Hurricane Sandy Moving Slowly Northward Near Great Abaco Island, Oct. 26, 2012

Miami, Florida—(ENEWSPF)—October 25, 2012 – 11 a.m. EDT

Changes in Watches and Warnings with this Advisory

The government of the Bahamas has discontinued the Tropical Storm Warning for the central Bahamas, and replaced the Hurricane Warning with a Tropical Storm Warning for the northwest Bahamas except for Great Abaco and Grand Bahama Islands.

The Tropical Storm Watch for the Florida Keys south of Ocean Reef to Craig Key and for Florida Bay has been discontinued.

Summary of Watches and Warnings in Effect

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:

Great Abaco and Grand Bahama Islands

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:

Florida east coast from Ocean Reef to Flagler Beach
Lake Okeechobee
the northwest Bahamas except for Great Abaco and grand Bahama Islands

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:

Savannah River to Oregon Inlet North Carolina
Pamlico Sound
Florida east coast from north of Flagler Beach to Fernandina Beach

Interests elsewhere along the east coast of the United States should monitor the progress of Sandy.

A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area.

A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area.

A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area.

For storm information specific to your area in the United States, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service Forecast Office. For storm information specific to your area outside the United States, please monitor products issued by your National Meteorological Service.

Discussion and 48-hour Outlook

At 1100 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC), the center of Hurricane Sandy was located near latitude 26.7 north, longitude 76.9 west. Sandy is moving toward the north near 6 mph (9 km/h) and a general northward motion is expected to continue today and tonight, followed by a turn toward the north-northeast with an increase in forward speed on Saturday, and a turn toward the northeast on Sunday. On the forecast track, the center of Sandy will move away from the northwestern Bahamas tonight.

Maximum sustained winds are near 80 mph (130 km/h) with higher gusts. Sandy is a category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some weakening is possible during the next day or so.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 275 miles (445 km). A National Ocean Service site at Lake Worth recently reported sustained winds of 47 mph (76 km/h) with a gust to 53 mph (85 km/h).

The minimum central pressure pressure estimated from Hurricane Hunter Aircraft data is 970 mb (28.64 inches).

Hazards Affecting Land

Wind. Hurricane conditions will continue in the hurricane warning area over the northwestern Bahamas for the next several hours. Tropical Storm conditions are expected to continue to spread northward in the warning area along the east coast of Florida today and tonight, and are possible in the watch area in Florida tonight and Saturday. Tropical Storm conditions are possible in the watch area in the Carolinas Saturday and Saturday night.

Rainfall. Sandy is expected to produce total rainfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches across Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with isolated maximum totals of 20 inches possible. These rains may produce life-threatening flash floods and mud slides, especially in areas of mountainous terrain. Rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches are expected over portions of the Bahamas, with isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches possible. Rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches are expected across the Florida Keys into southeastern and east-central Florida, with isolated maximum amounts of 6 inches possible. Rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches are possible over far eastern North Carolina.

Storm Surge. The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters. The water could reach the following depths above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide, warning areas in the Bahamas, 3 to 5 ft. Florida coast within warning area, 1 to 3 ft. surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. For information specific to your area, please see products issued by your local weather office.