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Intense nor’easter to hit East Coast regions already ravaged by superstorm Sandy

Another storm system is moving up the East Coast of the United States over the next few days, and it looks like it's going to be bringing some miserable weather to areas that are still recovering from the pounding that Hurricane Sandy delivered to the U.S. Northeast last week.

The system originated over the southern U.S., so it's not another tropical cyclone like Sandy. However, once it reaches the coast, it will start to follow a path similar to Sandy's, gathering more heat and moisture from the warm Gulf Stream as it moves north.

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Fortunately, it looks like this storm will stay just off the coast as it passes, however strong winds are still expected from Delaware to Maine in the U.S. on Wednesday into Thursday. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland will see stronger winds starting Wednesday evening through until Friday morning. Wind speeds are forecast to be between 40 and 60 km/h, with gusting up to 80 km/h or more along coastal regions, which is causing some concern about more power outages as workers already struggle to restore power after Hurricane Sandy.

Areas right along the coast will see mostly rain, with the highest amounts expected to fall off the coast of New Jersey. Some flooding along coastal areas is also expected due to both the rain and expected storm surge, and the Office of Emergency Management for Brick Township, in central New Jersey, issued a mandatory evacuation order for low-lying areas due to the storm. Nearly 10,000 homes are still without power in that area, alone, with around 250,000 homes and businesses still without power in the entire state of New Jersey.

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There is also the potential for snow accumulations on Wednesday night, further inland from Delaware to Maine, as cold air from the north is drawn into the system. We're not into winter yet, so the chances of this aren't great, but with the troubles the residents of those regions have already had over the past week, warning of this potential will hopefully allow people the chance to prepare for the worst.