Hurricane Sandy — otherwise known as the #Frankenstorm on Twitter — is expected to hit State College beginning Monday night into Tuesday morning. According to State College-based Accuweather, weather conditions in State College and Central Pennsylvania deteriorate throughout Monday and will worsen sometime between Monday night and Tuesday. Effects of Sandy will continue through Wednesday.

At the storm’s worst, State College is expected to be hit with 50-60 mph wind gusts and, over a several day period, 4-8 inches of rainfall. These conditions will likely cause flash flooding, downed trees, minor property damage, and power outages. Residents are encouraged to avoid walking or parking under trees due to the risk imposed by broken tree limbs.

Sandy has already prompted State of Emergency declarations in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. Due to the storm’s large surface area, the hurricane is expected to move as far west as Pittsburgh, hitting Central Pennsylvania on its way over the Northeastern United States.

Indeed, State College residents have already begun to make preparations for the storm’s impact. Pictured below are the store shelves at Walmart and Wegmans — if you haven’t stocked up on bottled water and other supplies yet, you might want to hurry:

(Images via Brittany Corl and Bill Wadell)

As of Sunday afternoon, Penn State Commonwealth Campuses on the eastern side of the state — York, Lehigh, Schuykill, Berks, Hazleton, Abington, and Brandywine — have announced Monday closures in response to Hurricane Sandy. There are no plans at the moment to close the University Park campus.

Here are some safety tips you might want to refer to over the next few days.