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New York City Declares State Of Emergency As Hurricane Sandy Arrives In Town
Hurricane Sandy arrives in New York City
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1
“The time for preparing and talking is about over,” Federal Emergency Management Administrator Craig Fugate said as Hurricane Sandy made 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 U.S. “People need to be acting now.”
Forecasters said the hurricane could blow ashore Monday night or early Tuesday along the New Jersey coast, then cut across into Pennsylvania and travel up through New York State on Wednesday
Airlines canceled more than 5,000 flights and Amtrak began suspending train service across the Northeast. New York, Philadelphia, Washington and Baltimore moved to shut down their subways, buses and trains and said schools would be closed on Monday. Boston also called off school. And all non-essential government offices closed in the nation’s capital.
Officials raised the storm-related death toll across the Caribbean to 65, with 51 of those coming in Haiti, which was pelted by three days of constant rains that ended only on Friday.
In upstate New York in Syracuse, shelves normally stocked with water at a Wegmans store were bare, CNYCentral.com reports. An assistant manager at a Lowes store in Columbus, Ohio, told 10TV.com that people were calling in from West Virginia and Maryland to ask for supplies. And in northern Virginia, a cashier at Pitkins Ace Hardware in Dale City said batteries, flashlights and candles were flying off the shelves, PotomacLocal.com reports.
In New York City, where residents were also packing stores to buy storm-related supplies, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the city will suspend its bus, subway and commuter rail service Sunday at 7 p.m. in anticipation of the storm. New Jersey’s PATH train service, which ferries passengers between New York City and New Jersey, announced that it would close starting Monday until further notice. Bridges and tunnels would be closed on a case by case basis, and the New York Stock Exchange floor will be closed, but trading will resume electronically.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the closure of all city public schools for Monday and mandatory evacuations of all low-lying areas. He urged residents in lower Manhattan to call 311 or visit the city’s website for information on evacuation zones. About 1,100 National Guard troops will be deployed to the area, including 400 on Long Island and 200 in New York City, for assistance.
“You don’t want to be over panicked and overly prepared, but you want to be prudent and do what’s necessary,” Cuomo said.
The storm even put Lady Liberty on hold
The Statue of Liberty was scheduled to reopen Sunday to the public after a renovation project, but the monument will be closed Monday and Tuesday as Sandy passes through the area.
The warning from other officials to anyone who might be affected in the storm’s path was simple: Be prepared and get out of the way. The storm is expected to bring a few days of rain, high winds and possibly heavy snow.
“We’re looking at impact of greater than 50 to 60 million people,” said Louis Uccellini, head of environmental prediction for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The danger was hardly limited to coastal areas. Forecasters were far more worried about inland flooding from storm surge than they were about winds. Rains could saturate the ground, causing trees to topple into power lines, utility officials said, warning residents to prepare for several days at home without power. source – Fox News
2012-10-28 23:45:55
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