Tens of millions of people along the U.S. east coast, from New England to Florida, are getting ready for the onslaught of Hurricane Sandy.
Forecasters say the storm moving out of the Caribbean will combine with other storm systems blowing in from the north to create a major threat. The storm's arrival will coincide with Halloween, leading some forecasters to call it "Frankenstorm" - named for the Frankenstein monster of literature and films.
Forecasters say their warnings of damaging winds, drenching rain, coastal floods, and heavy mountain snow are not hype and must be taken seriously.
Washington, D.C. and the governors of New York, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina have already declared states of emergency. Power companies are telling customers to prepare for possible long outages. Local authorities are urging residents to stock up on drinkable water, canned foods, and batteries.
The exact path of the storm is unclear. But forecasters say Sandy has the greatest chance of making landfall in Delaware or southern New Jersey, with the worst of the storm coming Monday night and into Tuesday.
Sandy moves north after pounding the Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti, and Jamaica, killing at least 38 people.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP, and Reuters.
A red flag flies after lifeguards closed the area for swimming because of dangerous rip currents, as winds from Hurricane Sandy began to affect weather in Deerfield Beach, Florida, October 25, 2012.
A surfer takes advantage of higher waves as winds from Hurricane Sandy began to affect weather in Boca Raton, Florida, October 25, 2012.
Jose Aguilera sweeps his home's floor by his empty bed frame after the passing hurricane Sandy damaged his roof, causing rain to soak his mattress, in Gibara, Cuba, October 25, 2012.
Storm clouds fill the sky over Havana, Cuba, October 24, 2012.
A woman wades through flood water brought by Hurricane Sandy as she evacuates her home in the Caribbean Terrace neighborhood of eastern Kingston, Jamaica, October 24, 2012.
Waves brought by Hurricane Sandy crash on a house in the Caribbean Terrace neighborhood in eastern Kingston, Jamaica, October 24, 2012.
Residents evacuate their home as waves crash in the Caribbean Terrace neighborhood of eastern Kingston, Jamaica, October 24, 2012.
A man uses a box to protect him from the rain before the arrival of Tropical Storm Sandy in Kingston, Jamaica, October 23, 2012.