SANDY DAMAGE PHOTOS - HURRICANE SANDY HITS BETHESDA, MARYLAND - WASHINGTON, DC AREA - SUPERSTORM PHOTO GALLERY

Here is a photo gallery of Hurricane Sandy in Bethesda, and the damage the superstorm left behind.  It was minimal compared to what happened in New York and New Jersey.  In fact, there just wasn't that much damage here at all.

Water was starting to pool in the Westwood
Shopping Center parking lot at 8 AM Monday

Last minute shoppers dashed into
Giant as the storm hit

Fashion Craft Cleaners was open

...and Starbucks...

Sandy doesn't like Thai food

Sandy does what you've always wanted to
do to bossy parking signs in Bethesda

They've fallen, and they can't get up!

WHICH BETHESDA RESTAURANTS ARE OPEN?

Note:  If you don't see your favorite Bethesda restaurant on here, that doesn't necessarily mean it's closed.  It may just be that I don't know they're open yet!

OPEN:

American Tap Room
Capital Teas
Bold Bite,
Lilit Cafe
Mon Ami Gabi
Jaleo Bethesda
Parkers
Yamas Grill
BGR
Nando's Peri-Peri
Georgetown Bagelry
Bethesda Bagels
Zen Tara Tea

METRO SUBWAY AND METROBUS SERVICE TO RESUME TODAY AT 2 PM

WMATA has announced it will resume Metrobus and Metro subway service this afternoon at 2 PM.  Both will operate on a Sunday schedule.  Montgomery County is silent so far as to whether or not it will resume Ride On bus service at the same time.

Of course, all of this is useless for people who are already at work, or took the day off.  At least New York City has a legitimate reason why it couldn't operate its subways this morning!  The decision to cancel Metro today in the first place was made too early.

SUPERSTORM SANDY ROUGHS UP MARYLAND, DC; FLOODING STILL AHEAD; NYC, NJ, BREEZY, ROCKAWAY DEVASTATED

BETHESDA STORM CENTER

SANDY UPDATE

Today will be a day of damage assessment in Bethesda, and the DC area.  We've taken damage for sure, and it's too early to know just how much.  But we can also be thankful that we clearly did not take the beating that New York City and New Jersey did.

Over the night, winds in Bethesda significantly decreased after 1:00 AM.  Some forecasters are saying we could still have occasional gusts up to 50 MPH through the evening.  In general, though, expect winds to peak in the high 20s today.  We could get 4-5" more rain before Sandy moves on.  And a crest is moving down the Potomac River from Harpers Ferry.  That will cause flooding down here eventually, particularly tomorrow into Thursday.  Other streams are likely to flood, and Little Falls Parkway remains closed between River Road and Massachusetts Avenue.

So far, Pepco has done a pretty good job.  The primary outages reported were mostly in North Bethesda and the River Road/Wilson Lane area.  Obviously, the risk of outages remains as trees can still fall.

Strosniders received a new shipment last night, including flashlights, lanterns, window covers, chainsaws, and the ever-elusive D batteries.

Scott Graham of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue service said that MCFRS responded to 324 calls Monday, and another 47 calls since midnight.

The top wind gust reported in Montgomery County was 76 MPH in Laytonsville.  By comparison, the top wind speed recorded anywhere in the U.S. last night was 120 MPH, in Mount Washington, NH.

Sandy was perhaps the best forecast storm in history.  It followed the Euro model track almost exactly.  It made landfall 5 miles south of Atlantic City.  It also produced the predicted snow west of us:  17" so far in Davis, WV!

West Virginia and Western Maryland highways experienced whiteout conditions last night.  Not surprising, given that Sandy was centered near Lancaster, PA at one point.  According to the National Hurricane Center, Sandy remains "next door" in Pennsylvania this morning.

Finally, we have a lot to be thankful for here.  In flooded Breezy Point/Rockaway Beach in NYC, over 50 structures burnt down when flooding prevented firefighters from reaching the area in great numbers.  One resident said on Twitter that he and 100 other families are now homeless.  At least part of the Rockaway Boardwalk was also destroyed.  Once home to a famous amusement park, Rockaway remains home to several of Robert Moses' significant infrastructure projects.  So it is definitely sad to hear of this tragedy in a great American community.

We're not done with Sandy yet, but the news from states north of us reminds us it could have been far worse.

Stay tuned here and on Twitter at @BethesdaRow for updates!

HURRICANE SANDY WILL HIT MARYLAND, DC TONIGHT - UPDATE, STATS - 23' WAVES IN NJ, SNOW FALLING IN WEST VIRGINIA

BETHESDA STORM CENTER

SANDY UPDATE

Hurricane Sandy is strengthening, and has just begun the northwestern turn that will bring it ashore this evening.  Sandy is likely to hit the New Jersey coast, where waves of 23' have been measured this morning.

By the time that happens  - during the late evening rush hour or later - expect 4-8 inches of rain, and winds of 40-60 MPH throughout.  There is a flash flood warning in effect, as well as a high wind warning.

Plan to stay indoors this evening, and stay tuned here and on Twitter at @BethesdaRow for Sandy updates.

Here is the latest data on Sandy:

LOCATION:  385 miles SSE of New York City

WINDS:  85 MPH

MOVING:  NW at 20 MPH

Latest developments:

+Bethesda Circulator service canceled today

+Suburban Hospital ED open; surgeries as scheduled

+17" of rainfall over the Chesapeake Bay as of 7 AM, according to Weather Channel

+Currently snowing in Beckley, Bluefield West Virginia, and in Marion, Virginia

+Coast Guard on rescue mission after ship in path of Sandy radios distress call off Atlantic Coast

+Flood warning for Philadelphia and suburbs

+N end of Atlantic City boardwalk collapsing

+Ocean City, MD fishing pier damaged, in danger of collapse

HURRICANE SANDY PANIC IN BETHESDA, MARYLAND LEADS TO BARE SHELVES, BOTTLED WATER AND BATTERY SHORTAGES AT SOME GROCERY STORES (PHOTOS)

PANICKED SHOPPERS

STRIP GROCERY SHELVES

BARE

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

The bottled water aisle at
the Bethesda Row Giant
Friday evening

The frightening weather predictions of Hurricane Sandy are causing mild panic in downtown Bethesda.  Friday night, the Bethesda Row Giant's water aisle was stripped bare, and C and D batteries were also sold out.

It does a body good.
Empty milk shelves
at the Arlington Rd. Safeway

Safeway on Arlington Road had some water left, but no more lowfat or 2% milk.  The other Safeway - on Old Georgetown Road - was well-stocked in every department.  CVS on Arlington Road had plenty of bottled water and batteries.

C and D batteries are the
most in demand

All of this panic buying was taking place a full 3 days before Sandy is expected to hit our area, on Monday.

Two important things to do ahead of the storm, in preparation for extensive power outages, are to fill your gas tank, and withdraw the amount of cash you think you'll need to squeak by for the week.

Both gas pumps (as we already found a few months ago!) and ATMs can be forced to close without power.

Stay tuned here and at

 @BethesdaRow on Twitter

for all the latest

  Sandy information

WHEN HURRICANE SANDY HITS MARYLAND, DC, PLAN FOR "UNPRECEDENTED" WEATHER CONDITIONS - FRANKENSTORM UPDATE

BETHESDA STORM CENTER

SANDY UPDATE

Over the night, Hurricane Sandy weakened into Tropical Storm Sandy.  But don't be fooled:  Sandy is already a hurricane again.

The word most common in the latest predictions is "unprecedented."  Sandy may make landfall Monday as a Category 2 hurricane in the worst case scenario.  One forecast predicts that we could experience 48 straight hours of 70 MPH wind gusts.  Some forecasters now expect 8" of rain - that's a 2" increase since yesterday - and isolated pockets of up to 12".

We are now under a flood watch through 8:00 AM Tuesday.  The only positive news is that the latest model is showing the very worst flooding now slightly north of DC's latitude.  The bad news is that the storm will have serious impacts hundreds of miles from its center.

Let's hope Sandy stays weak.  But the storm's slowing speed does give it more ability to gain power from the ocean below it.  Fortunately, the Atlantic is not as warm as the Caribbean.  Alas, Sandy is already carrying a heavy load of tropical moisture with it as it travels toward us.

Here are the latest stats for Sandy:

LOCATION:  350 miles SE of Charleston, SC

WINDS:  70 MPH

MOVING:  NNE at 10 MPH

Make sure to follow @BethesdaRow

on Twitter, as well as this blog,

 for hyperlocal coverage

 of Sandy in Bethesda

HURRICANE SANDY UPDATE: 3 SCENARIOS FOR BETHESDA, DC AREA

BETHESDA STORM CENTER

SANDY UPDATE

Sandy met expectations yesterday, strengthening into a hurricane even earlier in the day than expected.  Currently a Category 2 storm, Sandy has already hit Jamaica and Cuba.

What now for the U.S. East Coast?

The outcome is just as up in the air as it was yesterday at this hour.

But atmospheric conditions suggest 3 likely outcomes.

The worst case scenario is a direct hit to Maryland, via the Chesapeake Bay.  Based on current behavior, Sandy should arrive here after 8:00 AM Monday morning.  So we have a few days to track how this is going, and prepare accordingly.

Even under milder Scenario 2, Sandy will give a Winnie the Pooh-worthy blustery day - or 2 or 3.  We could still have some wind damage and power outages, but not a direct hit.

Finally, Scenario 3 finds us escaping unscathed, with no storms at all, and a return to cooler fall weather.  It all depends on that low pressure system, and if it stays over us through Monday.  That would push Sandy away from the East Coast and out to sea.

Right now, you may want to think about securing or bringing in any objects in your yard, or on your apartment balcony, as we get closer to Monday.  That would include Halloween decorations, for example.

Let's hope for the best, as a direct hit would make for a scary Halloween indeed!

Here are the latest stats for Sandy:

LOCATION:  40 miles E of Holguin, Cuba

WINDS:  105 MPH

MOVING:  N at 18 MPH

Latest Developments:

+TROPICAL STORM WARNING

S OF FLAGLER BEACH, FL

+AIR FORCE RECON PLANE

TO FLY NEAR SANDY

LATER THIS A.M.

WHEN WILL HURRICANE SANDY HIT BETHESDA AND THE DC AREA? - BETHESDA WEATHER UPDATE

BETHESDA STORM CENTER

SANDY UPDATE

Tropical Storm Sandy is currently steaming directly towards Jamaica, and is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before the end of the day.

Will Sandy hit the DC area, and the East Coast in general?  Yes, on Sunday and Monday in some degree, based on two forecast models.  Worse yet, the European model that has historically been the most accurate, is predicting a close shave for the Mid-Atlantic northward.  One Accuweather track even shows it going directly up the Chesapeake Bay.

What a low pressure front does this weekend will ultimately decide our fate.  If it stays over us, Sandy will be forced out to sea.  But if it tracks westward of the East Coast, Sandy could land a formidable punch to the DC area.

Here are the latest stats on TS Sandy:

LOCATION:  190 miles south of Kingston, Jamaica

WINDS:  70 MPH

MOVING: N at 14 MPH

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

+SCHOOLS ACROSS JAMAICA

 ARE CLOSED TODAY

+TROPICAL STORM WATCH JUST

 ISSUED FOR SE FL, UPPER KEYS