Wireless providers on the East Coast are bracing for the impact of a massive storm about to hit the nation's most densely populated areas.

Hurricane Sandy is expected to make landfall in New Jersey today with winds of up to 90 mph, bringing with it life-threatening storm surges, according to the National Hurricane Center. Mid-Atlantic states are expected to be hit the hardest by the storm, and New York City has already begun evacuating low-lying areas prone to flooding.

The "superstorm" has already resulted in widespread power outages and is likely to affect phone and Internet service, knocking out cell towers in its path. 

AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile USA all report they have taken extra steps to keep networks operational, but are advising customers to keep calls short and rely on text messages to communicate.

Cellular networks often experience congestion during emergencies as customers flood the airwaves with calls. Text messages are more likely to get through than voice calls during high-use periods. 

In the meantime, the operators are wheeling out backup generators and extra fuel to power cell sites in the wake of the hurricane. In the event of failures elsewhere in the network, they are also readying replacement equipment including backhaul, poles, portable cell sites and cable.