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Sandy Could Be 'Once In Generation' Weather Phenomenon

NEW YORK (CBS13) - Hurricane Sandy is lashing the East Coast and she has much danger to offer.

"To see a storm like this might be once in a generation, hitting that area with that intensity," said Eric Kurth with the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

Kurth is keeping an eye on this storm that could make history. Already sandy's strong winds have whipped the East Coast and the heavy rain is drenching the land, causing flooding, but more is on the way.

The hurricane will also combine with a winter-like storm to the northwest as Sandy comes ashore Monday evening.

"It has the intensity and strength of both of them, so that is particularly dangerous," Kurth said.

Another thing we need to worry about is all the way in outer space and it is a full moon. When there is a full moon over North America, it actually tugs on the ocean and pulls it up, causing a high tide. Mix a high tide with a storm surge and you could have catastrophic flooding.

As the tide rises, the storm surge will create of wall of water flooding parts of the eastern seaboard.

"A lot of coastal erosion is going to be done because of that," Kurth said.

Costal flooding is a huge concern in places such as New York City and for good reason. More than 300,000 people have been told to evacuate there.

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