Sandy is delivering on the promise of bringing high winds and rain to the Miami Valley.

Winds will peak overnight in the range of 40 mph to 50 mph with some gusts reaching 60 mph, Storm Center 7 Chief Meteorologist Jamie Simpson said.

As of 10 p.m., the strongest gusts recorded were 46 mph in Clinton and Logan counties. Gusts of 41 mph were recorded at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Dayton International Airport. The top gust in Montgomery County so far Monday was 44 mph at Dayton Wright Brothers Airport.

A wind warning and advisory remains in effect until 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Late Monday night News Center 7 learned that Ohio Task Force One — a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue team made up of local rescue personnel, physicians, paramedics, engineers and hazardous materials technicians — has received activation orders to go the East Coast.

The last time the task force deployed was August 2011 for Hurricane Irene relief.

All members reported Monday night and will travel to Akron to meet another team in anticipation of possible air or ground movement to the coast. Sandy has knocked out power to hundreds of thousands and already caused major flooding — according to Simpson, high tide in New York was measured at 11.25 feet early Monday evening, breaking the all-time record set in 1821 — and challenges to those caught in the storm.

One Miami Valley area resident caught up in the storm is truck driver Gary Kline of Springfield, who Monday night was stuck north of Jonestown, Pa., off Interstate 81 at the terminal of the trucking company he works for. Kline reported seeing “trees bent sideways” and tall restaurant signs swaying in the wind.

Kline said the power in Jonestown has been out since 4:30 p.m. Monday and noted that he would sleep in his rig because “I could feel my truck rocking back and forth as I was driving.”

Closer to the Miami Valley, in addition to reports of power outages, some damage to trees was reported. A large portion of a 20-foot to 30-foot tall Cleveland pear tree fell into an above ground swimming pool at Karen Weaver’s home on McCraw Drive, in Union, Ohio.

At least a third of the tree hit the pool sometime between 6:15 and 6:30 p.m., she said.

“I’m glad it didn’t hit the house,” Weaver said. “The wind just whipped and it came crashing down.”

Winds are expected to lessen gradually through the day on Tuesday with wind speed falling back into the range of 30 mph to 40 mph by late afternoon.

Wind will be a factor as far as wind chill, which is expected to drop temperatures into the lower 30s Tuesday afternoon. The combination of wind chill and wet weather means the potential for hypothermia is high, Simpson said.

The Miami Valley sees more cases of hypothermia in windy wet weather when temperatures are above freezing than when it is very cold and dry, said Simpson.

After midnight, as temperatures fall into the lower 30s, some snowflakes will mix in.

At about 10 p.m. a rainy mix began changing to light across Logan and Champaign counties, Simpson said, and some flakes were showing up in Clark County as well. None of it was sticking, and anything that does overnight will just be on the tops of cars, decks, and maybe some grass, Simpson said.

All indications are that the roads will remain wet because temperatures will remain above freezing, he said.

Soon after sunrise, any snow will change back to rain, which will hang around at times through the day Tuesday. “Temperatures will rise from lower 30s to about 40 Tuesday afternoon, so it will be a miserable to be outside,” said Simpson.

Beggar’s Night Still a Go?

The storm did prompt some communities to postpone Beggar’s Night activities that had been planned for Tuesday evening. The evening’s forecast calls for wind, rain and temperatures near 40. The wind chill will make it feel like near 30.

The Village of Jamestown moved its Trick or Treat activities to Saturday, Nov. 3, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Mayor Jerrod Pickens announced Monday afternoon.

West Milton rescheduled its Beggar’s Night to Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m.

Cedarville changed its Trick or Treat to 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, police Chief Chris Gillaugh said Monday night.