The Daily Five: What You Need to Know About Hurricane Sandy!

1. This morning may feel like the calm before the storm but the National Weather Service has issued a coastal flood warning, a high wind warning (which could cause power outages) and a flood watch, all from 6 a.m. today until 6 p.m. Tuesday, when Hurricane Sandy should finally move on.

Weather forecasters are predicting that, because of the size and duration of Hurricane Sandy, we could be looking at three more tidal cycles with storm surges of 12 to 15 feet. That's about five feet higher than Tropical Storm Irene brought when it washed away roads and damaged homes, which is why flooding is the greatest concern for Emergency Management teams in Old Lyme, East Lyme, and Lyme.

Expect it to be very windy, with sustained winds of 35 to 50 mph and occasional gusts over 70 mph. There will be some rain, perhaps up to an inch. Weather.com is predicting a high temperature of 62 degrees and a low of 60 degrees. 

2. I hope everyone stocked up yesterday and is prepared to ride out the storm comfortably. If you lose power and are lucky enough to have a generator, make sure you know how to use it. Old Lyme Fire Marshal David Roberge has some good tips here about that and about steps you should take if you have to evacuate. If you're dining on cold cuts by candlelight, please, be careful.

If you lose power but have a smart phone or tablet, here's how you can stay current with news and updates from Patch.  

3. The evacuations issued for coastal, low-lying, and flood prone areas of Old Lyme and East Lyme yesterday are mandatory. That doesn't mean that police will arrest you if you refuse to leave but if you choose to stay in place, be warned that police and emergency responders probably won't be able to assist you in an emergency during the storm.

You stay at your own risk, and put the lives of those who may try to come to your aid at risk if you stay. The storm surge, combined with higher than normal full moon tides and the potential for heavy rain all add up to major flooding issues. And you really don't want to be looking at 15-foot high storm surges from your living room. 

Although residents in East Lyme don't officially have to evacuate until 11 a.m., please note that high tide this morning is about an hour earlier than that, so leave sooner rather than later. 

4. If you need to evacuate, East Lyme Middle School is the regional shelter serving East Lyme, Old Lyme, and Lyme, among others. There are hot meals (Illiano's pasta was on the menu yesterday night), good people, heat, light, cable TV, and hot showers—plus it takes pets.

Just remember to bring blankets, pillows, important documents and valuables, and a three-day supply of clothes, toiletries, and any medication you need. If you're bringing a pet, please make sure you have rabies tags, food, bowls, a leash, and a carrier and/or crate if you have one as the animals at the shelter are crated.

If you lose power and just need somewhere to charge your electronics, grab a hot meal, and take a shower, East Lyme Middle School is open for showers from 7 to 9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. The Lymes' Senior Center on Town Woods Road in Old Lyme and the Community Center on Society Road in East Lyme are open as respite centers. If the need arises, Lyme Consolidated School can serve as a day shelter, although it has no backup power if there's an outage.

If you need assistance, please call:

• Old Lyme Emergency Management Center, 189 Boston Post Road, (860) 598-0120 or call (860) 434-1605 ext. 231.
• East Lyme Emergency Management Center at 171 Boston Post Road, (860) 739-4434.  
• Lyme Emergency Management Center at the Fire House in Hamburg, (860) 434-8693

If it's an emergency, don't hesitate to call 911. 

Although a number of areas in Lyme are prone to flooding, the town is not as much at risk as the beach communities of East Lyme and Old Lyme are to storm surges. Lyme Emergency Management officials plan to open the town’s Emergency Operations Center sometime this evening. If need be, the Hamburg and Hadlyme fire stations will be open to provide services and information to residents in need of assistance.  

5. It's my goal to keep everyone up-to-date with breaking news and information specific to East Lyme, Old Lyme, and Lyme, and from across the state. During the storm, however, I may not be able to get out and about so easily. But this is where Patch is different from a newspaper. Patch is a community forum, designed so that everyone can swap news with their neighbors.

To make this as easy for everyone as possible, we'll be hosting a live blog throughout Hurricane Sandy so everyone can share information and chat about what's going on (or what's not!). If there's a tree down on your street, a road that's flooded, or a neighbor in need, obviously call 911—but then use Patch to help get the word out. You can post photos and share tips too. (If anyone knows how to grill a burger on a car engine, I'd like to know if my power goes out!)

If you're using Twitter to share information, please use #ctsandy and the tweets will appear automatically.

Stay home and, please, be safe!