By Bruce Shipkowski, Associated Press

A tree that crashed through the side of a home in Wantagh, N.Y., lies across cars in a driveway Sunday, March 14, 2010. Strong winds and heavy rain downed trees and power lines throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut on Saturday, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without power. (AP Photo/Chris Corradino)

EGG HARBOR CITY, N.J. – A torrential rainstorm that brought heavy winds to the Northeast, downing trees, flooding roadways and knocking out power, continued to pour rain on New England on Monday. (click HERE for video)

At least nine people died in storm-related accidents, and nearly half a million people were without electricity in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut at the peak of the storm.

The ferocious storm led to near-record numbers of 911 calls in New York. New York City experienced the second-highest volume of 911 calls ever. It got 65,000 calls between 11 p.m. Friday and 11 p.m. Saturday, second only to the 96,000 calls made during the 2003 blackout.

While the rain tapered off south of New York on Monday morning, wind-whipped precipitation continued to fall in New England.

In Boston, workers threw up sand bags around the entrance to a subway station near Fenway Park on Monday morning as the Muddy River rose and threatened the station. The Massachusetts Port Authority said the weather was causing some delays and cancellations at Logan International Airport and several low-lying roads and highway ramps in Massachusetts were closed.

There also were numerous road closures in southeastern New Hampshire due to flooding.

In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie declared a state of emergency, which would allow National Guard troops to be called up if needed. In signing the declaration Sunday night, Christie said he wants to ensure local and county resources are supplemented if needed.

Schools were closed in Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York on Monday.

Utility crews were making headway in restoring power. In New Jersey, more than 100,000 customers were without service Monday, down from a peak of 235,000. In Connecticut, two major utility companies said more than 57,000 customers were still without power, down from a peak of about 80,000.

The storm, which carried wind gusts of up to 70 mph, came about two weeks after heavy snow and hurricane-force winds left more than 1 million customers in the Northeast in the dark.

“I spent most of the past few months clearing snow and ice out my driveway, sidewalks, front walks, and now we’re picking up all these branches,” Jack Alexander said Sunday as he and his family worked to clear debris from the front yard of their Egg Harbor City home. “It seems like we’ve had every type of weather event you could have this winter — I’m almost afraid to see what else can happen.”

In Atlantic City, N.J., residents in a condominium complex and two apartment buildings were ordered to leave their homes Saturday after a crane snapped and twisted at the Revel Entertainment casino construction site, sending debris crashing through a window of a police cruiser. No one was hurt. The residents may not be able to return until Tuesday.

Hundreds of people remained out of their homes in the northern New Jersey community of Bound Brook, where flooding is common.

Among those in a shelter were the Malik family, including eldest son Norbert, who celebrated his ninth birthday Sunday. His mom said he had cried Saturday night because he was worried the storm would ruin his celebration. Instead, he said it was the best birthday he ever had.

“I got to ride in a police boat, and then a truck and a small bus,” said Norbert.

Falling trees proved to be a deadly hazard.

A New Jersey woman was killed and three others were injured in Westport, Conn., after a tree fell on a car Saturday night during the storm, police said. Another woman died when a tree struck her as she was walking in Greenwich, Conn., they said.

In the suburb of Teaneck, N.J., two neighbors were killed by a falling tree as they headed home from a prayer service at a synagogue. In Hartsdale, N.Y., another suburb, a man was killed when a large tree crushed the roof of his car and entangled it in live wires.

A 73-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree while walking to her car in Bay Shore, N.Y. Three people tried to save the Brooklyn woman.

In New Hampshire, a large pine tree fell on a car traveling on Interstate 93 on Sunday afternoon, killing a man and injuring his wife and child, state police said.

In Lyme, Conn., a 75-year-old man drowned accidentally Sunday afternoon in a pond behind his home. And in Rhode Island, an off-duty state trooper died early Sunday after his car hydroplaned in standing water left from the storm, state police said. (click HERE for original article)

With the first spring storms of the season sweeping through the US, officials from local Emergency Management offices want to make sure residents were prepared.

Spring time weather was unpredictable, and could turn wicked in an instant. It is best to get a basic emergency kit ready before you’ve heard the sirens or see flashes of lightning in the sky, .

In that kit, you should have a flashlight with extra batteries, battery powered weather radio, a three day supply of bottled water, that’s one gallon per person, per day, and canned food with a manual can opener.

Know where the circuit breakers are in your house. If you have an emergency plan review it with your family. Make sure you have a radio with extra batteries set aside.

For those who need medications, they should keep a 3-day supply handy. Also be prepared with supplies for people with special needs, some basic tools, and a fully charged cell phone.

If rain flooded your streets, make sure your kids are not playing around drainage ditches or flood waters, where they can be swept away.

Be aware of your environment. If you’re outside and it doesn’t look right, best thing to do is get to a media outlet, listen, and trust your instincts.

If you hear thunder, lightning is sure to follow. Officials say you are are safest inside your home, during a lightning storm. Do not take a bath or shower. Water and copper tubing are excellent conductors of electricity.

If you’re outside, you are safest inside your car.

We have compiled a lot of info to help you get your 72-Hour Kits together for your family. Click HERE for that page.

DON’T GET CAUGHT UNPREPARED!!!!

Make sure you have what your need it your home and in your vehicle. Check the tabs above!

Emergency preparedness is just one of my obsessions. My husband is doing that whole “eye roll” thing right now and saying “no shit”! We’ll see who’s doing the “eye roll” thing when we’re having one of our power outages (or worse) and he has a full belly!!!

Hurricane Hanna and Ike again remind us of the importance of having our 72-hour kits updated and ready to go. Go to my 72-Hour Kits Page (tab at top) or just click HERE for information on how to put your 72-Hour kits together.

I noticed the hit rate on my 72-Hour Kits page went up about 1000% just before Hurricane Hanna and hasn’t stopped yet. DON’T WAIT UNTIL YOU NEED ONE. Put your kit together now and put it away. Then it will be ready when you need it.

If you already have a kit, check it for expiration dates. Make sure everything is good and then put it back where you can easily get to it!

And…a quick note on your gas tank. Get in the habit of filling up at the 1/2 full mark. I am really bad about that. But, it will cut down on a whole lot of panic if you have to evacuate.

The photo above is a summer shot of what’s left of Mount St. Helens in Washington State after her infamous blow on May 18, 1980. 61 people died. We may not have hurricanes in Washington but I live less than 30 miles from the summit of Mt. St. Helens!! So, I have my own little things that can wreak havoc on my day!!

Don’t Be Scared…Be Prepared!!

Ms Sparky

Watch out for the sales and take advantage. Get those 72-hour kits stocked up.

Debbie