Sandy Inland Flooding Threat Increases For NJ

According to the Sunday afternoon report from National Weather Service Meteorologist Gary Szatkowski, the inland flooding threat posed by Hurricane Sandy has increased in the past 24 hours.

"The takeaway message is that our region is currently in the path of a very dangerous storm," Szatkowski said. "Even if the eventual path changes, we will still feel severe effects from this storm."

Yesterday's rainfall total map of the region (attached to this story) showed the northern end of New Jersey expecting around two inches of rain, four inches in the south and an isolated band of six inches around the Cape May end of the state.

Current projections (also attached to this story) show the northern part of the state expecting four or five inches of rain, six inches in the central counties, eight in the south and over nine in the southern most tip. 

"Rain is expected to move from south to north starting Sunday night, with the heaviest rain Monday," Szatkowski said. "Flash flooding is extremely likely."

The latest report from AccuWeather also showed seas of 30 feet continue off the coast of the Carolinas and seas were between 10 and 15 feet off the coast of New Jersey and Long Island and building.

"The two high tides on Monday will be the most dangerous high tides, with major to record coastal flooding expected," Szatkowski said.