WASHINGTON, November 5 (RIA Novosti) – Mother Nature threatens to wallop the US east coast again this week with a “nor’easter” storm that forecasters say could pack heavy rain, strong winds and snow, as many in the region remain without power and heat a week after Hurricane Sandy devastated large parts of the region.

“Prepare for more outages. Stay indoors. Stock up again,” advised National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Pollina to residents still trying to recover from the hurricane that killed more than 100 people in 10 states and left over one million people without power.

Meteorologists forecast that the “nor’easter” – a term for a storm that affects the northeastern United States with characteristics similar to a hurricane – will begin with an area of low pressure developing off the coast of the state of Georgia on Tuesday evening that strengthens as it moves north up the coastline.

The storm is expected to deliver up to three inches (7.6 centimeters) of rain Wednesday in the states of New Jersey and New York, along with tropical-storm force winds and some flooding.

Word of fresh potential weather havoc came as hundreds of thousands of residents of the region continue struggling with the effects of Hurricane Sandy, many of them coping with cold temperatures in homes still without heat and electricity.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Sunday the city faces a housing crisis where as many as 40,000 residents may need to be relocated to temporary living quarters. He urged residents without heat and electricity to stay in overnight shelters or daytime warming centers.