Current tracking information shows Sandy hitting somewhere between Delaware and northern New Jersey some time late on Monday with sustained winds up to 90 mph and guts of up to 115 mph. The center of the track is currently on New Jersey – a track that puts the northeastern side winds of the storm  into the lower bay area near New York. This is expected to produce a record-setting storm surge in the New York Harbor.

The “Frankenstorm”

Weather conditions are coming together that are likely to produce a monster storm with high wind, rain and possibly snow possibly causing a multi-billion dollar disaster for the city that never sleeps.

Sandy is likely to mix with a winter storm that is currently charging in from the west and a blast of cold air coming in from Canada. The combination will cause major problems for wherever it lands.

A major concern is the expectation of widespread power outages just as an arctic blast of cold air joins Sandy. Cold temperatures and no electricity could make things much more difficult on emergency preparations and personnel.

Marshall Moss, vice presient of forecasting at AccuWeather said that the storm will impact millions of people causing billions in damage. Moss estimated that outages could last several days or even weeks.

The “Right Hook”

As cyclones rotate counter-clockwise, their rotation moves massive amounts of water. That rotation will cause an offshore flow on the west and south sides of the storm and a huge storm surge towards land on the northern and eastern sides. The current track for Sandy is directly at New Jersey which puts the right side of the storm (the northern side) going right into the New York harbor and up the Hudson river. This is the dreaded “right hook” scenario for New York city.

The financial district and travel infrastructure in New York city could be threatened as the surge may push water straight up the Hudson river and into New York city  causing subway, school and business closures on a large scale.

As the NOAA surge probability map to the right shows (click for larger image), there is a greater than 90% chance of significant storm surge for the New York/New Jersey area (purple shading). Current predictions are for the storm surge in New York Harbor to be up to 11ft – a surge that Gov. Cuomo says “is like nothing we’ve ever seen before.”

A weather service bulletin says that the storm surge in New York Harbor will be “life-threatening”:

HURRICANE SANDY INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER  26A
NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL       AL182012
800 PM EDT SUN OCT 28 2012

...SANDY EXPECTED TO BRING LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE FLOODING TO
THE MID-ATLANTIC COAST...INCLUDING LONG ISLAND SOUND AND NEW YORK
HARBOR...
...WILL BRING COASTAL HURRICANE WINDS AND HEAVY APPALACHIAN SNOWS...

Hurricane Sandy Current Track Map (updated 5pm Monday)

Official Evacuations

New York City

New York is in full emergency mode as the mayor announced on Sunday that 370,000 residents in the low-lying areas of the city, known as “zone A“, were being ordered to evacuate. If you want to find out if you are in the evacuation zone, you can use New York City’s “zone finder” HERE.

New Jersey:

New Jersey has ordered the evacuation of the barrier islands.

The Atlantic Club Casino Hotel is being evacuated.

Camden county library system to be closed on Monday.

Gloucester County offices closed Monday and Tuesday.

Delaware:

Delaware’s Governor Jack Markell ordered the evacuation of about 50,000 people in the state’s coastal region.

University of Delaware classes cancelled for Monday. Students and staff urged to leave.

DART fixed-route bus and paratransit services suspended until further notice.

SEPTA regional rail service will not operate in New Castle County.

Closures

New York:

Mass transit and regional rail service would shut down beginning at 7pm on Sunday and city bus service will stop at 9pm. PATH trains to be shut down at midnight. Closure are likely to last until Wednesday.

New York City public schools will be completely closed on Monday and likely Tuesday.

The New York Mercantile Exchange, NASDAQ and the New York Stock Exchange will close floor trading and electronic trading on Monday and possibly Tuesday. Previous reports had said that electronic trading would remain open.

All bridges and tunnels into or out of Manhattan Island are now closed.

New Jersey

Atlantic City casinos will be closing at 3pm on Sunday. New Jersey’s Governor Chris Christie has ordered the closure of all state offices on Monday and that NJ transit will start shutting down at 4pm on Sunday. Public schools will be closed on Monday.

All state parks are now closed.

Washington D.C.

Federal and city offices will be closed on Monday. This includes the U.S. Capitol and visitor center.

Hurricane Preparations

New York and New Jersey residents are being urged to take precautions as high winds are expected to last anywhere from Sunday night to Tuesday afternoon. Sustained high winds are expected to knock down trees and power lines resulting in widespread power outages across the area.

FEMA recommends 3-4 days of supplies for a Hurricane, but local officials are asking residents to stock up to ten days worth of non-perishable food and water.

Ready.gov says that before a hurricane, residents that don’t evacuate should use the following as guidelines.

To prepare for a hurricane, you should take the following measures:

• To begin preparing, you should build an emergency kitand make a family communications plan.
• Know your surroundings.
• Learn the elevation level of your property and whether the land is flood-prone. This will help you know how your property will be affected when storm surge or tidal flooding are forecasted.
• Identify levees and dams in your area and determine whether they pose a hazard to you.
• Learn community hurricane evacuation routes and how to find higher ground. Determine where you would go and how you would get there if you needed to evacuate.
• Make plans to secure your property:
• Cover all of your home’s windows. Permanent storm shutters offer the best protection for windows. A second option is to board up windows with 5/8” marine plywood, cut to fit and ready to install. Tape does not prevent windows from breaking.
• Install straps or additional clips to securely fasten your roof to the frame structure. This will reduce roof damage.
• Be sure trees and shrubs around your home are well trimmed so they are more wind resistant.
• Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts.
• Reinforce your garage doors; if wind enters a garage it can cause dangerous and expensive structural damage.
• Plan to bring in all outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans and anything else that is not tied down.
• Determine how and where to secure your boat.
• Install a generator for emergencies.
• If in a high-rise building, be prepared to take shelter on or below the 10th floor.
• Consider building a safe room.

Hurricanes cause heavy rains that can cause extensive flood damage in coastal and inland areas. Everyone is at risk and should consider flood insurance protection. Flood insurance is the only way to financially protect your property or business from flood damage. To learn more about your flooding risk and how to protect yourself and your business, visit the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (NFIP) Web site,www.floodsmart.gov or call 1-800-427-2419. For more detailed information on how you can protect your property, view NFIP’s printer-friendly handout Avoiding Hurricane Damage.

 Satellite Imagery

This image was captured by NASA’s GOES-13 satellite at 9:02am Sunday morning.

….This post will be inspected by the US Department Of Homeland Security, I’m sure.  Because the words listed below raise “red flags” when used on the internet.

So, don’t talk about the illegal immigrant who gave you a denial of service at the deli when you wanted a pork sandwich….. just saying.

Download Full Document here: http://t-j.cc/KIKNMn

TERRORISM
Terrorism, Al Qaeda (all spellings), Terror, Attack, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Agro, Environmental terrorist, Eco terrorism, Conventional weapon, Target, Weapons grade, Dirty bomb, Enriched, Nuclear, Chemical weapon, Biological weapon, Ammonium nitrate, Improvised explosive device, IED (Improvised Explosive Device), Abu Sayyaf, Hamas, FARC (Armed Revolutionary Forces Colombia), IRA (Irish Republican Army), ETA (Euskadi ta Askatasuna), Basque Separatists, Hezbollah, Tamil Tigers, PLF (Palestine Liberation Front), PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization), Car bomb, Jihad, Taliban, Weapons cache, Suicide bomber, Suicide attack, Suspicious substance, AQAP (AL Qaeda Arabian Peninsula), AQIM (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb), TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan), Yemen, Pirates, Extremism, Somalia, Nigeria, Radicals, Al-Shabaab, Home grown Plot, Nationalist, Recruitment, Fundamentalism, Islamist

WEATHER/DISASTER/EMERGENCY
Emergency, Hurricane, Tornado, Twister, Tsunami, Earthquake, Tremor, Flood, Storm, Crest, Temblor, Extreme weather, Forest fire, Brush fire, Ice, Stranded/Stuck, Help, Hail, Wildfire, Tsunami Warning Center, Magnitude, Avalanche, Typhoon, Shelter-in-place, Disaster, Snow, Blizzard, Sleet, Mud slide or Mudslide, Erosion, Power outage, Brown out, Warning, Watch, Lightening, Aid, Relief, Closure, Interstate, Burst, Emergency Broadcast System

CYBER SECURITY
Cyber security, Botnet, DDOS (dedicated denial of service), Denial of service, Malware, Virus, Trojan, Keylogger, Cyber Command, 2600, Spammer, Phishing, Rootkit, Phreaking, Cain and abel, Brute forcing, Mysql injection, Cyber attack, Cyber terror, Hacker, China, Conficker, Worm, Scammers, Social media

DOMESTIC SECURITY
Assassination, Attack, Domestic security, Drill, Exercise, Cops, Law enforcement, Authorities, Disaster assistance, Disaster management, DNDO (Domestic Nuclear Detection Office), National preparedness, Mitigation, Prevention, Response, Recovery, Dirty bomb, Domestic nuclear detection, Emergency management, Emergency response, First responder, Homeland security, Maritime domain awareness (MDA), National preparedness initiative, Militia, Shooting, Shots fired, Evacuation, Deaths, Hostage, Explosion (explosive), Police, Disaster medical assistance team (DMAT), Organized crime, Gangs, National security, State of emergency, Security, Breach, Threat, Standoff, SWAT, Screening, Lockdown, Bomb (squad or threat), Crash, Looting, Riot, Emergency Landing, Pipe bomb, Incident, Facility

HAZMAT & NUCLEAR
Hazmat, Nuclear, Chemical spill, Suspicious package/device, Toxic, National laboratory, Nuclear facility, Nuclear threat, Cloud, Plume, Radiation, Radioactive, Leak, Biological infection (or event), Chemical, Chemical burn, Biological, Epidemic, Hazardous, Hazardous material incident, Industrial spill, Infection, Powder (white), Gas, Spillover, Anthrax, Blister agent, Chemical agent, Exposure, Burn, Nerve agent, Ricin, Sarin, North Korea

HEALTH CONCERN + H1N1
Outbreak, Contamination, Exposure, Virus, Evacuation, Bacteria, Recall, Ebola, Food Poisoning, Foot and Mouth (FMD), H5N1, Avian, Flu, Salmonella, Small Pox, Plague, Human to human, Human to Animal, Influenza, Center for Disease Control (CDC), Drug Administration (FDA), Public Health, Toxic, Agro Terror, Tuberculosis (TB), Agriculture, Listeria, Symptoms, Mutation, Resistant, Antiviral, Wave, Pandemic, Infection, Water/air borne, Sick, Swine, Pork, Strain, Quarantine, H1N1, Vaccine, Tamiflu, Norvo Virus, Epidemic, World Health Organization (WHO) (and components), Viral Hemorrhagic Fever, E. Coli

INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY
Infrastructure security, Airport, Airplane (and derivatives), Chemical fire, CIKR (Critical Infrastructure & Key Resources), AMTRAK, Collapse, Computer infrastructure, Communications infrastructure, Telecommunications, Critical infrastructure, National infrastructure, Metro, WMATA, Subway, BART, MARTA, Port Authority, NBIC (National Biosurveillance Integration Center), Transportation security, Grid, Power, Smart, Body scanner, Electric, Failure or outage, Black out, Brown out, Port, Dock, Bridge, Cancelled, Delays, Service disruption, Power lines

SOUTHWEST BORDER VIOLENCE
Drug cartel, Violence, Gang, Drug, Narcotics, Cocaine, Marijuana, Heroin, Border, Mexico, Cartel, Southwest, Juarez, Sinaloa, Tijuana, Torreon, Yuma, Tucson, Decapitated, U.S. Consulate, Consular, El Paso, Fort Hancock, San Diego, Ciudad Juarez, Nogales, Sonora, Colombia, Mara salvatrucha, MS13 or MS-13, Drug war, Mexican army, Methamphetamine, Cartel de Golfo, Gulf Cartel, La Familia, Reynosa, Nuevo Leon, Narcos, Narco banners (Spanish equivalents), Los Zetas, Shootout, Execution, Gunfight, Trafficking, Kidnap, Calderon, Reyosa, Bust, Tamaulipas, Meth Lab, Drug trade, Illegal immigrants, Smuggling (smugglers), Matamoros, Michoacana, Guzman, Arellano-Felix, Beltran-Leyva, Barrio Azteca, Artistic Assassins, Mexicles, New Federation

Van Jones, Obama’s green jobs czar has resigned due to the “vicious smear campaign” waged against him.  In truth, Mr. Jones political problems had less to do with a smear campaign and more to do with Americans learning what he stood for.

Van’s involvement with STORM (Standing Together to Organize a Revolutionary Movement) in the 90′s and association with communist and anarchist radicals was enough to raise flags.  As journalists and bloggers started looking into what Mr. Jones stood for, even more causes for alarm were discovered.

In 2005, Jones made racially-charge anti-white remarks in a speech where he addressed shooting incidents by white and black kids.  Van made the distinction that black kids were better because while, “a black kid might shoot another black kid.  He’s not going to shoot up the whole school… you’ve never seen a Columbine done by a black child… it’s always them” them being a reference to white kids.  Not only is this hateful, it’s not even correct.  In 1988, a black student by the name of Nicholas Elliot took a semi-automatic handgun and 200 rounds of ammunition to school.  He proceeded to kill one teacher, wound another and the death toll was only kept low because the gun malfunctioned.

If blaming white kids for all school gun violence wasn’t enough, Van also had signed a statement in 2004 that attested that “people within the current administration may indeed have deliberately allowed 9/11 to happen”.  Jones had attempted to disavow that he was involved with the 9/11 “truther” movement, but the group’s spokesman said that all signatories were confirmed by the organization’s board and that they all knew what they were signing.

Perhaps we need to look more-closely at the remaining 31 czars.  We’re paying their salaries but, for many, there is no congressional oversight, the vetting process is apparently inadequate, they may have access to classified information, and are contributing to matters of national security.  There is a reason for our system of checks and balances and the Administration’s willful disregard for our Constitution may be endangering our way of life.  So who are the czars?

- Persons with an * have not been confirmed by the Senate.
- Salaries are shown for those that have been made public.
- Every position listed is filling a role that could be served by an existing department in the government perhaps saving more than $3-6 Million in annual salaries.
- Some czars even appear to be duplicates (2 auto czars, multiple middle east czars, etc)

1. Richard Holbrooke* – Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan
2. Jeffrey Crowley* -Director of Office of National AIDS Policy ($102,000/yr salary)
3. Ed Montgomery* – Director of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers (Auto Recovery Czar)
4. Alan Bersin* – Assistant Seecretary for International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs (Border Czar)
5. David Hayes – Deput Interior Secretary (California Water Czar)
6. Ron Bloom* – Counselor to the Secretary of the Treasury (Car Manufacturing Czar)
7. Dennis Ross* – Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Central Region (Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan and South Asia Czar)
8. Todd Stern* – Special Envoy for Climate Change (Climate Czar)
9. Lynn Rosenthal* – White House adviser on Violence Against Women (Domestic Violence Czar)
10. Gil Kerlikoske – Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (Drug Czar)
11. Paul Volcker* – Chairman of the President’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board (Economy Czar)
12. Carol Browner* – Assitant to the president for Energy and Climate Change(Energy and Environment Czar) – $172,000/yr salary
13. Joshua DuBois* – Director of the Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (Faith-based Czar) – $98,000/yr salary
14. Jeffrey Zients – Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget (Performance Czar)
15. Cameron Davis* – Speical advisor to the U.S. EPA overseeing Great Lakes restoration (Great Lakes Czar)
16. Van Jones* – Special Adviser for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation an the White House Council on Environment Quality (Green Jobs Czar)
17. Daniel Fried* – Special envoy to oversee the closure of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo Closure Czar)
18. Nancy-Ann DeParle* – Counselor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Health Reform (Health Czar) – $158,000/yr salary
19. Vivek Kundra* – Federal Chief Information Officer (information czar)
20. Dennis Blair – Director of National Intelligence (Intelligence Czar) – $197,000/yr salary
21. George Mitchell* – Special Envoy for Middle East Peace (Mideast Peace Czar)
22. Kenneth Feinberg* – Special Master on executive pay (Pay Czar)
23. Cass Sunstein – Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (Regulatory Czar)
24. John Holdren – Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Co-CHair of the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology (Science Czar)
25. Earl Devaney* – Chair of the Recovery Act Transparency and Accountability Board (Stimulus Accountability Czar)
26. J.S. Gration* – Special Envoy to Sudan (Sudan Czar)
27. Herb Allison* – Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability (TARP Czar)
28. Aneesh Chopra – Chief Technology Officer (Technology Czar)
29. John Brennan* – Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counter-terrorism (Terrorism Czar) – $172,000/yr salary
30. Adolfo Carrion* – White House Director of Urban Affairs (Urban Affairs Czar) – $158,500
31. Ashton Carter – Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (Weapons Czar)
32. Gary Samore* – White House Coordinator for Weapons of Mass Destruction, Security and Arms Control (WMD Czar)

Members of Congress have asked for a halt on the hiring of Czars and circumvention of the roll of the Senate in the confirmation and vetting of the executive branch of our government.  With luck, that means the current set of Czars and Czarinas may get the review our Constitution requires.