SANDY STORM

80 MPH WINDS AND 13-FEET WATER LEVEL IN NEW YORK CITY

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND MITT ROMNEY SUSPENDED THEIR CAMPAIGNING WITH JUST OVER A WEEK TO GO BEFORE ELECTION DAY.AT THE WHITE HOUSE, OBAMA MADE A DIRECT APPEAL TO THOSE IN HARM’S WAY: “PLEASE LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE SAYING. WHEN THEY TELL YOU TO EVACUATE, YOU NEED TO EVACUATE. DON’T DELAY, DON’T PAUSE, DON’T QUESTION THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT ARE BEING GIVEN, BECAUSE THIS IS A POWERFUL STORM.”THE STORM WASHED AWAY A SECTION OF THE ATLANTIC CITY BOARDWALK IN NEW JERSEY. WATER WAS SPLASHING OVER THE SEAWALLS AT THE SOUTHERN TIP OF MANHATTAN.

NEW YORK MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG SAID LATE MONDAY THAT THE WORST OF THE RAIN HAD PASSED FOR THE CITY, AND THAT THE HIGH TIDE THAT SENT WATER SLOSHING INTO MANHATTAN FROM THREE SIDES WAS RECEDING.STILL, AUTHORITIES ALSO FEARED THE SURGE OF SEAWATER WOULD DAMAGE THE UNDERGROUND ELECTRICAL AND COMMUNICATIONS LINES IN LOWER MANHATTAN THAT ARE VITAL TO THE NATION’S FINANCIAL CENTRE.WATER BEGAN POOLING IN RAIL YARDS AND ON HIGHWAYS NEAR THE HUDSON RIVER WATERFRONT ON MANHATTAN’S FAR WEST SIDE. ON COASTAL LONG ISLAND, FLOODWATERS SWAMPED CARS, DOWNED TREES AND PUT NEIGHBOURHOODS UNDER WATER AS BEACHFRONTS AND FISHING VILLAGES BORE THE BRUNT OF THE STORM. A POLICE CAR WAS LOST RESCUING 14 PEOPLE FROM THE POPULAR RESORT FIRE ISLAND.

IN DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN, RESCUE WORKERS FLOATED BRIGHT ORANGE RAFTS ON FLOODED STREETS, WHILE POLICE OFFICERS WITH LOUDSPEAKERS TOLD PEOPLE TO GO HOME.“NOW IT’S REALLY TURNING INTO SOMETHING,” SAID BRIAN DAMIANAKES, TAKING SHELTER IN A BANK VESTIBULE AND WATCHING A TRASH CAN BLOW DOWN THE STREET IN BATTERY PARK.A CONSTRUCTION CRANE ATOP A LUXURY HIGH-RISE IN MIDTOWN MANHATTAN COLLAPSED IN HIGH WINDS AND DANGLED PRECARIOUSLY. RESIDENTS IN SURROUNDING BUILDINGS WERE ORDERED TO MOVE TO LOWER FLOORS AND THE STREETS BELOW WERE CLEARED, BUT THERE WERE NO IMMEDIATE REPORTS OF INJURIES.THE FACADE OF A FOUR-STORY MANHATTAN BUILDING IN THE CHELSEA NEIGHBOURHOOD CRUMBLED AND COLLAPSED SUDDENLY, LEAVING THE LIGHTS, COUCHES, CABINETS AND DESKS INSIDE VISIBLE FROM THE STREET. NO ONE WAS HURT, ALTHOUGH SOME OF THE FALLING DEBRIS HIT A CAR.

THE MAJOR AMERICAN STOCK EXCHANGES CLOSED FOR THE DAY, THE FIRST UNPLANNED SHUTDOWN SINCE THE SEPT. 11 ATTACKS IN 2001. WALL STREET EXPECTED TO REMAIN CLOSED ON TUESDAY. THE UNITED NATIONS CANCELLED ALL MEETINGS AT ITS NEW YORK HEADQUARTERS.NOT ONLY WAS THE NEW YORK SUBWAY SHUT DOWN, BUT THE HOLLAND TUNNEL CONNECTING NEW YORK TO NEW JERSEY WAS CLOSED, AS WAS A TUNNEL BETWEEN BROOKLYN AND MANHATTAN. THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE, THE GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE, THE VERRAZANO-NARROWS BRIDGE AND SEVERAL OTHER SPANS WERE CLOSED BECAUSE OF HIGH WINDS.

AUTHORITIES HAD WARNED THAT NEW YORK CITY AND LONG ISLAND COULD GET THE WORST OF THE STORM SURGE: A 3-METRE ONSLAUGHT OF SEAWATER THAT COULD SWAMP LOWER MANHATTAN, FLOOD THE SUBWAYS AND DAMAGE THE UNDERGROUND NETWORK OF ELECTRICAL AND COMMUNICATIONS LINES THAT ARE VITAL TO THE NATION’S FINANCIAL CAPITAL.