This morning the National Weather Service issued a new bulletin for Hurricane Sandy, warning that D.C. could get up to eight inches of rain and 70-mph wind gusts over the next two days. The full statement is below:

…SANDY LOCAL STATEMENT…

…SANDY TO BRING NEAR HURRICANE FORCE WINDS AND FLOOD-PRODUCING
HEAVY RAINFALL TO MUCH OF THE REGION THROUGH TUESDAY…
THIS STATEMENT IS FOR THE GREATER BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON
METROPOLITAN AREAS, INCLUDING THE MARYLAND PORTION OF THE
CHESAPEAKE BAY, TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER, MARYLAND FROM THE WESTERN
SHORE OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY TO GARRETT COUNTY, NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
AND EXTREME EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA. THE OBJECTIVE OF THESE
STATEMENTS IS TO PROVIDE A SINGLE PRODUCT THAT INTEGRATES THE
WARNING PRODUCTS ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON WEATHER FORECAST OFFICE.
SANDY LOCAL STATEMENTS WILL BE RELEASED EVERY 6 HOURS THROUGH
WEDNESDAY MORNING AT THE FOLLOWING RELEASE TIMES: 11 PM…5 AM…
11 AM…AND 5 PM.
AT 5 AM EDT…THE CENTER OF HURRICANE SANDY WAS LOCATED NEAR
LATITUDE 35.9N…LONGITUDE 70.5W. THIS WAS ABOUT 410 MILES EAST
SOUTHEAST OF WASHINGTON DC. SANDY WAS MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH…WITH
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS OF 85 MPH. SANDY IS FORECAST TO MAKE
LANDFALL ALONG THE SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY COAST TONIGHT. HOWEVER SANDY
WILL SEVERELY IMPACT THE REGION WELL BEFORE IT COMES ASHORE.
SUMMARY OF THREATS
——————
THE MAIN THREATS FOR SANDY WILL BE STRONG WINDS RESULTING IN
WIDESPREAD DOWNED TREES AND POWER/COMMUNICATIONS OUTAGES…AND HEAVY
RAINS WHICH WILL RESULT IN EXTENSIVE FLOODING OF LOCAL STREAMS AND
CREEKS. IN ADDITION…BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST IN THE POTOMAC
HIGHLANDS AT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 2000 FEET.
HIGH WINDS
———-

* WINDS WILL INCREASE STEADILY TODAY…WITH THE MAXIMUM WIND GUSTS
OCCURRING LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.
GENERALLY…SUSTAINED WINDS OF 30 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH
CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA.

* NEAR HURRICANE FORCE WIND GUSTS OF 70 MPH ARE EXPECTED TO IMPACT
A REGION LOCATED BETWEEN BEL AIR MD…POINT LOOKOUT MD…AND
HAGERSTOWN MD. THIS INCLUDES THE GREATER BALTIMORE AND
WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREAS. A FEW HIGHER GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE.

* COUPLED WITH HEAVY RAINS FROM SANDY…THE HIGH WINDS WILL RESULT
IN SIGNIFICANT TREE DAMAGE AND POWER LINE DAMAGE.
RAINFALL AND FLOODING
———————

* 6 TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN IN NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL MD INCLUDING
THE BALTIMORE METRO AREA AND ALONG THE WEST SHORE OF THE BAY.

* 4 TO 8 INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE FREDERICK…
WASHINGTON AND FREDERICKSBURG METRO AREAS.

* 2 TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED FOR EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA AND
VIRGINIA…WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE DC METRO COUNTIES…AS WELL AS
WESTERN MARYLAND WEST OF HANCOCK MD.

* THIS AMOUNT OF RAIN WILL LIKELY RESULT IN EXTENSIVE AND DANGEROUS
FLOODING OF LOCAL STREAMS AND CREEKS STARTING THIS AFTERNOON AND
LASTING THROUGH TUESDAY.
COASTAL FLOODING
—————-

* WITH THE FULL MOON ON MONDAY…ASTRONOMICAL TIDES ARE ALREADY
HIGHER THAN NORMAL. COUNTER TO THE HIGHER THAN NORMAL
ASTRONOMICAL TIDES…STRONG NORTH AND NORTHWESTERLY WINDS
TODAY WILL CAUSE A BLOW-OUT TIDE ALONG THE WESTERN SHORE OF THE
CHESAPEAKE AND THE TIDAL POTOMAC RIVER TODAY. EAST FACING BEACHES
ALONG THE TIDAL POTOMAC WILL EXPERIENCE WIND-DRIVEN WAVES THAT
WILL GIVE THE APPEARANCE OF TIDAL FLOODING AND RESULT IN SIMILAR
IMPACTS.

* AS WINDS BECOME SOUTHWESTERLY TUESDAY…WATER WILL RETURN BACK
INTO THE BAY AND TIDAL POTOMAC AND BEGIN TO PILE UP IN THE BAY
NORTH OF POOLES ISLAND AND IN THE UPPER REACHES OF THE TIDAL
POTOMAC AND ALONG SOUTH FACING SHORES.

* THE HIGHEST TIDES FOR MOST WILL BE WITH THE HIGH TIDES TUESDAY.
SNOWFALL
——–

* IN THE POTOMAC HIGHLANDS ABOVE 2000 FEET HEAVY WET SNOW IS EXPECTED.

* THE COMBINATION OF STRONG WIND AND HEAVY WET SNOW WILL DOWN
TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST
WITH VISIBILITY NEAR ZERO IN PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW.

* THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS OVER 3500 FEET ARE EXPECTED TO SEE 10 TO 20 INCHES
BETWEEN LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. SOME ADDITIONAL
ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS
———————————-

* BE PREPARED FOR EXTENDED POWER AND COMMUNICATIONS OUTAGES.

* IF YOU LIVE NEAR LARGE TREES…REMAIN IN THE LOWER LEVEL OF YOUR
HOME OR SEEK SHELTER ELSEWHERE IF POSSIBLE AND RIDE SANDY OUT.

* REFRAIN FROM ANY UNNECESSARY TRAVEL.

* ENSURE LOOSE ITEMS ON YOUR PROPERTY ARE SECURED.

* IF POWER LINES ARE DOWN…STAY AWAY FROM THEM AND REPORT IT TO YOUR
LOCAL ELECTRICAL UTILITY COMPANY.

* IF YOU SHOULD HAVE EMERGENCY TRAVEL…IF YOU COME UPON FLOODED
ROADWAYS DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS SUBMERGED ROADWAYS. TURN AROUND
AND DONT DROWN.

* IF YOU USE A PORTABLE POWER GENERATOR…PLEASE FOLLOW
MANUFACTURERS INSTRUCTIONS AND ENSURE THAT IT IS PROPERLY
VENTILATED.

* DO NOT USE CHARCOAL GRILLS IN ENCLOSED AREAS.

* MARINERS SHOULD ENSURE THAT THERE IS ENOUGH SLACK LINE IN THEIR
BOAT`S MOORINGS TO ACCEPT A BLOW OUT TIDE TODAY AND HIGH TIDES
TUESDAY.

* PERIODICALLY CHECK ON YOUR ELDERLY NEIGHBORS AND FAMILY MEMBERS
TO ENSURE THEY ARE SAFE.
FOR ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONARY AND PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION…
PLEASE REFER TO THE DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS RELATIVE TO YOUR
LOCATION AS FURTHER DESCRIBED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE OFFICE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE.