As Hurricane Sandy spins toward the East Coast, forecasters and neighbors up and down the coast are watching its track. National Grid is also watching the path it takes, and how it's moving.
Extra crews are on call for early next week, and National Grid has plans in place for whatever route the storm takes.
"We constantly monitor the movement of this storm and understand along the way how this storm is tracking and its path," Virginia Limmiatis said.
National Grid's tree trimming and removal crews are also on standby, ready to deal with any damage from the storm.
Falling leaves are piling up. If those leaves clog storm drains, flooding can become a problem.
Department of Public Works crews have been cleaning out each of the 11,500 drains in Syracuse, but they're also asking neighbors for a little help.
"We appreciate the homeowners that help us out and bag their leaves and keep them away from the catch basins," says Mark Ziolko.
In low lying areas, many neighbors have already started helping out. Charles Lanty has seen several floods over the years on Syracuse's Northside. He spent Friday afternoon keeping his storm drain clean.
"I'm trying to get some of these leaves cleaned up so when it rains, it's not going to plug up the drains again on me," Lanty said. "It always does when it rains hard."
The "super storm" forecast for early next week is expected to include heavy rain, high winds, flooding, tornados, coastal surges and possibly snow.
As Sandy moves gradually north, neighbors, National Grid and city crews all have the same hope.
"We're hoping the storm goes out to sea rather than coming inland," Ziolko said.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has activated the state's emergency crews to monitor Hurricane Sandy as it works its way north.
The National Weather Service in Upton, N.Y., expects rain starting late Sunday afternoon. Winds could gust to near hurricane force on Monday and Tuesday in southern New York.
In New York City, the Department of Buildings has ordered all exterior construction work to stop at 5 p.m. Saturday until further notice. The agency ordered all contractors and property owners to secure all construction sites and buildings.
(Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.)
