Hurricane Sandy is so far largely living up to its billing as a one-of-a-kind weather event. The center of the soon-to-be superstorm won't actually reach the United States for at least several more hours, but it's already causing serious flooding up and down the Eastern Seaboard and has public officials and meteorologists of all stripes warning residents in the storm's path to prepare for the worst.

According to the most recent update from the National Weather Service, as of 11 a.m. ET, the storm was currently about 205 miles southeast of Atlantic City, N.J., and 260 miles south-southeast of New York City and moving at a speed of about 18 miles per hour. Sustained wind speeds are currently topping out at about 90 miles per hour.