pen shelters by:

- Texting "Shelter" and a zip code to 43362 (example: Shelter 01234)...standard rates apply
- Visiting the American Red Cross shelter map http://www.redcross.org/find-help/shelter
- Contacting your state or local emergency management office. Here's a map where you can click on your state for info: http://www.ready.gov/today

Night.

This historic system is forecast to bring life-threatening storm surge flooding to the mid-Atlantic coast, including Long Island Sound and New York Harbor, as well as coastal hurricane-force winds...and even heavy Appalachian snow.

Maximum sustained winds are 75 mph - a Category One hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Sandy is expected to transition into a frontal or wintertime low pressure area before landfall, but is not expected to weaken during that transition. In fact, it may strengthen during this process. It will not weaken until after moving inland.

Hurricane-force winds are expected along the coast from Chincoteague, Virginia, to Chatham, Massachusetts. This includes the tidal Potomac from Cobb Island to Smith Point, the middle and upper Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, the coast of the northern Delmarva Peninsula, New Jersey, the New York City area, Long Island, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

A significant and dangerous storm surge is expected to occur in the mid-Atlantic states and southern New England. If the peak surge occurs at the time if high tide, the depths above ground level could reach 6 to 11 feet at Long Island Sound and Raritan Bay, and 4 to 8 feet from Ocean City, Md., to the Connecticut/Rhode Island state line, and 3 to 5 feet from there to the south shore of Cape Cod, including Buzzards Bay and Narragansett Bay.

A Tropical Storm Warning continues along the North Carolina coast from north of Surf City to Duck, including Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds, as well as Bermuda.

Other coastal and inland watches and warnings are in effect for much of the mid-Atlantic states and New England. See the statements being issued by local National Weather Service offices, www.weather.gov for the details.

Total rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches, with isolated 8 inch amounts, are possible over far eastern North Carolina. Amounts of 4 to 8 inches, with isolated 12 inch amounts, are possible over portions of the mid-Atlantic States, including the Delmarva Peninsula. Amounts of 1 to 3 inches, with isolated 5 inch amounts, are possible across southern New York through New England.

Snow accumulations of 2 to 3 feet are expected in the mountains of West Virgina, with locally higher amounts, tonight through Tuesday Night. The southwestern Virginia mountains are forecast to see 12 t o18 inches of snow.

Get the latest on this tropical cyclone, including storm surge information and graphics, on the NOAA NHC website at www.hurricanes.gov