Power Companies Brace as Hurricane Sandy Churns North

Update, 10:41 p.m.: 

Hurricane Sandy has grown.

Forecasters are now expecting the storm to reach the New Jersey shore sometime early next week. With a 1,500-mile radius and 105 mph winds, according to the National Hurricane Center, it could wreak havoc for the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast.

Further complicating matters, a wintry storm moving in from the west could meet the already powerful hurricane head-on over the eastern seaboard. Forecasters are concerned that the two systems could form an aptly-named "Frankenstorm," punishing the region for days with high winds and heavy precipitation on a scale similar to the 1991 Perfect Storm.

Sandy has already killed two people due to the flash flooding—one in Jamaica and one in Haiti.

Original article:

As Hurricane Sandy lashed Cuba on Thursday, forecasters predicted that its effects might be felt in the DC metro area by Sunday, pushing power companies to gear up for possible outages.

The Category 2 hurricane has already killed one in Cuba, and the The Washington Post's Jason Samenow warned it could merge with a strong cold front in this area to create a potential "powerhouse."

Although the storm's path has not yet been confirmed, most predictions say it will travel up the coast and make landfall in the Mid-Atlantic or Northeast.

The Post's Capital Weather Gang believes the storm may strike the Mid-Atlantic starting Sunday.

As of 8 a.m. Thursday, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center put the odds of tropical storm force winds over the Baltimore-Washington corridor in the 10-20% range over the next five days.

Pepco and Baltimore Gas and Electric Company say they're making preparations for the storm.

"We are closely monitoring Hurricane Sandy and preparing for its potential impact," Pepco said on Twitter.

Pepco spokeswoman Myra Oppel told WTOP that the company is reserving more than 400 contractors to help with any restoration needed.

BGE, which serves part of Prince George's County, is also using social media to notify customers of possible service interruptions.