Northeast Gears Up for Possible Big Snowstorm

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Mar 3, 2001 - 05:41 PM

Northeast Gears Up for Possible Big Snowstorm By Roger Petterson Associated Press Writer

Residents of the Northeast grabbed shovels and lined up for groceries Saturday and state agencies went on alert as meteorologists warned that a major nor'easter could pile a foot or more of snow across the region. Winter storm watches were in effect from Virginia beginning Sunday and extending into Wednesday for the New England states, the National Weather Service said.

Hardware store owner Art D'Armiento in North Brunswick, N.J., ran out of snow shovels Saturday morning and picked up another shipment, but 15 minutes later he was sold out again.

"People were fighting over them," he said.

A weather system that was spreading rain and thunderstorms across the Gulf Coast states on Saturday was headed for the North Carolina coast, where it could turn into a major nor'easter on Sunday, the weather service said.

Depending on temperatures and the storm's track and expected slow movement, 12 inches of snow or more is possible, especially from eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey into southern New England.

"In the way it's evolving and predictions of how it's coming together, we haven't seen anything like this since 1966," said Louis W. Uccellini, director of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction at the Commerce Department in Washington. That January storm was blamed for 165 deaths along the East Coast.

"Computer models are in pretty good agreement that this could be a pretty good storm," said Paul Kocin, a winter weather expert at the Weather Channel in Atlanta.

Lightning from one of the system's thunderstorms apparently caused a fire that killed five people early Saturday in Montgomery, Ala., a city fire inspector said. In addition, heavy rain was falling in Georgia when a National Guard plane crashed early Saturday, killing all 21 people on board.

A Home Depot store at Manchester, Conn., fielded "quite a lot of calls" on Saturday for kerosene, snow blowers and salt, said assistant manager John Nisbet.

After 11 snowstorms already this season, "We pretty much are sold out of snow blowers," Nisbet said. "We don't have a large supply of shovels. By now, they've either got one or they don't need one. Salt we still have."

Flight attendant Mavis McLynn went shopping for groceries in a SuperFresh market in Philadelphia and found people standing 20 deep in checkout lines.

"It's like they're never going to eat again," said McLynn.

"They're buying everything that's bad for you - snacks, chips, soda, cookies - all the fun stuff," said Bill Begley of Genuardi's Family Markets in Jeffersonville, Pa. "I think all diets go to hell when it snows."

New Jersey authorities were most concerned about high wind causing coastal flooding and started urging voluntary evacuations, warning that barrier islands could be cut off from the mainland.

"I'm trying to figure out whether I should take my kids off the island or leave them here," said Julie Oldham, the Long Beach Island shelter coordinator. "It'll be an adventure, that's for sure."

The New York State Emergency Management Office was on alert and other state agencies had been notified, said emergency management spokesman Dennis Michalski.

"Everyone is standing by to see which direction it goes," said Dean Pagani, spokesman for Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland.

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-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), March 03, 2001


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