A flood watch and wind warning remain in effect for Genesee County starting at 2 p.m. today.
The flood watch is scheduled to expire at noon, Tuesday. The wind warning is predicted to end at 2 p.m., Tuesday.
The predicted storm front is the remnants of Hurricane Sandy, which is reportedly moving toward the Northeast. The storm is predicted to be a Level 1 hurricane when it strikes the eastern seaboard later today. Manhattan and Brooklyn are under evacuation orders. Heavy snow is predicted for the Appalachian mountains.
For Genesee County, rain estimates range from 2-3 inches. Winds are expected in the 30-40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.
The big concern officials have about the wind is it will blow in the opposite direction than the region's prevailing winds. Trees are rooted to deal with prevailing winds and utility poles are anchored to handle wind from that normal direction. This could lead to dangerous conditions for falling trees and power outages.
Authorities urge area residents to prepare for storm damage and power outages. Click here for some recommendations from the NYS Department of Health.
Here's NOAA's Hurricane Sandy tracking page.
NOTE to schools, government agencies, businesses and event planners, please e-mail any closings or public notices to howard@thebatavian.com. Readers can e-mail photos and information to the same address.
UPDATE: Interesting time lapse video of Hurricane Sandy shot yesterday by NSAA's Earth Observatory:
Previously:
