With Hurricane Sandy's imminent landfall in the northeast, possibly New York, it evokes memories of last year's Hurricane Irene, from which several local communities are still recovering.

Steve Hood, of Delaware County Emergency Services, said that his team learned from Hurricane Irene and is more prepared to get to the stranded and help those who could potentially be put out by Hurricane Sandy.

"I think due to past events, I think we're pretty well prepared," he said. "Being able to get to people could be difficult, especially if there is high winds and a lot of rain."

He advised residents to heed the evacuation orders if they are issued. During Hurricane Irene, many area residents chose to stay in their home and became stranded when roads washed out and major flooding occurred.

Hood added that people should be watching Sandy closely and have in place a plan to evacuate if necessary.

Hurricane Sandy is predicted to come ashore anywhere from southern New Jersey to as far north as New York City early next week. Central New York will be affected by winds reaching 80 mph and heavy rain, depending on the storm's location Monday.

"The biggest thing they can do at this point is just monitor things and make sure they have an evacuation plan if they live in a flood-prone area," Hood said. "Make sure they have enough supplies to sustain themselves for up to 72 hours if there are massive power outages."

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