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Tuesday, October 30, 2012



Live updates on Sandy


  1.  Final update, 11:55 p.m. ET, Tuesday  Hurricane and then Superstorm Sandy delivered devastation to 20 states, stretching from New England to Tennessee. Our blog monitored updates from before the storm made landfall to end of day Tuesday. Read back through the posts to see how conditions developed and changed as the storm progressed.

    Here's how New York's skyline looks the night after Sandy. Photo credit: Anthony Quintano

  2. New York City skyline the night after Hurricane Sandy
    NBCnewsphotos

    2 days ago
  3. New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority released this video of the flooding in the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel (formerly the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel). The depth of the water is astonishing. 


  4. MTA Video Release: Hurricane Sandy - Hugh L. Carey/Brooklyn Battery Tunnel Damage
    mtainfo

    17 hours ago
  5. The NYPD has posted a Facebook memorial for Officer Artur Kasprzak, 28, who died helping family on Staten Island during the storm. Writes the NYPD, "As flood water surged into the house, Officer Kasprzak was able to get six adults and a 15-month-old boy into his attic to escape the rapidly rising water." The officer died when he left them to go check the basement

  6. We mourn the death of Officer Artur Kasprzak ...
    Facebook

    12 hours ago
  7. Russ Paulsen of the American Red Cross offers tips on how to safely return home after the storm. If you're standing in water inside your home, don't touch anything that might have power -- don't even open your refrigerator.


  8. Tips on Returning Home After a Disaster
    amredcross

    13 hours ago
  9. Most of New York's bridges are open, but it may take a while for the tunnels to reopen. Here are specifics.
  10. Time-lapse of Manhattan from Sunday through Tuesday as seen from the top of the New York Times building. Amazing colors, amazing changes.
  11. Taken earlier today by TIME Magazine's Ed Kashi. Atlantic City, the day after the storm.

  12. #atlanticcity is a ghost town the day after #hurricane #sandy hit this #newjersey landmark with her full fury. @edkashi @viiphoto #viiphoto #documentary #photography #photojournalism
    time

    13 hours ago
    1 like
  13. A light in the darkness.

  14. Empire State beacon. I can't believe what is seeing. Total darkness. #NYC #Sandy
    johndeguzman

    13 hours ago
    1 like
  15. A rare site from earlier in the day Tuesday: A line at a pay phone.
  16. Watch NBC's special report on the storm live online.
  17. "My husband just paid off a 30-year mortgage in September," she told TODAY.
  18. Four minutes of raw, silent video shows the devastation at the Jersey Shore.
  19. Trio of grim images from historic Old Town Alexandria, Va.
  20. Tune in to NBC at 10 p.m. for an update from Queens, where fire destroyed at least 80 homes.

  21. hodakotb
    Tonight we are in queens where water wasn't the problem.. Fire was. @datelinenbc @RockCenterNBCpic.twitter.com/TVDQxBmY
    Hoda Kotb

    16 hours ago
  22. Police in Pennsylvania say a 90-year-old woman died after using a portable gas-powered generator when her power went out in the storm.
  23. A grim discovery on the New Haven Green in Connecticut: Skeletal remains, exposed by a Sandy-toppled tree.
  24. Residents of Old Saybrook, Conn., spent the year rebuilding from Hurricane Irene, only to face fire and flooding from Sandy. Now on to recovery.
  25. Dr. Sanjay Gupta tweeted this picture of NICU nurses who helped evacuate babies in New York after both main power and a backup generator went out. "Their smiles say it all," Gupta tweeted.

  26. these nicu nurses didn't sleep, and didn't go home. their smiles say it all. the babies transported during #Sandy are all doing well. @mountsinainyc
    sanjayguptaCNN

    14 hours ago
  27. "The sun'll come out tomorrow..." Broadway performers gathered Tuesday in Times Square to sing the "Annie" classic "Tomorrow" to lift their spirits, and those of stranded tourists. According to Broadway World, word was spread via Facebook. "Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow ... there'll be sun."


  28. Tomorrow - Post Hurricane Sandy.
    floodedkat

    14 hours ago
  29. Even the dead can't rest.
  30. Despite all the shocking images and sad news, the heroes of this storm give us hope in tough times. 
  31. Want to help in New York City? Mayor Mike Bloomberg encouraged those who want to give of their time to register at the Facebook page for NYC Service.
  32. Most power outages in New Hampshire should be restored by the end of the week. Listen to Jim Van Dongen of the state's emergency operations center discuss conditions there.
  33. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie mourns the loss of his childhood memories.
  34. GovChristie
    The Jersey Shore of my youth is gone. #Sandy.
    Governor Christie

    16 hours ago
  35. GovChristie
    The rides I took my kids on this summer are in the Atlantic Ocean. #Sandy
    Governor Christie

    16 hours ago
  36. The staff of the New York Aquarium stayed throughout the flooding to keep their new 238-pound baby walrus safe.
  37. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave an update on the city's response to Sandy on Tuesday evening.
  38. antderosa
    AntDeRosa: "Mandatory evacuation for Zone A remains in effect" - @MikeBloomberg t.co/WWmlZvHe #Sandybit.ly/T2F2LV
    Anthony De Rosa

    17 hours ago
  39. nytjim
    Bloomberg: "You're going to see a very heavy police presence" in areas darkened by Con Ed outages.
    Jim Roberts

    17 hours ago
  40. Of the dangling crane in Midtown, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said on Tuesday that the city “feels very good” about its current status. When the wind dies down, he added, the city will “find a ways to pull it in.”
    Tracking the Storm - Interactive Feature - NYTimes.com

    16 hours ago

  41. Nytimes

    16 hours ago
  42. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is warning constituents to beware of scam artists.
  43. NYGovCuomo
    Disaster survivors who are returning to their homes & are considering repairs-be aware of potential scams & fraudulent contractors. #Sandy
    Andrew Cuomo

    16 hours ago
  44. Surreal photos and videos continue to come in showing the devastation from Sandy up and down the East Coast. 

  45. dk51
    #sandy nj #lavallette Lavallette Boro Hall and Police station on Rt 35 Lavallette this morningpic.twitter.com/hD7QitZy
    Diana Kochan

    a day ago

    1. NYGovCuomo
      Flooding at #path station at #wtc instagr.am/p/RbJWS-pHeB/
      Andrew Cuomo
      16 hours ago



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LATEST VIDEOS ON SANDY THE NEW STORM OF THE CENTURY AFFECTING 15 STATES

I did not enlarge these because 2 many.


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SANDY LEAVES AT LEAST 28 DEAD;
OBAMA DECLARES DISASTER IN N.Y.

10 deaths in NYC alone; 'tragically, we expect the number to go up,' Mayor Bloomberg says





Image: Cars washed away in NYC
Andrew Burton  /  Getty Images
The scene in New York City's Financial District on Tuesday included these cars.
By 
NBC News
updated less than 1 minute ago
President Barack Obama declared a major disaster in the New York City area Tuesday as Superstorm Sandy pounded the Northeast, killing at least 28 people, sweeping homes into the ocean, flooding large swaths of coastal areas, crippling public transit, and leaving millions without power.
As the East Coast woke up, residents faced the prospect of up to a week without heat, light or refrigeration, while authorities tried to measure the full wrath of the once-in-a-generation hurricane.
The deaths included at least 10 people in New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Tuesday, adding "tragically, we expect that number to go up."
Details of the devastation were also becoming clear:
  • More than 8.1 million homes and businesses were without power across 17 states, and nearly half of the outages were in New York and New Jersey, according to a tally by the federal government. NBC News meteorologist Bill Karins warned to "expect the cleanup and power outage restoration to continue right up through Election Day."
  • A massive fire destroyed at least 50 homes in Breezy Point, a seaside community in Queens, N.Y. Firefighters had difficulty reaching the blaze due to the severe weather. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
  • Seven subway tunnels under the East River in New York City were flooded, leading MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota to declare: "The New York City subway system is 108 years old, but it has never faced a disaster as devastating as what we experienced last night." Subway service was unlikely to resume for 4 to 5 days, Bloomberg said.
  • PATH train service between Manhattan and New Jersey is likely to be suspended for 7-10 days, Gov. Chris Christie said Tuesday.
  • Half of Hoboken, N.J., was underwater, preventing emergency crews from reaching areas of the city, according to Mayor Dawn Zimmer. "We want people to be aware that it's a very dangerous situation," she told MSNBC.
  • At least four towns in north New Jersey — Moonachie, Little Ferry, South Hackensack and Hackensack — were submerged by up to 6 feet of water after a levee broke.
  • New York University Medical Center evacuated 215 patients to other hospitals because its backup generator was out. Critical patients — including infants in neonatal intensive care — were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, Memorial Sloan-Kettering and New York Presbyterian Hospital.
  • The storm surge destroyed several homes on Fire Island, N.Y., where some people had decided to sit out Sandy.
  • More than 15,000 flights have been canceled so far and New York City's airports remained closed Tuesday. Rail traffic was also heavily affected, with Amtrak canceling all of its Northeast Corridor service, in addition to some other lines.
  • Rising waters sparked an alert at the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant in New Jersey Monday night, theNuclear Regulatory Commission said. The alert was the "second lowest of four NRC action levels," it added, and was "due to water exceeding certain high water level criteria in the plant’s water intake structure." Exelon said there was no danger to equipment and no threat to public health or safety.
The dollar value of Sandy's destruction was still unclear.
"I think the losses will be almost incalculable," New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie told NBC's TODAY show.
One disaster forecasting company predicted economic losses could ultimately reach $20 billion, Reuters said .
The historic storm, which made landfall at 6:45 p.m. ET Monday, hurled a wall of water of up to 13 feet high at the Northeast coast.
Image: Residents make their way through flood waters brought on by Hurricane Sandy in Little Ferry, NJ
Adam Hunger  /  Reuters
Residents make their way through floodwaters in Little Ferry, N.J., on Tuesday.
Tuesday's disaster declaration for New York City means that federal funds will be available to people affected by the storm, according to a White House statement.
"This was a devastating storm, maybe the worst that we have ever experienced," Bloomberg said, adding that schools would be closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Seawater surged into lower Manhattan and areas of Brooklyn, submerging entire streets and parks Monday. An all-time record tide level of 13.88 feet was set at The Battery in Lower Manhattan, Monday night, breaking the previous record of 11.2 feet from 1821, as well as Sandy Hook, N.J., shattering the previous record from the Dec. 1992 Nor'easter and Hurricane Donna in 1960, according to weather.com.
New York City's major utility said damage to its power infrastructure was "unprecedented."
On Long Island, 90 percent of homes were without power, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday.
In New Jersey, two thirds of all utility customers, nearly 2.5 million homes and businesses, were without power.
 Slideshow: Sandy slams into East Coast (on this page)
Around midday, Sandy was about 120 miles east of Pittsburgh, pushing westward with winds of 45 mph, and was expected to make a turn into New York state on Tuesday night. Although weakening, continued heavy rain and flooding is expected over the next day.In a measure of Sandy's immense size and power, waves on southern Lake Michigan rose to a record-tying 20.3 feet.
High winds clobbered the Cleveland area early Tuesday, uprooting trees, cutting power to hundreds of thousands, closing schools and flooding major roads along Lake Erie.
Image: Residents walk by debris on the boardwalk after Hurricane Sandy in Ocean City, Maryland

Blizzard warnings were also posted for the mountains of West Virginia, western Virginia and Garrett County, Md. More than 2 feet of snow was reported in parts of West Virginia.

Kevin Lamarque  /  Reuters
Debris lined the boardwalk in Ocean City, Md., on Tuesday.

The powerful storm flooded sections of Atlantic City and other areas of the New Jersey shore. Part of the Atlantic City boardwalk was washed away.
Christie sharply criticized Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford, whom he blamed for having "advised people to stay in shelters in the city."
"Despite my admonition to evacuate, he gave them comfort, for some reason, to stay," Christie said,NBCPhiladelphia.com reported.
 Video: Hoboken mayor estimates 50% of city underwater (on this page)
NBC News has been able to confirm 28 deaths so far along the East Coast:
  • New York City (10): A woman, 75, in Manhattan died when power to her oxygen machine failed, while a man, 55, was found dead in a flooded basement in Lower Manhattan and a girl, 14, was found dead near the shoreline in Staten Island, according to NBCNewYork.com. Two men, one in Queens and one on Long Island, were killed by falling trees, and a woman was electrocuted in Queens when she stepped into water that concealed a live wire. Details on the other deaths were not immediately available.
  • New York state (5): Five people died in other parts of the state, Gov. Cuomo said Tuesday. Two boys were killed in North Salem, N.Y., when a tree crashed into the home they were in, NBCNewYork.com reported. Details on the other deaths were not available.
  • New Jersey (3): Two people died when a tree fell on their car in northern New Jersey, authorities told NBCPhiladelphia.com. Christie told NBC that a third person died as well, but details were not available.
  • Pennsylvania (2): A man, 62, and a boy, 8, were killed by falling trees, NBCPhiladelphia.com reported.
  • Connecticut (2): A woman, 90, and a firefighter were killed by falling trees, NBCConnecticut.com reported.
  • Virginia (2): Officials said two traffic deaths were tied to Sandy but no details were available.
  • Maryland (2): A man was killed by a falling tree and a woman died in a traffic accident,NBCWashington.com reported.
  • West Virginia (1): A woman died in an accident on snow-covered roads in Tucker County, NBC station WSAZ reported.
  • At sea (1): One person died when a replica of the HMS Bounty sank 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, N.C. Fourteen others were rescued, but the captain was missing.
Before it made its way north, Sandy was blamed for the deaths of 65 people in the Caribbean.
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What Hurricane Sandy Means for Election Day



Getty Image News/Getty Images
If you’re one of the many folks in my Twitter feed who’s feeling a general unease because Hurricane Sandy and Election Day are in close proximity, I want you to relax a little. Not all the way, just a little.
Come Nov. 6, the Eastern seaboard will not be in total disarray. Hurricane Sandy is hitting the East Coast early enough that most of its effects will probably be ameliorated by Election Day. Of course, it’s not called a natural disaster for nothing. But there's no need to worry about the utter breakdown of the democratic process in the Northeast. Instead, pay attention to which select groups of voters might face storm-related trouble on Election Day, and how Obama reacts to the storm.
Broadly, there are two ways that Hurricane Sandy could throw Election Day into a funk. First, damage caused by the storm could make it harder for certain people to vote. John Hudak, a governance fellow at the Brookings Institute, reassures me that it would take a really unconscionable amount of damage to suppress voting in swing states—Pennsylvania and Virginia—as voters there get just how close the race is. They could, however, be screwed out of voting by impassible roads, a risk that applies heavily to those rural (Republican) voters who live a solid 20 or 30 minutes from their polling place. Add the blizzard barreling toward western Virginia, where Romney is ahead, and Sandy could mean a handier victory for Obama. (Hudak says reports that Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia can postpone the election for 14 days may be erroneous. According to his reading of the law, McDonnell can only exercise that power over state races—not the presidential election. In fact, there isn't very much legal guidance for elections and natural disasters at all. So, suppose that a third effect of a very disastrous Sandy is a heyday for campaign lawyers.)
On the other hand, widespread, persistent power loss would force polling places to either procure generators to run electronic voting machines or to issue paper ballots. The latter would mean extraordinarily long lines in more densely trafficked polling places, not unlike the lines that turned off urban (Democratic) voters in Cleveland in 2004. Turned-off voters in urban centers like New York, Connecticut, or Maryland wouldn’t cost Obama those states. But as Alec MacGillis pointed out last week, depressed Democratic turnout would exaggerate the slim but real chance that Obama wins in the Electoral College while losing the popular vote. Suspended early voting in blue states like Maryland poses the same risk for Obama.
Second, the administration’s response to the hurricane aftermath could leave Obama looking very good or very bad. It’s unpleasant to think about, but Obama’s handling of Sandy could marginally improve his standing in the polls—if it has a measurable effect at all. Although studies tend to find that natural disasters boost a president’s reelection chances, so long as his disaster response is competent, Hudak points out that the U.S. has never experienced such a wide scale natural disaster so close to Election Day. That renders these studies less instructive, and it could nullify the effects of a massive screw-up. “If [Obama] botches something on Thursday,” Hudak notes, “we might not know about it until next Thursday.”

One thing is certain, Hudak says, which is, Obama’s response will dominate media coverage. And provided that Obama doesn’t tell anyone he’s doing a “heckuva job” when he’s patently not, Obama will probably exit Sandy’s aftermath appearing in command and in control. What positive effects this could have for him (Would this bring new voters into Obama’s column? How many?) may not be quantifiable, but Romney’s general disadvantage is pretty clear. “Everything is going to be about the storm, the governors, and the president,” Hudak says. “And all the super PAC money in the world can’t buy Romney the attention that the president is going to get in the next few days.”
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