Photo courtesy of NASA

Mayor Vince Gray announced today that the city’s public schools would be closed Monday, when Hurricane Sandy is expected to lash D.C. with between one to two inches of rain an hour and high sustained winds. Gray said that he was urging the city’s charter schools to follow suit.

At a press briefing, Gray also said that no decision had yet been made on whether the D.C. government would remain open, and that he was speaking to federal officials about any closure of the federal government and Metro about whether the transit system will remain open or not. In a letter to President Obama, Gray requested that a presidential disaster declaration be issued for D.C.; Obama signed a disaster declaration for Maryland today.

While city officials stressed that the expected storm track means that D.C. will be spared any coastal flooding, residents should take any and all precautions over the next few days—don’t drive through standing water, watch out for downed trees and power lines and try to stay inside for as long as possible. If you live in a house near trees, said city officials, stay away from the upper floors during the worst of it. Gray called the storm “unique, large, dangerous, and unlike anything the region has experienced before.”

At the height of the storm—which could remain over the city for close to two days—warned D.C. could see sustained winds of between 35 and 45 miles an hour and between five and 10 inches of rain. Sixteen shelters will be open around D.C.—two per ward—and D.C. Water, the D.C. Department of Public Works and Department of Transportation were ready to respond to any flooding in Bloomingdale and Ledroit Park, both of which have been hit by floods over the past few months.

Pepco regional vice-president Tom Graham called the storm “unprecedented, dangerous and destructive,” and said that the utility had made 3,700 requests for personnel and equipment—the biggest such request in the company’s history—to help restore power for those who lose it. Still, he warned, restoration efforts may be hampered by long periods if sustained winds.

Street-sweeping parking restrictions will be suspended on Monday, and Gray also said that he would speak to the D.C. Board of Elections today to see what contingency plans exist for early voting centers next week. Any decision will be left to the board, he said.

Officials warned residents to have non-perishable foods on hand and plenty of water, whether store-bought or simply containers filled with tap water.