Hurricane Sandy is threatening 50 million people on America's heavily-populated East Coast, with forecasters warning that New York could bear the brunt of the one-of-a-kind superstorm.
Federal Emergency Management Administrator Craig Fugate warned the "time for preparing and talking is about over" as Sandy makes its way up the Atlantic on a collision course with two other weather systems that could turn it into one of the most fearsome storms on record in the US. "People need to be acting now," he said.
Forecasters warned the megastorm could wreak havoc over 800 miles from the East Coast to the Great Lakes, and states of emergency have been declared from North Carolina to Connecticut.
Airlines cancelled more than 7,600 flights and Amtrak has suspended passenger train services across the north-east.
New York and Philadelphia moved to shut down their subways, buses and commuter trains on Sunday night and announced that schools would be closed on Monday. Boston, Washington and Baltimore also shut down schools.
As rain from the leading edges of the monster hurricane began to fall over the north-east, tens of thousands of people in coastal areas from Maryland to Connecticut were under orders to clear out. That included 50,000 in Delaware alone and 30,000 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where the city's 12 casinos were forced to shut down for only the fourth time in the 34-year history of legalised gambling there.
Authorities have warned that the biggest US city could get hit with an 11ft wall of water that could swamp parts of lower Manhattan, flood subway tunnels and cripple the network of electrical and communications lines that are vital to the nation's financial centre.
The National Hurricane Centre said the Category 1 hurricane had top sustained winds of 75mph, with higher gusts. It is moving towards the north east at 14mph. Hurricane-force winds extend up to 175 miles from the storm's centre.
Sandy was expected to hook left towards the mid-Atlantic coast and come ashore late on Monday or early Tuesday, most likely in New Jersey, colliding with a wintry storm moving in from the west and cold air streaming down from the Arctic.
Forecasters said the monster combination could bring close to a foot of rain, a potentially lethal storm surge and punishing winds extending hundreds of miles outwards from the storm's centre. It could also dump up to 2ft of snow in Kentucky, North Carolina and West Virginia.
Status:
A rusty old bucket down by the barn sings...I'm going to shine one day.
Rank:Übergod
OMG!!! ty for this post dub , I am not one to turn on the tv first thing in the morning and so this would have caught me by surprise ... I live in the east coast and if they predict rough times in New York then it will come through here first Ykes!!! another good reason that I am glad I am part of this community.. although this storm might impeed my ability to be here for awhile (I hope not). Am off now to make ready for this storm so am prepared for the worst . For all living in it's path stay safe and be prepared . This storm brings to mind the movie the day after , where one huge storm ran into a couple of others to form a mega storm prophetic ??? I hope not
OMG!!! ty for this post dub , I am not one to turn on the tv first thing in the morning and so this would have caught me by surprise ... I live in the east coast and if they predict rough times in New York then it will come through here first Ykes!!! another good reason that I am glad I am part of this community.. although this storm might impeed my ability to be here for awhile (I hope not). Am off now to make ready for this storm so am prepared for the worst . For all living in it's path stay safe and be prepared . This storm brings to mind the movie the day after , where one huge storm ran into a couple of others to form a mega storm prophetic ??? I hope not
Scary stuff indeed and you are right to start taking precautions by the sound of things it's going to be a bad one.
Stay safe and hope your going to miss the worst of it.
The US east coast has ground to a halt as Superstorm Sandy made landfall, with New Jersey and New York in the firing line.
• Death toll now at least 16 due to the one-of-a-kind superstorm • At least 6.2 million people are without power along Eastern US coast • Canada has also been hit, with one woman killed in Toronto
NUCLEAR: Energy company Entergy said part of a nuclear power plant in Indian Point, about 45 miles north of New York City, was shut down at 02.45am UK time due to problems with the grid, but added there was no risk to the public.
Coast Guard rescue swimmer Randy Haba, who helped pluck four crew members off one of the Bounty’s life rafts, said it was “one of the biggest seas I've ever been in”.
The ship set sail from Connecticut last Thursday with a crew of 11 men and five women, with a posting on its Facebook page saying: “Rest assured that the Bounty is safe and in very capable hands. Bounty's current voyage is a calculated decision... NOT AT ALL... irresponsible or with a lack of foresight as some have suggested. The fact of the matter is... A SHIP IS SAFER AT SEA THAN IN PORT!"
This photo provided by Dylan Patrick shows flooding along the Westside Highway near the USS Intrepid, background center, as Sandy moves through the area
This combination of photos shows above, lower Manhattan dark after the power was shut down because of Superstorm Sandy - and below is a fully lit skyline taken from almost the same spot earlier this year (AP)
Fire officials said the blaze was reported at around 11pm local time in an area flooded by the superstorm which began sweeping through earlier. The neighbourhood sits on the Rockaway peninsula jutting into the Atlantic Ocean.
Latest reports say a fire has destroyed at least two dozen homes in a flooded neighbourhood in the New York City borough of Queens.
A fire department spokesman said more than 190 firefighters were tackling the blaze in the Breezy Point area. He said two people suffered minor injuries.
This NOAA satellite image taken two hours ago shows Sandy over much of the eastern United States extending from North Carolina to Illinois into the Northeast with areas of rain. (AP)
The 16 deaths have been reported in New Jersey, New York, Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Some of the victims were killed by falling trees.
Police in Toronto said a woman was killed by a falling sign as high winds closed in on Canada's largest city.
Heavy rain and further flooding remain major threats over the next couple of days as the storm makes its way into Pennsylvania and up into New York State. At around midnight, the centre of the storm was just outside Philadelphia, and its winds were down to 75mph (120kph), barely hurricane strength.
Just before its centre reached land, Sandy was stripped of its hurricane status, but the distinction was purely technical, based on its shape and internal temperature. It still packed hurricane-force winds, and forecasters were careful to say it remained every bit as dangerous to the 50 million people in its path.
Sandy knocked out power to at least 6.2 million people across the eastern US, and New York's main utility company said large sections of lower Manhattan had been plunged into darkness by the storm.
Weathering the storm in a hotel near Baltimore! Been told to stay indoors - torrential wind driven rain outside, things starting to blow around - debris in the wind. Still a couple of hours until it really hits apparently! Been told to expect electricity outage - and possibly no power for up to a week! Thought I knew about bad weather coming from Malvern in Worcestershire in England but this is something else - another level....we're wondering what we'll find in the morning!
The US east coast has ground to a halt as Superstorm Sandy made landfall, with New Jersey and New York in the firing line
• The death toll has increased to 35, including one woman in Canada • At least 6.2 million people are without power along the east coast • President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in New York City, Long Island and New Jersey
by Amy Crowther, Press... edited by Ray Chudley, Press Association10/30/2012 5:21:09 PM 5:21 PM
ROMNEY Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney accepts donations of food for victims of Superstorm Sandy during a campaign event at the James S Trent Arena in Kettering, Ohio (AP)
Governor Christie said: “It is beyond anything I thought I'd ever see. It is a devastating sight right now.”
by Ray Chudley, Press Association10/30/2012 5:37:53 PM 5:37 PM
The full extent of the damage in neighbouring New Jersey was confirmed by Governor Chris Christie, who said seaside rail lines had been washed away, there was no safe place on the state’s barrier islands for him to land and parts of the coast were still under water
by Ray Chudley, Press Association10/30/2012 5:35:05 PM 5:35 PM
Trading was cancelled again after the storm sent a record 13ft surge of water over its seawalls and into low-lying streets. The water flooded tunnels, subway stations and the electrical system that powers Wall Street and sent hospital patients and tourists rushing for safety
by Ray Chudley, Press Association10/30/2012 5:33:33 PM 5:33 PM
ECONOMY New York was among the hardest hit, with its financial heart closed for a second day - leaving streets deserted around the New York Stock Exchange (AP)
by Ray Chudley, Press Association10/30/2012 5:31:53 PM 5:31 PM
The storm has cut power to more than 8.2 million across the East and put the presidential campaign on hold just one week before Election Day
by Ray Chudley, Press Association10/30/2012 5:07:42 PM 5:07 PM
DEATH TOLL The US death toll from Hurricane Sandy has climbed to 35, many of the victims killed by falling trees, the Associated Press news agency has confirmed
by Ray Chudley, Press Association10/30/2012 5:04:45 PM 5:04 PM
Foundations and pilings are all that remain of brick buildings and a boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Storm damage has been projected at up to 20 billion dollars, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in US history.
I know all NYers join me in thanking FDNY, NYPD & other 1st responders for their heroism & commitment to the safety of our citizens #Sandy
by MikeBloombergvia twitter10/30/2012 4:46:01 PM 4:46 PM
Hope everyone is doing ok with the storm. Saw #Sandy on our flight path yesterday. From our vantage point #ISS twitpic.com
by Astro_Sunivia twitter10/30/2012 4:33:21 PM 4:33 PM
Flight-tracking service FlightAware reports that more than 6,000 flights have been cancelled today, bringing the total tally of cancelled flights to over 15,000.
Yellow cabs lie partially submerged in a car lot in Hoboken, New Jersey. NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg earlier authorised cab drivers to pick up multiple passengers at a time.
BREAKING: The Associated Press is reporting that 33 people have died in the storm, which would be nearly double the previous known death toll of 17. More to follow.
BREAKING: We are looking into reports of looting at the Southstreet Seaport #nyc #hurricane #sandy instagr.am
by NewYorkPostvia twitter10/30/2012 4:12:54 PM 4:12 PM
We are so touched by offers to help with #Sandy recovery -- you've overwhelmed our @NYCService site! Go here instead: t.co
by NYCMayorsOfficevia twitter10/30/2012 4:11:41 PM 4:11 PM
BREAKING: Mitt Romney is holding a "storm relief event" in Ohio. There's no sign of Republican bunting, but the "great entertainer" Randy Owen is on hand to serenade the presidential candidate and his friends as they pack aid boxes for New Yorkers. "I love ya and appreciate ya," says Mr Romney, sleeves rolled to elbows.
Roughly 750,000 New Yorkers are without have no power in more than 26,000 apartments, says Mr Bloomberg. Outages are likely to continue for two to three days, possibly longer.
The two biggest challenges now facing the city are transport and power, says Mr Bloomberg. He quotes an expert who told him that the problems ahead are "unprecedented in scope".
BREAKING: Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg tells a press conference that almost 80 houses were lost in the free on Breezy Point, but he adds that officials believe there was no loss of life.
Still blacked out but at least we have sun #sandy #nyc instagr.am via @shelbyholliday
by EverythingNYCvia twitter10/30/2012 2:52:10 PM 2:52 PM
Chris Christie, the governor of New Jersey, has revealed that Barack Obama called him on Monday night and offered to help in any way he could. “I want to thank the president personally for his personal attention to this,” said Christie, once mooted as a potential Republican vice-president pick. Asked if Mitt Romney would be paying him a visit any time soon, he replied: “I have no idea, nor am I the least bit concerned or interested. I've got a job to do here in New Jersey that’s much bigger than presidential politics and I could care less about any of that stuff.”
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson (who was born in New York) has written a letter of support to his opposite number, Michael Bloomberg. Here's what he wrote:
Dear Michael,
As both a fellow New Yorker and a proud Londoner I am deeply saddened to see your great city under such pressure from Hurricane Sandy. I am hugely encouraged by your response, that of public employees of NYC and indeed the response of emergency services and the American people up and down the east coast.
Rest assured the people of London stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of New York at what is clearly an immensely difficult and challenging time.
Governor Christie says the Barrier Islands of New Jersey are still off limits to all residents. "The devastation is like nothing we have reported before," he concludes. "It's beyond anything I thought I'd ever see. Terrible."
"Each and every" rail route in New Jersey has sustained "major damage, says Governor Christie. He adds there are 174 incidents of closure on state highways. He asks residents to stay at home and leave the roads free for the emergency services.
BREAKING: Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie tells a press conference that additional shelters are being set up in his district to help with the stranded and destitute.
