Sandy weakens to tropical storm but still serious

Sandy weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm Saturday, but weather forecasters still warned of "widespread impacts" into early next week.

States of emergency have been declared from North Carolina to New York as Sandy makes its way north after killing 41 people in the Caribbean.

A voluntary evacuation order was issued Friday afternoon for Cape May County, New Jersey, and it was expected to become a mandatory order for the county's barrier islands Sunday, the county emergency office said, NBCNewYork.com reported. Long Beach Island issued a similar voluntary order.

In a public advisory notice issued at 5 a.m. ET, the National Hurricane Center said the storm's maximum sustained winds had fallen from 75 mph to 70 mph, but added "some restrengthening" was possible Sunday night.

It was about 350 miles southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, and was moving at about 10 mph on a north-northeast course.

The NHC said that while Sandy had weakened, it was "expected to remain a large storm with widespread impacts into early next week."

"Tropical storm conditions are expected to first reach the tropical storm warning area in the Carolinas by this evening ... and spread northward tonight and Sunday," the notice said.

People in the Northeast have been warned to prepare for flooding, high winds, widespread power outages and even snow.

"It will be unpredictable until the last minute," Jim Cisco, a forecaster at the National Weather Service's prediction office, told NBC News Friday. "That really is the truth of the situation ... we're not sure how it's going to behave."

That's because Sandy will be making a hard west turn from the Atlantic, a rare occurrence. "It's coming in at a sharper angle" than previous storms because cold air moving in from the Northern Plains is undercutting Sandy's circulation, Cisco added.

On top of that, a new lunar cycle will bring high tides Sunday, Monday and Tuesday -- adding to the storm surge from Sandy.

Here's a look at what some of those effects might be:

Storm surge: The NHC said in its latest notice that 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, the NHC warned:

• Bahamas within the warning area: 3 to 5 ft
• Florida coast within warning area: 1 to 3 ft
• North Carolina within the warning area: 3 to 5 ft
• Remainder of N. Carolina and southeast Virginia including lower Chesapeake Bay: 2 to 4 ft

High winds: Tropical storm conditions are expected to continue along the east coast of Florida Saturday. Tropical storm conditions are expected to first reach parts of the Carolinas by Saturday evening and spread northward during the night and Sunday, the NHC notice said.

Heavy snow:??Parts of West Virginia and the Appalachian corridor are likely to see more than a foot and possibly up two two feet, Louis Uccellini, director of the National Centers for Environmental Protection, told reporters.

Rainfall: "Rainfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches are expected over portions of the central mid-Atlantic states...including the Delmarva Peninsula...with isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches possible," the NHC notice warned.

Video: Carolinas, East Coast on watch for Hurricane Sandy

Although Sandy is not forecast to be as strong as other recent storms to hit the Northeast -- such as Hurricane Irene in August 2011, which left $4 billion in damage -- it holds the potential to cause significant damage because it will be moving slowly.

Some experts predict at least $1 billion in damage in the United States.

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"It's almost a weeklong, five-day, six-day event," Cisco said. "It's going to be a widespread serious storm."

Sandy could even weaken to below tropical storm status but "that doesn't matter much with respect to impacts," Uccellini said.

Caribbean deaths, damage
Sandy exited the Bahamas on Friday, having weakend from a Category 2 to a Category 1 hurricane overnight.

The number of deaths blamed on Sandy's torrential rains and heavy winds in the Caribbean was put at 41.

Haiti: Sandy triggered flash floods and landslides that killed 26. The dead included a family of five in Grand-Goave, west of the capital Port-au-Prince, killed in a landslide that destroyed their home, authorities said.

Slideshow: Sandy barrels through the Caribbean (on this page)

Cuba: 11 deaths were reported, among them a 4-month-old baby, NBC News' Mary Murray reported from Havana. Most were killed by falling trees or in building collapses in Santiago de Cuba province and neighboring Guantanamo province. Hundreds of homes were destroyed or damaged.

Dominican Republic: Two deaths were reported but details were not available.

Bahamas: A death was reported and some islands saw extensive damage. "It was way stronger than we expected," said Joel Friese, general manager of the Stella Maris Resort on Long Island. "There are lots of downed trees and partial to heavy roof damage on some of the buildings." Several islands also saw power outages.

Jamaica: A man was crushed by a boulder and many areas were flooded or saw wind damage on the eastern side of the island.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49577692/ns/weather/

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