NWS Predicts "Life-Threatening Severe High Tide" Along Mass. South Coast
BOSTON (CBS) - The National Weather Service is predicting a life threatening severe high tide along the South Coast of Massachusetts tonight, peaking between 8-9pm. This could rival that of Hurricane Bob back in 1991, and could be the most serious and severe blow from Hurricane Sandy when all is said and done.
After a week of tracking Sandy's every move, it is now finally coming ashore just south of Atlantic City, near Cape May New Jersey.
The maximum sustained winds at landfall are 90mph, just a few miles per hour shy of a category 2 hurricane coming ashore and pounding the entire Northeast corridor from Boston to New York City to Philadelphia, to Washington D.C.
Check: Tracking Maps | Interactive Radar | Current Conditions | Forecast Maps
At its peak, Sandy was more than 1,000 miles wide with tropical storm force winds extending more than 500 miles from its center.
The worst is likely over for inland locations in Southern New England with the center now completely onshore. Sandy will gradually and steadily weaken for the rest of this evening and overnight. This doesn't mean that additional wind damage won't happen, but the reports should start to diminish and perhaps the power outages are close to peaking out.
Check: Highest Wind Gusts In Mass.
The East Coast will also get another round of flooding, although not as severe. High tides over most of Cape Cod and the Massachusetts East Coast occur near midnight and we are expecting minor to moderate flooding with more waves crashing over the sea walls.
Gallery: Hurricane Sandy Photos
Rain bands will continue to pivot northward and some very heavy downpours will be embedded with a slight risk of some lightning and additional strong wind gusts.
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