Hurricane Sandy May Reach Category 2 or 3 By Landfall in Cuba

Hurricane Sandy is rapidly deepening in the Caribbean Sea between Jamaica and Cuba and may strengthen to a category 2 or even 3 hurricane prior to landfall.  The United States Air Force asked permission to fly a reconnaissance mission over Cuba to reach Hurricane Sandy for data and the Cuban government granted permission, which does not happen very often.  Sandy is currently surpassing model intensification projections at this early stage in her life.  She may very well weaken substantially as she heads over the mountains of Cuba, prior to re-intensifying into one of the most intense storms in recorded history off the coast of the United States on Sunday and Monday, prior to landfall somewhere in the Northeast United States, and very possibly in our area late on Monday or early on Tuesday.