Sandy could rival 1938 hurricane

Northeast Utilities has requested 2,700 crews from Midwest states for support if needed, as meteorologists warned Hurricane Sandy could be the most destructive since the killer Long Island Express hurricane of 1938, should it make a direct hit on southern New England.

The storm threatens a year after blackouts caused widespread disruptions for households and businesses following the October 2011 nor”™easter and Tropical Storm Irene, with Northeast Utilities”™ Connecticut Light & Power Co. subsidiary caught shorthanded.

As of 8 a.m. Friday, Hurricane Sandy was a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 80 miles per hour, moving through the Bahamas nearly 500 miles southeast of Charleston, S.C. The National Weather Service stated the hurricane is moving northwest at 10 miles an hour, and NWS expects the hurricane to take a turn toward the Northeast on Saturday.

Hurricane force winds extend up to 35 miles from the eye of the storm, and tropical storm-force winds extend out 275 miles. NWS expects that “wind field” to increase in size over the next few days.

Complicating the picture are two other weather systems that could slow Hurricane Sandy”™s march, “perfect storm” conditions that could result in coastal areas absorbing winds and rain for a longer period than they might otherwise and therefore intensifying any damage.