Tropical Storm Sandy will soon form in the Caribbean, and scenarios for its final destination range from bypassing the East Coast to creating a nightmare for millions of people.
Tropical Depression 18 formed in the central Caribbean at midday Monday and should strengthen into Tropical Storm Sandy by Tuesday.
The AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center is confident the future tropical storm will then head northward through Thursday, spreading life-threatening flooding rain across Jamaica, Hispaniola, eastern Cuba and the Bahamas.
How future Sandy tracks Friday and beyond is dependent on several weather factors, which at this time are very complex and creating solutions that range from a tropical nightmare to a miss for the East Coast.
The worst case scenario for the East Coast involves future Sandy paralleling the coast from Florida to the Carolinas this weekend before being drawn inland into the mid-Atlantic or New England early next week.
While the Southeast coast would face heavy rain, strong winds and rough surf, far more serious impacts await communities from Virginia to Maine if this solution pans out.
Not only would destructive winds and widespread flooding rain accompany future Sandy onshore, but a significant storm surge would unfold near and northeast of Sandy’s center.
This satellite image, courtesy of NOAA, of Tropical Depression 18 was taken right before it formed at midday Monday.
Reminiscent of the “Perfect Storm,” the weather setup could even lead to heavy, wet snow in the Appalachian Mountains on future Sandy’s western side.
AccuWeather has the full article
