Water spills into shoreline towns ahead of Sandy

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (AP) — Water from Long Island Sound is spilling into roadways and towns along the Connecticut shoreline in the first signs of flooding from a storm that threatens to deliver a devastating surge of seawater.

While more than 500 state residents are staying in shelters, officials urged those who stayed behind in vulnerable areas to seek higher ground before the coastline is swamped by Hurricane Sandy.

Forecasters say the storm surge could exceed nine feet in western Long Island Sound, driven party by a full moon and high tides, and officials fear winds from the hurricane will keep the water from draining at low tide. Officials say the flooding at high tide overnight could cause more damage than a 1938 New England hurricane, known as the Long Island Express.