Hurricane Sandy barrels toward East Coast, expected to bring 'life-threatening' storm surge

Story taken from: FOX NEWS ONLINE
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NEW YORK, N.Y. - Forecasters warned that the New York City region could face the worst of Hurricane Sandy as it bore down on the U.S. East Coast's largest cities Monday, forcing the shutdown of financial markets and mass transit, sending coastal residents fleeing and threatening high winds, rain and a wall of water up to 11 feet (3.35 metres) tall. It could endanger up to 50 million people for days.

Sandy strengthened before dawn and stayed on a predicted path toward New York, Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia— putting it on a collision course with two other weather systems that would create a superstorm with the potential for havoc over 800 miles (1,280 kilometres) from the East Coast to the Great Lakes. Up to 3 feet (0.9 metres) of snow were even forecast for mountainous parts of West Virginia. Airports closed, and authorities warned that the time for evacuation was running out or already past. Many workers planned to stay home as subways, buses and trains shut down across the region under the threat of flooding that could inundate tracks and tunnels. Utilities anticipated widespread power failures.

The centre of the storm was positioned to come ashore Monday night in New Jersey, meaning the worst of the surge could be in the northern part of that state and in New York City and on Long Island. Higher tides brought by a full moon compounded the threat to the metropolitan area of about 20 million people.

"This is the worst-case scenario," said Louis Uccellini, environmental prediction chief for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As rain from the leading edges began to fall over the Northeast on Sunday, hundreds of thousands of people from Maryland to Connecticut were ordered to leave low-lying coastal areas, including 375,000 in lower Manhattan and other parts of New York City, 50,000 in Delaware and 30,000 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where the city's 12 casinos shut down for only the fourth time ever.

President Barack Obama declared emergencies in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, authorizing federal relief work to begin well ahead of time. He promised the government would "respond big and respond fast" after the storm hits. Obama cancelled a campaign appearance in Florida to stay in Washington and monitor the storm, with Election Day just a week away.

Authorities warned that New York could get hit with a surge of seawater that could swamp parts of lower Manhattan, flood subway tunnels and cripple the network of electrical and communications lines that are vital to the nation's financial centre. Major U.S. financial markets, including the New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq and CME Group in Chicago, planned a rare shutdown Monday. The United Nations also shut down. New York shut down all train, bus and subway service Sunday night. More than 5 million riders a day depend on the transit system. "If you don't evacuate, you are not only endangering your life, you are also endangering the lives of the first responders who are going in to rescue you," Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned. "This is a serious and dangerous storm." Sandy, a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of 85 mph (136 kph) early Monday, was blamed for 65 deaths in the Caribbean before it began travelling northward, parallel to the Eastern Seaboard. As of 8 a.m. Monday (1200 GMT), it was centred about 310 miles (498 kilometres) south-southeast of New York City, moving to the north at 20 mph (32.2 kph), with hurricane-force winds extending an unusual 175 miles (281 kilometres) from its centre.

Sandy was expected to hook inland Monday, colliding with a wintry storm moving in from the west and cold air streaming down from the Arctic, and then cut across into Pennsylvania and travel up through New York state. Airlines cancelled nearly 7,500 flights and Amtrak began suspending train service across the Northeast.

About 90 miles (144 kilometres) off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, 17 people abandoned a replica of the tall ship made famous in the film "Mutiny on the Bounty" after the vessel began taking on water, said Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class David Weydert.

The Coast Guard was trying to determine whether to use cutters or helicopters to rescue the crew, who were in two lifeboats and were wearing survival suits and life jackets, he added. Despite the dire warnings, some refused to budge. Jonas Clark of Manchester Township, New Jersey — right in Sandy's projected path — stood outside a convenience store, calmly sipping a coffee and wondering why people were working themselves "into a tizzy." "I've seen a lot of major storms in my time, and there's nothing you can do but take reasonable precautions and ride out things the best you can," said Clark, 73.

___ Breed reported from Raleigh, North Carolina; Contributing to this report were AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein in Washington; Katie Zezima in Atlantic City, New Jersey; David Porter in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey; Wayne Parry in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey; and David Dishneau in Delaware.

Hurricane Preparedness and what to do with Generators and chainsaws| Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy is expected to hit New England with a tremendous force next week. The Earth's elements can be scary, and if you're not prepared for events you can find yourself in a sorry spot.

Here are a few tips to help get you prepare for Mother Nature's fall spectaculars. When the news warns of an incoming major storm, as they are doing now with Hurricane Sandy.

It's best to have emergency supplies ready before the storm hits. If you have trees near your home (this is New England, you probably do), you should consider having a strong, reliable chain saw. A quality saw, like a Stihl, will serve you well with readily available replacement parts and accessories. Make sure you are familiar with how to use it safely before it is needed in an emergency.

Keep a supply of extra chains

extra bar,

bar and chain oil

fuel on hand.

Many people in the Northeast now use a generator to keep their home supplied with electricity. You should consider this, as it can keep your heat on, keep your food cold, and keep you and your family comfortable.
If you have a generator,

Make sure you test it before the storm to make sure it is in good running order.

If you do not have one yet, generators are selling fast! if you expect you are going to want one, be sure to purchase it soon. Granz Power Equipment in Salem and Stills Power Equipment in Manchester have the tools you need, and the knowledgeable staff to help you decide what power equipment your family needs for the upcoming storm (Hurricane Sandy), and beyond. We are stocking up now for the storm, and generators and saws are selling fast. Don’t wait, get the equipment you need today. For more information on this subject you can visit www.turfdepot.com or if you need parts please visit us at www.propartsdirect.net

Article written by Tim Allen
E-Commerce Manager
ProParts Direct

Tim is a long time staffer at ProParts Direct with over 20 years of outdoor experience and specializes in product knowledge.

Tax Credit For Landscapers

Commercial Landscapers if you are looking for a year end savings for buying equipment check out the 179 Tax credit available.Take a look at this link to see what kind of savings are possible. http://www.balboacapital.com/equipment-leasing/section-179/#gf_11 Always remember to consult a tax specialist. If you have any equipment questions call us at 603-898-2871.

Winter weather Is coming top 10 things to do to get ready.

Up here in New England it is best to have your equipment ready before the snow flies. There is a few things you should do for your summer equipment and your winter equipment.

1.No Gas - The best thing you can do for your equipment is not keep gas in it. So any Summer or Fall equipment run out the last of your gas and rain out the rest. Pour the gas out through where you pour it in. Ethanol in the fuel will destroy the rubbers in your gaskets and fuel line over a short period. You can try gas additives like Startron to help keep the fuel. But Still try not to keep gas in your trimmers,mowers and blowers.

2.Clean - Clean and scrape any old grass off of your machines. The left behind grass will form mold under your deck. One it is very bad for your lawn, it also decreases the power and air flow under your mower. Plus who wants to do it first thing in spring.

3. Oil- You can leave the oil in the machines. For lawn mowers or tractors I would leave it in until next Spring. For snow blowers now is a good time to change it. 5w30 in snow blowers and 30W in lawnmowers. Most tractors take 10W30. You can reuse the oil in most cases. Check to see if it black, replace if it is.

4. Spark Plug - Since your equipment is sitting for a little while. Loosen up the spark plug. Let air flow into the cylinder. The old timers used to put a little emery oil in the spark plug hole to keep the metal in the cylinder from seizing.

5. Cover- Your snow blower was designed to be out in the wet and cold. Your lawn mower and tractor were not. Make sure you cover your machine to keep it from getting wet and rusting. If not done this could damage the mower down the road. With snow blowers always brush them off after you use them. Melting snow can leak into your belts and freeze the belt to the pulley which will cause some damage.

6. Adjust - Snow id the time to make all of the proper adjustment on cables, skid shoes, belts and anything else that moves. Simply just increase the tension on belts just a little to take up any slack created from use. Same thing with cables, over a few years they can slip out of adjustment. If your machine is over 5 years old now is the time to get them adjusted!

7. Test - Get the unit running now! Get all of the inner gaskets wet and the cylinders and pistons working. It is a lot easier to start a machine when it is warm and has been running. It will be next to impossible to start a snow blower on a cold day that has never been started.

8. Fuel - Because ethanol will separate the alcohol from the gasoline and create condensation in your tank. it is important to use Fuel stabilizers. Items like Fuel Medic, Star-tron are great and work well. try to buy 89 octane gas if possible.

9. Clear debris - Many times we forget to clean leaves or sticks from our driveway. Remove any Stones or Rocks. Also during the season check for frozen news papers or dog leashes.

10. Get Ready for Spring - Your Summer Equipment will need the same treatment come April. Start early and all the prep work you did in October and November will pay off and make your equipment easy to start. If you keep with this routine in 15 years you will still have the same equipment you have today.

Regent™ and Regent EX™ Lawn Tractor $150 Customer Rebate

From 8/22/12 to 10/31/12 take advantage of this fall rebate savings event. Save big with an instant and mail-in rebate in the amount of $150 on the purchase of select new Simplicity Regent™ and Regent EX™ lawn tractor models in stock (excludes all Allis-Chalmers models). The $150 rebate is in the form of a $50 instant rebate at time of purchase from participating dealer and $100 mail-in rebate. Mail-in portion of rebate will be issued in the form of a check by mail. Check Us out www.turfdepot.com

Open House A Success!!

We would like to thank everyone who came out and made our Fall 2012 Open house a great success! in these harder times it is good to see the local support and we hope to continue to get better! Also this week if you are looking for snow parts we are having our Online Open House at Proparts Direct. Check out www.propartsdirect.net

Fall Commercial Open House 2012

Check out our Panoramic view of our Fall Commercial Open House. Just as it was getting under way. Slightly rainy day that worked out well. A big thank you to all of our vendors.To see more images from the day check out www.turfdepot.com

What to do in the fall for your Grass. - Get a step up over your neighbor

Fall is time to maintenance your lawn. This is the time to do repairs and re-balance the health of your lawn. To be sure, there will be some fall lawn maintenance you'll have to do some basic steps to make sure you are ready for spring greening:

• Apply herbicides to weeds. Apply also any fertilizer so it soaks into the ground
• Correct your  soil pH: if your lawn is not performing well, have your soil tested. If the soil test should show a need to reduce acidity, apply lime now. If alkalinity needs to be reduced, apply sulfur.
• Thatch removal: dethatch your lawn, by raking; for bad cases of soil compaction, you may have to employ the technique known as core aeration, for which lawn equipment known as "aerators" can be bought or rented
• Get your leave off your lawn, leaves will smother your grass over the winter
• Cut your grass low. Burning down your lawn at the end of the season will allow for better sunlight and water visibility to the grass roots. plus leaves will not stick to your lawn on windy days. Let them go to your neighbors!
• Lawn equipment care: Drain out  ANY gas of lawn mowers and trimmers after last mowing. Do not trust the new fuel. Phase separation of the alcohol in the gas with over time destroy the carburetor in any lawn equipment.

These little steps will give you an edge up over your neighbors lawn. Any little steps you can do in the spring or fall will slowly make your lawn look crisp and green. For the best lawn you have to look at this as a process and over a 2 to 3 year window you are always prepping for the next season. In year 4 you should have your results.

Good grass roots if given the chance to grow deep and expand will force out bad grass and weed types.  Always use a sharp blade and a clean deck. Don't be afraid to walk slow with your mower and let it cut the grass. Stringers are a disaster!

If you need a replacement blade or part always check with us. We are a staff of former Pro landscapers who can readily give you lawn tips for that extra edge! Please check out our website www.proparts direct.net for parts or call us at 800 305 9255.

Thank you,

ProParts

Article Written by ProParts October 2012

Annual Fall Open House at ProParts Direct

Our Annual Fall Open House for Our Commercial Customers is going on this week at our stores Granz Power Equipment & Still's Power Equipment. Great deals on equipment and Parts. In a little while we will be posting the parts deals. For our local customers call the store for equipment specials. For our customers abroad check around 12 noon EST for our posted parts specials at www.propartsdirect.net