Patrick lays out plan to deal with Sandy - Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

At a press conference on Friday, Gov. Deval Patrick laid out Massachusetts plan to deal with Hurricane Sandy.

The National Weather Service projects Sandy will begin to impact the Bay State Sunday night and could linger until Wednesday.

The NWS said it could bring 6 to 10 inches of rain with damaging winds. Patrick said storm surges would be four to six feet on top of 30 to 35 foot offshore waves and high tides.

The storm was currently expected to make direct landfall in Cape May, New Jersey.

Patrick said the state had learned some lessons from previous storm responses and his administration had been in frequent contact with utilities throughout the state.

"Because of the probability of power outages we have been in frequent communication with the utility companies since Monday," said Patrick. "Each has submitted a plan for restoring service should it be out."

Patrick said every utility had put crews on call and would begin staging Saturday into early Sunday. Each was required to submit a plan of action for restoration should power go out.

Each utility had also assigned a community liaison to every community in the state, according to Patrick.

Patrick said he had canceled a planned trip to Florida to campaign for President Obama on Sunday so he could deal with the storm.

The following tips for dealing with severe weather were provided by MEMA:

- Make sure you have a well-stocked Family Disaster Kit in the event you lose power or are isolated for a number of days.

- Trim back trees and shrubbery around your home. Remove diseased or damaged tree limbs that could be blown down, causing damage, during a storm.

-Clear clogged rain gutters. This storm brings the potential for torrential rain. Providing clear drainage will help prevent misdirected flooding.

-Bring in outdoor items such as lawn furniture, trash barrels, hanging plants, toys and awnings that can be broken or picked up by strong winds and used as a missile.

-Make sure storage sheds, children's playhouses or other outbuildings are securely anchored, either to a permanent foundation or with straps and ground anchors.

-Elevate articles in your basement that could be damaged from even minor flooding.

-Make temporary plywood covers to protect windows and sliding doors. Drill holes for screws or lag bolts in each cover and around each window. Note: Taping of windows does not prevent them from breaking.

- Keep you vehicles fully fueled.

-Have a certain amount of cash available. If power is lost, ATMs may not be working.

-Make a record of your personal property. Keep an itemized list of your furniture, clothing and valuables to assist adjusters in case of a claim. Back it up with photographs or video.

-Protect your insurance policies and other important documents in a secure place like a safe deposit box or a watertight box. Many people back up important documents online.

- Learn where gas pilots and water mains are located and how to safely shut off all utilities.

-Lock doors and windows to ensure that they are closed tight to help protect against strong winds and rain.

-Boat owners, who plan on taking their vessel out of the water soon, should consider doing so this weekend.