Updates: Sandy's Catastrophic Impacts on the Northeast

Sunday (Oct. 28) updates on Sandy:

12:00 noon EDT: New York Governor Cuomo announced that the orderly suspension of all subway, bus and commuter railroad service will begin at 7 p.m. EDT, Sunday.

12:00 noon EDT: New York Mayor Bloomberg announced city schools are closed on Monday and ordered evacuations of some low-lying areas in lower Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island and Queens.

11:00 a.m. EDT: A storm surge of up to 5.5 feet was flooding neighborhoods on North Carolina's Outer Banks. Multiple roads were under water.

10:30 a.m. EDT: Moderate coastal flooding was occurring near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in the Norfolk, Virginia area. Minor coastal flooding was already occurring along portions of the New Jersey coast at time of high tide.

9:30 a.m. EDT: Seas of 30 feet continue off the coast of the Carolinas. Seas were between 10 and 15 feet off the coast of New Jersey and Long Island and building.

9:24 a.m. EDT: Winds were gusting to 48 mph in Virginia Beach, Va., to 37 mph in Ocean City, Md., and to 36 mph in Atlantic City, N.J. with Sandy still hundreds of miles away.

9:00 a.m. EDT: Sandy is racking up rainfall. So far, Hatteras, N.C. has received 5.19 inches with 1.76 inches in Newport News, Va. A zone of heavy rain was developing farther north from the Maryland eastern shore to eastern Pennsylvania.

6:00 a.m. EDT: Sandy is a truly massive storm on satellite. One of, if not the largest tropical cyclone to ever develop in the Atlantic basin.

5:00 a.m. EDT: Sandy holds serve. Still a hurricane. Headed on a crash course with New Jersey.

4:00 a.m. EDT: Rainfall from Sandy reaches Philadelphia.

2:00 a.m. EDT: Sandy still a hurricane with winds at 75 mph. Pressure hovering around 960mb.

 

Saturday (Oct. 27) updates on Sandy:

 

11:00 p.m. EDT: repeated 54 mph gusts at the alligator river bridge in far eastern NC.

8:29 p.m. EDT: Ferry service to Oracoke, North Carolina was suspended and people are reported stranded.

7:52 p.m. EDT: Rodanthe, N.C. on Hatteras Island already experiencing ocean overwash.

7:29 p.m. EDT: Delaware declared a state of emergency and has begun limited mandatory evacuations in preparation for Sandy's approach.

6:58 p.m. EDT: Amtrak is canceling some service for Sunday. Routes in Va., D.C., and N.Y. are affected, according to the Amtrak Facebook

6:16 p.m. EDT: Ferry service for Cherry Point, N.C. has been suspended, according to a spotter.

6:00 p.m. EDT: New York Mayor Bloomberg spoke during a press conference at 6 p.m. EDT Saturday. He said, "We will make an announcement tomorrow in the middle of the day on whether or not to close mass transit." Bloomberg also said that people needing public transportation should travel to their destinations by 7 p.m. EDT Sunday.

5:36 p.m. EDT: A local emergency manager in North Carolina reported a tree down and blocking one lane of a road near Bolivia.

5:00 p.m. EDT: The center of Hurricane Sandy with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph was located about 335 miles east-southeast of Charleston, S.C.

4:00 p.m. EDT: Winds over 40 mph are hitting the North Carolina coast along with heavy rains. Radar shows high winds spreading across the North Carolina coast.

3:00 p.m. EDT: Computer model that was showing a farther south track into the Delmarva is now bringing Sandy into central New Jersey, lining up with the AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center's track.

2:03 p.m. EDT: Hurricane Sandy recently produced a wind gust of 76 mph (Category 1 hurricane force) about 140 miles east of Cape Canaveral, Fla.

1:46 p.m. EDT: AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson stated, "Strongest winds headed to the corridor from Baltimore to Philadelphia to New York City will be coming in from the north-northwest to east direction; keep that in mind when parking your car near large trees."

12:40 p.m. EDT: Tropical storm-force wind gusts reach the North Carolina coast. Highest wind gust reported so far today was 40 mph at Cherry Point, N.C.

12:35 p.m. EDT: AccuWeather.com's Mark Mancuso gives his expert analysis on Hurricane Sandy.

12:25 p.m. EDT: AccuWeather.com meteorologists just held a discussion on Hurricane Sandy and have pinned down its landfall site to central or southern New Jersey Monday evening. However, it should be stressed that the worst of the storm will occur ahead of its center.

11:20 a.m. EDT: The wind field of Hurricane Sandy is extremely large with tropical storm-force winds extending 450 miles away from its center.

11:00 a.m. EDT: Sandy has changed little in strength in the past three hours with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The center of Sandy is located about 355 miles southeast of Charleston, S.C.

10:33 a.m. EDT: Winds gusted to 38 mph, just shy of minimal tropical storm strength, at Cherry Point, N.C.

9:57 a.m. EDT: Evidence that Hurricane Sandy is a large storm: Charleston, S.C., and Bermuda are seeing from Sandy despite being separated by 900 miles.

9:30 a.m. EDT: AccuWeather.com meteorologists are now concerned that all of Delaware, southern New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania--including Philadelphia--will be inundated with more than 8 inches of rain from Sandy.

8:00 a.m. EDT: Sandy regains hurricane strength after weakening briefly to a tropical storm.

 

Local News Briefs

Stop signs to be added to two county intersections

The Pulaski County Highway Department will add stop signs Monday (April 28) to two county road intersections – one in southeast Rich Grove Township, and the second in northwest Monroe Township.

The new stop signs were approved April 14 in an ordinance adopted by the county commissioners.

Pulaski County America 250 committee to meet April 28

The Pulaski County America 250 Committee will meet at 6 p.m., Monday (April 28) at the new Pulaski County Historical Society Museum, 110 N. Monticello St., Winamac.

All who are interested in helping to develop county plans to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary beginning this summer through 2026 is welcome to attend. Please RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to attend the meeting.

Pulaski County Economic Development Summit April 29

The annual Pulaski County Economic Development Summit is set for 6 p.m., Tuesday, April 29, at the Knights of Columbus hall, Winamac. The event is hosted by the Pulaski County Community Development Commission.

The keynote speaker will be Stephanie Wells, president of the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute. The program will also feature the annual “State of the County Economy” address by CDC executive director Nathan Origer.

PMH seeks community input identifying health needs of local communities

Survey deadline May 17

WINAMAC - Pulaski Memorial Hospital has announced the launch of its 2025 Community Health Needs Assessment, a comprehensive initiative aimed at identifying and addressing the most pressing health needs of our local communities.

“Community feedback is essential” said Hospital CEO Steve Jarosinski. ”PMH will be gathering input from residents, local organizations, community leaders, and even other area healthcare professionals to better understand the health challenges and opportunities across the region.”

PCPL lists programs, activities for April

The Pulaski County Public Library has listed its programs and activities for April. They include a celebration of National Library Week, a kids’ caring for the environment program, a Ladybug Welcome Sign craft, and an Earth Day craft.

For more information on any program, call the library at 574-946-3432 or visit the library’s website at www.pulaskicounty.lib.in.us.

 

Indiana News

Southbound I-65 reopens in Jasper County following hazmat fire

ROSELAWN (April 22) - I-65 southbound reopened near mile marker 230 at approximately 6:30 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, almost 17 hours following a spectacular semi-truck fire and hazmat cleanup which included an overnight repaving of a section of the interstate. No injuries were reported.

After assessing the damage to the roadway, the Indiana Department of Transportation determined that the accident scene needed to be resurfaced. INDOT already has a contract in place for this area for pavement patching with Rieth-Riley Construction, and they were able to mobilize to take over the scene once cleanup was complete. A total of 7,700 square feet of asphalt to a depth of four inches (and six inches on the outside shoulder) had to be replaced overnight.

Braun signs package of executive orders to ‘Make Indiana Healthy Again’

INDIANAPOLIS (April 15) – Gov. Mike Braun Tuesday signed a landmark package of executive orders with initiatives to improve Indiana’s health and well-being.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz were in attendance to support Indiana’s initiative. Indiana now joins a number of states that have embraced, through legislation or executive orders, Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement.

DEA/ISP Drug Take Back Day Saturday, April 26

PERU – The Indiana State Police will partner with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Saturday, April 26 for their 27th “Prescription Drug Take Back” initiative.

The “Take Back” initiative seeks to prevent prescription drug abuse and theft through proper disposal of unwanted prescription drugs.

 

Pulaski County unemployment rate up slightly at 4.3 percent in February

Pulaski County's unemployment rate ticked up to 4.3 percent in February, up from 4.2 percent in January, the Indiana Department of Workforce Development reported Monday, (March 31). The rate was 3.8 percent a year ago.

The county had 6,535 employed persons in a labor force of 6,831 in February. In January those numbers were 6,507 of 6,793. A year ago the numbers were 6,381 of 6.645.

 

Indiana Health News

Measles cases climb to 800 nationwide; 8 in Indiana

Also: respiratory illness updates

INDIANAPOLIS (April 21) — The Indiana Department of Health is investigating an outbreak of measles and working with local health officials to help stop the spread of infection. The current reported cases are connected to each other but at this time there are no known links to outbreaks in other states.

Eight cases have been reported in the Indiana, all in Allen County.

 

Post News

Pulaski Superior Court appears saved

INDIANAPOLIS (April 24) – Pulaski Superior Court and seven other rural courts have been spared from closure, following revisions made to HB1144 approved by both the state house and senate Thursday evening in the Indiana General Assembly.

The legislation is now pending the approval of Gov. Mike Braun.

Chamber presents Don, Lynn Darda with 2025 Halleck Award

The Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce presented the 2025 Halleck Community Service Award to Don and Lynn Darda of Winamac at its annual award banquet Thursday evening (April 24), at the Winamac VFW.

The Dardas are both retired teachers in the Winamac schools and have been enthusiastic volunteers in a variety of projects throughout the years. 

Community Foundation awards $15,000 in grants

The Community Foundation of Pulaski County (CFoPC) has announced $15,000 has been awarded in grants to local nonprofits and community organizations.

The following projects and organizations have received funding:

  • $5,000 to Pulaski County Historical Society – “We’re Moving!”
  • $10,000 to Pulaski Memorial Hospital – for a Community Health Worker

Alliance Junior Board visits BraunAbility

The Alliance Bank Junior Board of Directors had the opportunity to visit BraunAbility in Winamac in April.

During their visit, the student directors were given a presentation about the company and had the chance to ask questions. They also had a tour of the facility, which allowed them to see the manufacturing process of vehicles equipped to assist individuals with disabilities.

Jury finds Monterey man guilty of attempted murder 

WINAMAC – A Pulaski County Circuit Court jury has found a Monterey man guilty of attempted murder in connection with a July 3, 2023 shooting in downtown Monterey.

Kenneth D. Ketcahm, 41, was also convicted on additional charges of criminal recklessness and pointing a firearm. The verdict was returned Monday (April 14).

Fatal crash on U.S. 421 under Investigation

MEDARYVILLE (April 15) – The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a crash which claimed the life of a Porter County man Tuesday on U.S 421 near the intersection of CR 800N in Cass Township.

The crash involved a dump truck and minivan. Release of the identity of the deceased minivan driver is pending the notification of family.