Hurricane Sandy is a Category 1 hurricane that formed in the western part of the Caribbean Sea and quickly gained strength. So far, it has made landfall in Jamaica, the Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti and Florida. The hurricane is quickly approaching the east coast, which includes D.C. and New York. State of emergencies were quickly issued.
What makes this storm unusual, however, is that the hurricane is approaching a winter cold front, which may cause the hurricane to gain strength and/or stall over the Eastern Seaboard for several days. Similar events like this have occured in the past, such as the 1991 Perfect Storm.