Sorry for double post!
I think it's a bad call by the NHC not to issue any warnings/watches for the region. Local offices are now issuing individual advisories which I think will make the public not take this storm seriously.
I had several long discussions at this past conference I attended about public perception and getting the word out. One person I talked to was actually hired to provide suggestions for rewording warnings. There were so many little things that added up to the confusing mess we have now. For example: why are warnings in caps? There may have been technological limits in the old days but certainly not anymore. The person I talked to provided lots of suggestions for improving warnings so that the average human being on this planet could understand it. Add icons or graphics for example. Of course all of the changes were "noted" but I doubt you will ever see any.
The NWS (NHC, etc) has a public image problem. Its not improving but only getting worse. This case is a perfect example of how bureaucracy and rules get in the way of the end goal.... saving lives! If the weather center ever hopes to be a "Weather Ready Nation" they better start preparing themselves rather than the public. If a Hurricane Warning is issued for Delaware and they receive 70mph winds, 12in of rain and major coastal flooding I doubt the public will be in an outrage that they issued a warning when the system was developing non tropical characteristics. ugh!
I dare you to ask the first non weather person you can find what they think a "Wind Warning" means then ask them what a "Hurricane Warning" means.
As for the warnings, the entire Northeast is now under multiple watches/warnings/advisories, so the warning is definitely out. I really hope people make some common sense decisions in these areas and evacuate or at least make or be completing preparations for Sandy, especially those in coastal and low-lying areas, as I have a feeling the flooding in these areas could be unprecedented.
I currently have a: High Wind Warning, Coastal Flood Warning, Flood Watch for my area. Not a person in my area relates any of those to a major storm. We have Coastal Flood Warnings all the time, Flood Watches are nothing new either. I keep hearing the same thing from everyone I know outside the wx community "oh it wont be that bad". ~sigh~
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