Weather experts on Hurricane Sandy: ‘You have not seen this before’

On satellite, Hurricane Sandy appeared somewhat disheveled. Massive, but weakened, as if it was being pulled apart by the forces around it.

Along the New Jersey Shore, some were already dismissing it, vowing to ignore evacuation orders and ride it out. After all, Tropical Storm Irene wasn’t that bad.

Make no mistake: You have not seen a storm like this.

It is not Irene. It is not the Ash Wednesday Storm of 1962. It is not the Long Island Express hurricane of 1938.

These are some of the worst storms in state history, and forecasters say Sandy could beat them all.

“The message we’re trying to get out to people is, no matter how old they are, they’ve never seen this before,” said Gary Szatkowski, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service. “If they’re relying on past experiences, it is not going to serve them well. We want you to be out of harm’s way.”

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