. Joe's.

Philadelphia International Airport will be closed on Monday, no flights will arrive or depart. Most airlines are waiving change fees if you need to reschedule your flights. Call your airline or check phl.org for the status of your flight. Amtrak is also canceling trains along the Northeast Corridor. You can find information on their cancellations at amtrak.com/alerts.

SEPTA will suspend service after Sunday's schedule tonight at 12:30 am. The SEPTA shutdown includes all types of travel includes Regional Rail, the Market-Frankford Line, the Broad Street Line, city and suburban bus and trolley routes, and the Norristown High Speed Line. Reserved CCT Paratransit will still run tomorrow if possible. All of Monday's schedule is canceled, they will monitor the situation to see if it will extend into Tuesday.

The PPA has announced that there will be Free Parking in Philadelphia through Wednesday morning at all city meters. Kiosks have also been disabled and wrapped in plastic for their protection.

If you need anything during the storm in Philadelphia use the 311 system. All non-emergency calls should be sent to 311:
Twitter: @philly311 E-mail: philly311@phila.gov Phone: 311 Web: http://www.phila.gov/311/

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett has already issued a State of Disaster Emergency in Pennsylvania ahead of the storm. PECO has upped their staff by hundreds getting ready deal with massive power outages caused by high winds and falling trees. PPL, PSE&G, and Atlantic Electric have also brought in extra crews from all around the country to deal with the potential power disaster. The Red Cross is readying supplies, packing up water, cots, food, etc. in the event they need to open shelters. They can care for 26,000 people.

All area Malls will be CLOSED on Monday. Both in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. You can't use the rainy day as shopping day, stay home.

New Jersey is bracing for a direct hit from Hurricane Sandy. Record flooding is possible with a pending storm surge combined with the full moon on the 29th and heavy rains. Heavy surf and high winds will also batter the coast line. Some flooding has already been reported in Sea Isle City and Ocean City. A storm surge of 4-8 feet is expected and wave heights of up to 20ft are already making their way on shore.

Governor Chris Christie announced a State of Emergency for New Jersey on Saturday. Mandatory evacuations for the barrier islands from Sandy Hook to Cape May are in effect, those islands are now closed. The evacuations extended even to Atlantic City's casinos and hotels. They closed today at 3pm. Roadways could be shut down by local authorities, including causeway access to shore towns. Check ready.nj.gov for NJ information and shelters around the state.

Gov. Christie also announced that New Jersey Transit and PATH is shut down for Monday. PATCO will also not run on Monday. In addition, Non-essential state employees should not report to work on Monday. Many school districts throughout the state are closed both Monday and Tuesday.

In Delaware, there had been a partial State of Emergency while coastal areas and flood prone areas have been mandatory evacuating. The City of Wilmington has declared a State of Emergency and all city offices will be closed. Governor Jack Markell has ordered â€œLevel Twoâ€ driving restrictions in the state of Delaware beginning at 5 a.m. That means that only essential personnel necessary to maintain the core functions of the government, health, and safety are allowed out on the roads. A first offense is $115 fine.

We can all expect 4-8 and up to 10 inches of rain with sustained winds over 50 miles an hour and up to 75 mph in some places and embedded thunderstorms & tornados. There is precious little time left to prepare. Hopefully you have at least have batteries, a radio, candles/flashlight, water, and non-perishable food. Be sure to secure loose items outdoors and clear downspouts, gutters, drains, and basement windows. Stay at home on Monday, do not venture out unless it is an emergency. Think of the risk emergency responders are putting themselves in if you get yourself in trouble while venturing out.

SEE ALSO: Early Sunday Update Hurricane Sandy "Frankenstorm" en route Philadelphia; Emergency / Evacuation / Cancellation PA DE NJ