Latest News: States Prepare for Dangerous Sandy

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This article was provided by AccuWeather.com.

States are preparing as Sandy moves along the East Coast of the U.S.

The states of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York have declared a state of emergency as they await impacts from Sandy. The reason for declaring a state of emergency is to allow emergency response teams to be activated so they can begin preparing to respond. This allows the teams to move quickly as emergency situations occur.

State emergency officials for the state of Pennsylvania are advising residents statewide to make sure they have enough food, water and batteries at home to support them for three days, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Sandy is currently a Category 1 hurricane located off the East Coast of the U.S. The NWS lists the current location of the system as about 400 miles south southeast of Charleston, South Carolina.

Winds from Sandy are sustained at 75 mph. The storm is moving north at 7 mph.

The barrier islands off of Cape May county New Jersey began voluntary evacuations Friday afternoon.

Some airlines are issuing flight waivers for people who will be missing flights due to Sandy. Check with your airline for the latest news. American Airlines was one of the first to do so.

AccuWeather meteorologist predict Sandy will make landfall somewhere between the Delmarva Peninsula and Long Island, Monday night or Tuesday morning.

For all the latest statistics on Sandy, visit the AccuWeather hurricane center.