Officials Closely Monitoring Sandy

YOU ARE WAFRPBING CONTINUOUS EYEWITNESS NEWS ON HURRICANE SANDY. YOU CAN SEE THE COASTAL FLOODING THAT COULD BECOME AN EVEN GREATER CONCERN AS HIGH TIDE APPROACHES. THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND GOVERNOR ARE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THE STORM. NOW LIVE AT EMA HEADQUARTERS WITH THE LATEST FROM THE GOVERNOR AND THE NATIONAL GRADUATE IN CRANSTON. WHAT IS IT LIKE OUT THERE? RIGHT AS YOU WERE THROWING TO ME, THE WIND JUST PICKED UP. YOU SAY KEEP A CLOSE EYE AND IF YOU ARE A STATE CLEARED IN RHODE ISLAND RIGHT NOW, YOU ARE BUSY WITH A LOT ON YOUR MIND AND YOU ARE WORRIED. THE BIG THING, WHAT TONY HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT ALL ALONG, THIS STORM SURGE IN THE VICINITY OF ABOUT AN HOUR OR TWO AWAY GIVE OR TAKE. WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER A MON TAEUPBLG OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF VARIOUS STATE LEADERS WHO SPOKE AT THIS BRIEFING ABOUT TWO HOURS NOW. IT STARTED AT 5:00 AND WENT FROM 5:15, 50:00 -- 5:20 AND HERE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS. WHAT IS KEEPING YOU YOU A WAKE, GOVERNOR, WHAT IS GOING THROUGH YOUR HEAD RIGHT NOW? I WOULD SAY THE STORM SURGE. WITH THE HIGH TIDE, A BIG HURRICANE AND FORECAST SOUTHEAST WINDS ALL PUSHING THE WATER UP THE BEND, NEVER REALLY EXPERIENCE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE FLOOD STORAGE AND WHERE IT GOES. THAT IS THE DAMAGE THAT CAN OCCUR, NEIGHBORHOODS GETTING INUNDATED WITH WATER BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T SEEN IT BEFORE SO LET'S HOPE IT DOESN'T OCCUR. WHEN WE GET WINDS OF 35, 40 MILES PER HOUR, OUR FOLKS CAN'T BE IN THE BUCKETS. WE PULLED THE FOLKS OFF THE ROAD. THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING IN NORTHERN PARTS TODAY. WHEN THE WINDS KICK UP, THE TRUCKS START TO TIP OVER AND WE START TO LOSE PEOPLE. WE HAVE TO GET THROUGH TO 1, 2 OR 43:00 IN 43 -- 3:00 IN THE G BEFORE WE KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO OUT THERE. WE DECIDED WE WILL NOT SHUT DOWN THE HIGHWAYS. THERE IS NOT MUCH OUT THERE. WE ASK PEOPLE STAY SAFE, STAY HOME AND ESPECIALLY FOLKS AT NARRAGANSETT, STAY AWAY FROM THE BEACH. A LEARNING INCIDENT FROM THE PREVIOUS STORM IS WE DID A VERY GOOD SURVEY, TESTING OF THE HOSPITAL AND NURSING HOME SYSTEMS, SEVERING FINE AND UP AND RUNNING AND WE WILL OBVIOUSLY BE WATCHING THAT SITUATION. WHAT DOES RHODE ISLAND NEED TO KNOW? I ALWAYS GO BACK TO THE BOY SCOUT MODEL. WE HAVE THE HAD ADVANTAGE OF A GOOD DAY, A SEC TO BE PREPARED AND NOW LET'S HEED THE ADVICE FROM THE EXPERTS TO BE PREPARED OUT THERE. IF YOU HAD TO BOIL IT DOWN TO THE ONE THING THAT PEOPLE SEEMED U.N. VERSE LALLY CONCERNED ABOUT, IT IS THE HURRICANE BARRIER. ALSO THE STORM SURGE AND THEY ARE INTERCONNECTED. IMPOSSIBLE TO DISCONNECT THE TWO. SUSAN JUST REPORT THE CHANGES THERE AND THIS AS GOVERNOR