'Very dangerous' blizzard could bring heavy winds and a foot of snow to New York City

Winter storm Nemo is expected to sock the city today with fierce winds and an icy mix that should bring down power lines and trees, threaten coastal flooding, turn tonight’s commute into a nightmare — and leave more than a foot of snow before it’s done.

“This is a very dangerous storm,” said Jerry Hauer, the state’s emergency-services commissioner, as he urged New Yorkers to stay home if they can today — and leave work early if they can’t.

“Travel will be almost impossible” tonight, he warned.

The full impact won’t be known until sundown, when two powerful storms — an Alberta clipper from Canada and a big rainmaker from the Gulf and Southeast — collide and combine off the Atlantic coast, forecasters said.

The city could get between 10 and 15 inches of snow, according to AccuWeather.

We can also expect sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph today and nighttime gusts of 50 mph, said AccuWeather meteorologist Brian Edwards, adding, “Certainly, this will be classified as a blizzard.”

Mayor Bloomberg said the city had 250 tons of salt on hand, and sanitation workers would start 12-hour shifts at 7 p.m. when heavy snow is expected to begin piling up. “We’re ready for it,” Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty said.

Hauer warned coastal areas of Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island of a tidal surge of three to five feet and “strong wave action.” That’s not close to Hurricane Sandy’s 13-foot-plus surge but serious enough for residents to be prepared if they have to evacuate, he said.

“The good news, I guess if you like snow, is that we’re going to have snow,” Bloomberg said yesterday morning.

Edwards said high temperatures in the city may reach only 31 tomorrow and 36 Sunday, so don’t expect any real melting until the low and mid-40s of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Alternate-side parking will be suspended through Sunday.

Amtrak is suspending all service between New York and Boston starting at 1 p.m. today.

The MTA expects to be operating subways and buses as it attempts to clear tracks of snow.

The LIRR is adding extra trains in the afternoon to help passengers get home.

More than 1,700 flights have been canceled along the Northeast as JFK, Newark and La Guardia are all expecting disruptions in flights starting later today.

Drivers were bracing for the worst last night, as gas lines stretched for blocks in Brooklyn, Staten Island and Long Island.

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Need a copy of your home’s deed? It’s cheaper to do it yourself

Homeowners who received letters recently from a company offering to sell them a copy of the deed on their home might want to think twice before writing a check.

The official-looking letters from Florida Certified Record Retrieval state that the government recommends having a certified copy of their home’s deed.

The letter offers to provide such a copy for a fee of $50, plus $4.50 for postage and handling.

Technically, it’s not a scam. The Davie-based company, which is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau, will get the record for you.

A recorded message on the company’s answering service states that Florida Certified Record Retrieval is not affiliated with any state or government agency. It is a private company that buys lists of real estate transactions, which are public record.

The message also states the company has no access to original documents, and cannot change information — such as correcting misspelled names — on a certified copy of a deed.

Although what the company does is not illegal, homeowners can buy copies of a deed directly from their county’s clerk of courts for much less, said David Rooney, Division Chief of Recording at the Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts Office.

To get a copy of your deed:

In Miami-Dade, visit www.miami-dadeclerk.com and select “official record search.” Records are searchable by name.

A scanned copy of the record can be printed from the website, or you can order certified copies of the deed from the same screen.

Copies cost $1 per page, plus a certification fee of $2 per document. The records are mailed within a week.

In Broward, visit www.broward.org, click on “Public Records Search” and then on “Deeds.”

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Two children ejected from vehicle in Miami Gardens accident

Two children were ejected from a vehicle in an accident Wednesday afternoon on their way home from school.

They and two other children were headed home from Norland Middle School in a shuttle van they take every day. When the driver, who was northbound on Northwest 12th Avenue, reached 199th Street, an eastbound Nissan Altima hit the van, throwing two children from it.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue took them to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where they were reported to be in stable condition.

The parents of a girl in the van took her to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood. Neither the fourth child nor the van’s driver was injured.

The driver of the eastbound vehicle claimed he was experiencing a heart attack just before the accident, but authorities determined he did not. He was treated at Jackson North Medical Center and reported to be in stable condition.

None of the children or drivers were immediately identified.

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Justin Timberlake Reveals New Album Cover for 20 20 Experience

We're one step closer to The 20/20 Experience!

Justin Timberlake just dropped a major treat for his fans on Twitter, revealing the cover art and tracklisting to his upcoming solo album, The 20/20 Experience.

"I wanted you guys to see this first!!!," wrote Timberlake with a link to the cover (featuring the singer dressed to the nines behind a phoropter) and song titles.

Pics: Justin & Jessica's Long Road to the Altar

Check out the full tracklisting below:

-Pusher Love Girl

-Suit & Tie

-Don't Hold The Wall

-Strawberry Bubblegum

-Tunnel Vision

-Spaceship Coupe

-That Girl
Let The Groove Get In

-Mirrors

-Blue Ocean Floor

The 20/20 Experience hits stores on March 19.

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WATCH: High-speed Los Angeles car chase ends in huge fireball

KTLA video still

A police chase in California ended in flames Wednesday night.

A Los Angeles police chase ended in a fireball Wednesday, with the high-speed pursuit caught on video.

KTLA video shows the chase - which involved a suspected drunken driver, the station reports.

The driver weaved in between cars, eluding authorities along a highway in Boyle Heights, a neighborhood on the east side of Los Angeles.

Eventually the suspect's car spun, crashing into a guardrail and bursting into flames.

As fire engulfed the wreckage, police approached the car and pulled the driver to safety.

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Greenberg Traurig shuffles leadership

Law firm Greenberg Traurig on Tuesday announced a new management lineup that includes naming Hilarie Bass as the first female president in the firm’s history.

Bass, one of the firm’s Miami shareholders, most recently had been global operating shareholder. She will share the presidency with Brian L. Duffy, a Denver shareholder who has been global litigation chair, a position previously held by Bass.

As part of the shuffle, Miami shareholders Cesar L. Alvarez and Matt Gorson move to co-chairs and Larry Hoffman becomes founding chair. Alvarez previously served as executive chair, Gorson as president and Hoffman as chair.

These were just some of the new leadership changes announced by Greenberg’s Chief Executive Richard A. Rosenbaum. The firm began a leadership transition plan in 2010 when Rosenbaum took over the helm of the firm that today includes about 1,750 attorneys in 35 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

“We are pleased to have so many talented leaders and performers, not just those with titles,” Rosenbaum said in a statement. “We have never been about titles or politics, and titles do not create leaders. We and others already in place in our regions, offices and practices form a seamless team focused on respecting and serving our clients and lawyers.”

Rosenbaum, who will remain in his post, also announced four new vice presidents:

• Ernest Greer, Managing Shareholder of the firm’s Atlanta office.

• Brad Kaufman, Co-Chair of the National Securities Litigation Practice, leader of the firm’s Associate Development Program and a Palm Beach County shareholder.

• Patricia Menendez-Cambo, Chair of the Global Practice, Co-Chair of the Infrastructure and Project Finance Practice and a Miami shareholder.

• Keith Shapiro, Chair of the Chicago office and Co-Chair of the Business Reorganization Practice.

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Miami Heat has scholarships for graduation high school seniors

The Miami Heat is offering South Florida high school seniors college scholarships for the 2013-2014 school year.

Four scholarships of $2,500 each will go to seniors who excel in academics and community service.

One of the four scholarships is reserved for a student who plays sports.

Applicants must have at least a 3.2 grade point average by their final semester in high school, attend school in Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach counties, be accepted to an accredited four-year college or university and demonstrate financial need.

Applications are available at nba.com/heat/community/community_education_scholarships.html and must be submitted by April 6.

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Bachelor Recap: Tierra a Victim of the Elements Again

Tonight's episode marks the second time Bachelor contestant Tierra has been in need of rescue from her Prince Charming (and an EMT crew), for those keeping score.

The rugged outdoors was the theme of Tuesday's show, as the girls were split apart into two one-on-one dates and a group date involving the treacherous elements of snowy Alberta, Canada.

Pics: 'The Bachelor' Scorecard (Did the Relationships Sizzle or Fizzle?)

While Catherine's exploratory snow bus outing and Desiree's 400-ft mountain descent made for thrilling excursions, Sean's frozen swim date with the other seven ladies took the cake for the night's most exhilarating adventure.

Only six volunteered (minus Selma) to brave the icy waters and most came out of the plunge feeling a buzz from the frozen feat. That is, everyone except Tierra. The resident bad gal of the group immediately came down with a case of apparent hypothermia and was whisked away by medical crew to Sean's dismay.

He later visited the ailing Tierra back at her hotel, urging her to spend the night recovering rather than attend the party, but she ultimately ignores his advice and crashes cocktail time.

Despite the unexpected intrusion, the girls are less perturbed than would have been expected. Unfortunately, during a private moment with Sarah, Sean comes to realize that he's been forcing a connection and sends her home.

Related: 'Bachelor' Sean Questions Tierra's Motives

During the night, Sean hits new milestones with AshLee, Lesley and Selma, who finally succumbs to a smooch on national television, despite her disapproving parents.

Apparently, the kiss wasn't enough to keep her in the game. Sean sent Selma home along with Daniella during the rose ceremony.

Catherine and Desiree were safe to date another day as they were both awarded roses during their one-on-ones.

Tune in to The Bachelor next Monday on ABC as Sean and the final six slip on their bikinis and hit the sunny St Croix Virgin Islands.

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Perilous pursuit: Cop, chasing burglary suspect, is struck by car in Bronx

A uniformed cop pursuing a burglary suspect was mowed down by a vehicle on Hull Avenue near East 207 Street at 3:00 p.m. in Williamsbridge yesterday, cops said.

Octavio Perez, 69, a Bronx man with a colorful driving record, then attempted to flee the scene, cops said.

The uniformed police officer was admitted to Jacobi hospital for leg and back injuries, cops said.

Perez was charged with aggravated unlicensed operator, and attempting to leave the scene of an accident resulting in injury, cops said.

Perez has several prior arrests dating back to 1986, for driving without a license and driving while impaired, cops said.

The most recent, two priors in 2010 for driving with a suspended license, cops said.

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Miami startup that turns text to video receives $1 million in seed funding

Guide, a new technology startup based in Miami, announced Tuesday it has closed a $1 million round of seed investment from investors including Knight Foundation, Sapient Corp., MTV founder Bob Pitman, actor and producer Omar Epps, and early Google employee Steve Schimmel. Knight is supporting Guide through its new early-stage venture fund, the Knight Enterprise Fund.

Led by CEO and founder Freddie Laker, Guide’s team of seven is focused on turning online news, social streams and blogs into video for users who may be cooking, exercising, commuting or getting ready in the morning. The application offers consumers a selection of about 20 “anchors” — including a dog, a robot and an anime character — that will read the article and present the accompanying photos, pull-out information and video clips in its video presentation.The basic application will be free for the consumer. Revenue drivers for Guide could include in-app purchases, advertising-based anchors and customizations from publishers, said Laker, a former vice president at SapientNitro.

Laker and his team plan to launch a public beta next month, which they plan to do with a splash at the huge technology conference South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas.

Read more about Guide here on the Starting Gate blog.

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