By Hurricane Sandy is still hours away from hitting New Jersey, but the warning system is in full effect.
The National Weather Service sent out an all-caps bulletin to help get its dire message across. And the wording certainly caught the attention of the Web for its Jersey-style vibe.
The New Jersey Newsroom described the weather service as forced to "go Jersey" with a five-point bulletin that includes point No. 5: "If you think the storm is over-hyped and exaggerated, please err on the side of caution."
The most dire directive comes with graphic detail for those in the Hurricane Sandy evacuation zone who hesitate to actually leave:
IF YOU ARE RELUCTANT, THINK ABOUT YOUR LOVED ONES, THINK ABOUT THE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS WHO WILL BE UNABLE TO REACH YOU WHEN YOU MAKE THE PANICKED PHONE CALL TO BE RESCUED, THINK ABOUT THE RESCUE/RECOVERY TEAMS WHO WILL RESCUE YOU IF YOU ARE INJURED OR RECOVER YOUR REMAINS IF YOU DO NOT SURVIVE.
The line of argument continues:
1. IF YOU ARE BEING ASKED TO EVACUATE A COASTAL LOCATION BY STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS, PLEASE DO SO.
2. IF YOU ARE RELUCTANT TO EVACUATE, AND YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO RODE OUT THE '62 STORM ON THE BARRIER ISLANDS, ASK THEM IF THEY COULD DO IT AGAIN.
SANDY IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS STORM. THERE WILL BE MAJOR PROPERTY DAMAGE, INJURIES ARE PROBABLY UNAVOIDABLE, BUT THE GOAL IS ZERO FATALITIES.
The weather service seems to be taking its cue from Gov. Chris Christie, whose tough-guy warning for last year's Hurricane Irene went viral on the Web. He told New Jersey residents remaining on the Jersey shore,"Get the hell off the beach. Get out. You're done."