TRURO - Hurricane Sandy isn't expected to create too much havoc in Colchester County, says a meteorologist at Environment Canada.
Tracey Talbot, a meteorologist in the Dartmouth office, told the Truro Daily News on Monday that the Category 1 tropical storm, as it was dubbed early yesterday, will result in about 15 to 30 mm of rain and wind gusts between 60 and 70 km/hr.
"We will not be feeling the brunt of it in our area. There will be lesser amounts of rain and wind in Colchester County compared to the Southern Shore and Yarmouth," said Talbot. "The wind should hit the area Monday night and Tuesday (and) the rain should be mostly Tuesday night and Wednesday."
Talbot described the weather as a "blustery, wet fall day," she said. "It will be a pretty miserable day ... it's always good to be well stocked with emergency items."
Robert Levine, co-ordinator of Colchester County's emergency measure organization, agreed the storm is not expected to hit the area too hard. However, he warned people should be vigilant regardless.
"You should never put your guard down because Mother Nature is going to do what she wants. We're not going to get overly excited but we don't want to be complacent either," Levine said.
He advised people keep an eye on the weather in case conditions change and to put loose outside items away. Levine added flooding doesn't seem to be a concern at this point.
Hurricane Sandy picked up strength and stayed on a predicted path toward New York, Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia on Monday, putting it on a collision course with two other weather systems. Up to 90 cm of snow were even forecast for mountainous parts of West Virginia. The storm, which forced the shutdown of financial markets and mass transit yesterday, could endanger up to 50 million people in the States for days.
mchiasson@trurodaily.com
INFO BOX:
When preparing for severe inclement weather, the following should be considered:
- Prepare an emergency and first aid kit well in advance of storm-like weather.
- Have four litres of water per person for
each day of a 72-hour period (two litres for
drinking, and two litres for washing).
- Ensure you have enough non-perishable or
canned food for each person for 72 hours, as
well as enough food for pets. Also, have a
manual can opener.
- Make sure you have a crank or battery
operated flashlight, with extra batteries as
well as a crank or battery-operated radio,
with extra batteries.
- Keep a spare keys for the house and car.
- Have cash in small bills, in case power
outages restrict the use of bank machines.
- Have plenty of other special needs items such as medications, baby formula, diapers and equipment for people with disabilities.
