Baldwin braces for Sandy

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Officials at the National Hurricane Center said one of the storm’s most dangerous elements could be a “significant storm surge,” with the Atlantic Ocean rising three to six feet above normal levels in many areas, potentially inundating low-lying areas. The estimates were that the ocean level could rise one to two feet above astronomical tides on Sunday, two to four feet on Monday morning and potentially five to 10 feet Monday into Tuesday, depending on location. On Saturday, Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano announced the closing of all county parks, marinas and senior centers starting on Monday until further notice. In addition, visiting hours at the Nassau County Correctional Center were cancelled for Monday.

County officials were urging residents to assemble “Go Kits” with food, water, a first-aid kit and their most important documents, and to evacuate where necessary.

Mangano said he planned to activate the county’s Non-Emergency Hotline at 7 a.m. on Monday. Residents with non-life threatening emergencies should dial 1-888-684-4274 for assistance after 7 a.m. on Monday through the duration of the storm. All those with life-threatening emergencies should call 911.

The Long Island Power Authority issued the following statement ahead of the storm: “LIPA is actively monitoring the storm and is working with regional emergency management organizations to prepare. Severe weather, including heavy rain, flooding and damaging sustained winds, is expected to begin Sunday afternoon, with the full brunt of the storm hitting the area on Monday and Tuesday.

“Based on the severity of the storm,” the power authority continued, “we urge customers to prepare and plan for power outages that could last as much as seven to 10 days. While not all customers will see restoration crews working specifically in their neighborhoods following the storm, crews will perform damage surveys as soon as possible during and after the storm and follow established safety guidelines.”

For more from the National Weather Service, check out erh.noaa.gov/okx.

For more from Nassau County, check out nassaucountyny.gov.

For more from LIPA, check out lipower.org/stormcenter.

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