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By The Associated Press
Winter
storm watches were posted along the East Coast from the
Carolinas to New England on Friday as forecasters said a
storm was brewing that could bring the worst snowfall in
five years in some areas.
``I
hope to be prepared,'' said Stella Budzinski of Lawrenceville,
N.J., Thursday as she left a Home Depot with a shovel, ice
chopper and a bag of ice melters. ``Everyone in the store
is buying shovels and getting ready. I hope it doesn't come.''
A low-pressure
system was forecast to form off the North Carolina coast
Friday evening and track up the East Coast.
Snow
totals of a foot or more were possible in some areas, and
high wind could create blizzard conditions.
In New
York City, the snow removal equipment was geared for action,
along with about 200,000 pounds of salt and thousands of
cleanup workers. It could be the largest snowfall in the
city since the blizzard of Jan. 7-8, 1996, which dumped
more than 20 inches of snow.
In New
Jersey, the state's transportation department is equipped
with 150,000 tons of rock salt
and
more than 600 snowplows and salt-spreading vehicles, spokesman
John Dourgarian said Thursday.
``We
are ready for the storm,'' Dourgarian said. ``We follow
a rule of thumb, 'We hope for the best, but prepare for
the worst.'''
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