teedubya
09-07-2008, 01:52 AM
By The Associated Press 1 hour, 37 minutes ago
BOSTON - Southern New England is bracing for drenching rain and gusts near 50 mph as Tropical Storm Hanna runs up the Eastern Seaboard.
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Hanna came ashore Saturday morning in the Carolinas and forecasters at the National Weather Service expect it to hit New England by Sunday morning. They're predicting widespread showers and scattered thunderstorms, accompanied by wind gusts.
States were taking precautions, with Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell putting 200 National Guard soldiers and airmen on standby.
As of 2 a.m. EDT, Hanna had maximum sustained winds near 50 mph and was centered over eastern Connecticut. The storm, blamed for disastrous flooding and more than 100 deaths in Haiti, was moving near 33 mph.
A flash flood watch has been posted for much of Maine.
Forecasters say 2 to 4 inches are possible, with higher amounts nearer the coast. Most of the rain is expected to fall during a short period, which could cause flooding in urban areas and along streams.
In Rhode Island, residents were urged to protect their windows and have extra batteries available for flashlights.
Massachusetts officials are worried about flash flooding in urban areas, downed trees and power outages, but aren't expecting huge headaches.
Massachusetts could receive between 2 and 6 inches of rain. But its rivers are not expected to flood because their levels are relatively low and the ground is particularly dry, all of which could help absorb most of the rainfall brought by Hanna, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency spokesman Peter Judge said.
"On the other hand, the power issue is a concern with the strong winds associated with at least the east side of the eye of the storm as it comes through — which essentially will be lower south east Massachusetts, that is the Cape and Islands," which are expected to bear most of the power outages, Judge said.
Hanna brought heavy rains and high winds to New Jersey, but no major weather-related problems were reported.
As of 11 p.m., most areas had seen about 2 to 4 inches of rain, with the higher amounts in northern areas, but the precipitation had ended in most areas. There were scattered power outages across the state.
The rain also left many roadways flooded, particularly in northern areas where some motorists became stranded when they tried to drive through high waters. A few drivers had to be rescued from their vehicles, but no major traffic problems were reported.
The brunt of the storm passed through New Jersey during the early evening, and the National Weather Service discontinued tropical storm warnings for most of the state late Saturday night. However, flood warnings and watches remained in effect for many northern areas.
Meteorologists plan to visit Allentown, Pa., to try to determine whether a tornado damaged a high school and surrounding areas.
Witnesses reported seeing a funnel cloud shortly before 3 p.m. Saturday, and strong winds ripped up part of the roof of Dieruff High School in the eastern part of the city. The winds also caused damage to the roofs of other homes in the area, toppled trees and damaged cars.
No injuries were immediately reported.
Hanna didn't linger long enough over the Southeast to cause much more than some isolated flooding and power outages in the Carolinas. However, there were growing concerns about Hurricane Ike — a Category 4 storm with winds of nearly 115 mph that was expected to strengthen as it approached Cuba and southern Florida by Monday.
BOSTON - Southern New England is bracing for drenching rain and gusts near 50 mph as Tropical Storm Hanna runs up the Eastern Seaboard.
ADVERTISEMENT
Hanna came ashore Saturday morning in the Carolinas and forecasters at the National Weather Service expect it to hit New England by Sunday morning. They're predicting widespread showers and scattered thunderstorms, accompanied by wind gusts.
States were taking precautions, with Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell putting 200 National Guard soldiers and airmen on standby.
As of 2 a.m. EDT, Hanna had maximum sustained winds near 50 mph and was centered over eastern Connecticut. The storm, blamed for disastrous flooding and more than 100 deaths in Haiti, was moving near 33 mph.
A flash flood watch has been posted for much of Maine.
Forecasters say 2 to 4 inches are possible, with higher amounts nearer the coast. Most of the rain is expected to fall during a short period, which could cause flooding in urban areas and along streams.
In Rhode Island, residents were urged to protect their windows and have extra batteries available for flashlights.
Massachusetts officials are worried about flash flooding in urban areas, downed trees and power outages, but aren't expecting huge headaches.
Massachusetts could receive between 2 and 6 inches of rain. But its rivers are not expected to flood because their levels are relatively low and the ground is particularly dry, all of which could help absorb most of the rainfall brought by Hanna, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency spokesman Peter Judge said.
"On the other hand, the power issue is a concern with the strong winds associated with at least the east side of the eye of the storm as it comes through — which essentially will be lower south east Massachusetts, that is the Cape and Islands," which are expected to bear most of the power outages, Judge said.
Hanna brought heavy rains and high winds to New Jersey, but no major weather-related problems were reported.
As of 11 p.m., most areas had seen about 2 to 4 inches of rain, with the higher amounts in northern areas, but the precipitation had ended in most areas. There were scattered power outages across the state.
The rain also left many roadways flooded, particularly in northern areas where some motorists became stranded when they tried to drive through high waters. A few drivers had to be rescued from their vehicles, but no major traffic problems were reported.
The brunt of the storm passed through New Jersey during the early evening, and the National Weather Service discontinued tropical storm warnings for most of the state late Saturday night. However, flood warnings and watches remained in effect for many northern areas.
Meteorologists plan to visit Allentown, Pa., to try to determine whether a tornado damaged a high school and surrounding areas.
Witnesses reported seeing a funnel cloud shortly before 3 p.m. Saturday, and strong winds ripped up part of the roof of Dieruff High School in the eastern part of the city. The winds also caused damage to the roofs of other homes in the area, toppled trees and damaged cars.
No injuries were immediately reported.
Hanna didn't linger long enough over the Southeast to cause much more than some isolated flooding and power outages in the Carolinas. However, there were growing concerns about Hurricane Ike — a Category 4 storm with winds of nearly 115 mph that was expected to strengthen as it approached Cuba and southern Florida by Monday.