New York City officials are keeping a close eye on Sandy. That’s the name of the hurricane that could be barreling down on us early next week. Storm preparations are already in motion, though officials are, at the same time, preaching calm. Our Bobby Cuza has more.

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NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. -- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, “There’s no reason to panic.”

Panic, no. Prepare, yes. With Hurricane Sandy having gained strength and currently battering the Caribbean, the city has activated its emergency response apparatus, opening its Office of Emergency Management situation room, seen here last year in the lead up to Hurricane Irene, when the city ordered 370,000 people evacuated and the subway system was shut down. This time around, the forecast is still unsettled.

“We don’t know when or if or where the storm’s going to hit,” Bloomberg said.

Right now, the storm is moving north into the Atlantic. By Monday, it’s expected to veer back towards shore and could make landfall somewhere between Delaware and Maine, though where exactly, it’s too soon to tell.

Forecasters say in any event, we can expect heavy rains and wind and possibly some coastal flooding on Monday and Tuesday. And there’s a chance the storm could be even more severe as it meets forces with a second weather system.

Bloomberg said, “If this storm merges with another storm coming from the Ohio Valley, it has the potential to give you real weird weather, like snow and a lot of rain and high winds. On the other hand, it might just go out to sea.”

Governor Andrew Cuomo has also directed state officials to monitor the storm. He said Thursday Irene had a profound effect on him as he got to see the state’s emergency response mechanism function and not always smoothly.

Cuomo said, “We have a lot of work to do in systems and coordination and equipment.”

The message, for now: Be prepared and stay tuned. Another round of evacuations are not out of the question.