Officials in the Southern Tier have been preparing for Sandy for a few days now as they know all too well what a severe storm can do and they're asking people to stay inside. Elyse Mickalonis has more.

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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. -- As you know by now, the major concern with Sandy in the Southern Tier is wind. The City of Binghamton has issued a State of Emergency and all of Broome County is currently under a State of Emergency. Residents are being asked to stay inside.

Emergency Services Director Brett Chellis says first responders in Broome County are ready to act and shelters are on standby. Currently there are no evacuations planned for the area, but in the event one is called, they’re urging people to take this storm seriously and follow any orders as they come.

Emergency planners and local leaders say although Tropical Storm Lee-type flooding is not being anticipated, localized flash flooding could occur. But first and foremost, they want people to stay off flooded roadways and away from other hazardous objects that could sustain wind damage.

Chellis said, "I’d be a good time for people to resist traveling as much as possible and to stay away from trees, power lines or anything down like that. It could be dangerous."

"In this case it’s very dangerous. We want people to stay home and adhere to the State of Emergency, because it is a different animal. If you’re far away from the river, you can see that you’re homes not going to be flooded, but if you’re near power lines anything like that you want to stay away from any potential danger and the best way to do that is stay home," said Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan.

They’re also urging people to report any downed power lines by calling NYSEG or DPW dispatch. They ask that people help their neighbors during this time.