On October 24, 2012, Hurricane Sandy was reported to be just south of Jamaica traveling with 80 mile per hour winds. Weather forecasters are comparing the weather system to a storm that hit the US in Halloween 1991, also known as the "perfect storm". The historical storm resulted in widespread flooding as 30-foot waves raked seaside communities. There were 13 deaths and millions of dollars worth of damage. By the end of the week, forecasters expected the storm to be parallel to the southeast coast of the U.S., potentially affecting residents from Florida to northern New England.
Forecasters' computer models display Hurricane Sandy traveling in various directions. Some models see the weather system getting caught up in a westerly airflow. In this scenario, Sandy would become a maritime hazard. Other models envision Sandy being drawn into the East Coast. This would then result in very strong winds, a large amount of flooding in the coastal areas, and the possibility of snow in the mountains of western Pennsylvania.
I appreciate that forecasters are keeping an eye on this storm. Not only are they looking out for potential damage, they have different scenarios to look at and prepare ahead of time the mitigation measures needed to take place. The paradigm hazard at play here is engineering. Storm tracking and using computer models to see what areas are vulnerable to Hurricane Sandy can help forecasters and residents alike prepare for the potential hazard.
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