Sandy’s Destruction: Live Updates on the Superstorm’s Aftermath

As Hurricane Sandy continues its path inland, leaving debris and flooding across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, TIME will continue to update this page as the storm develops. Please check back for the latest news.

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Stephen Flood / The Express-Times / AP

A police officer directs traffic as a line of motorists stretches down Frenchtown Road Thursday morning, Nov. 1, 2012 as customers wait to enter a gas station in Milford Borough, N.J.

Oct. 30, 11:35 p.m.: WNYC has the latest info on transportation systems in New York and New Jersey. Check the status here.

Oct. 30, 11:oo p.m.: The latest advisory from the National Weather Service’s Hydrometeorological Prediction Center (HPC) says Sandy is located in northwestern Pennsylvania, moving at a top speed of 40 m.p.h. (64km/h). The post-tropical cyclone is expected to move across western New York or Lake Erie and head northward into Canada on Wednesday. HPC will issue the next advisory at 5:00 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Oct. 30, 10:30 p.m.: As of now, the Weather Channel reports that Sandy has killed 45 people in the U.S. and left 6.6 million people without power. Watch the channel’s live coverage of the storm here.

Oct. 30, 10:10 p.m.: New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport will reopen Wednesday, CNN reports, as will Newark Liberty International in New Jersey. However both airports will only offer limited service as carriers slowly come back online following Superstorm Sandy.

Oct. 30, 8:35 p.m.: A video has surfaced showing the moment of the crane collapse at the One57 luxury apartment building in midtown Manhattan during Superstorm Sandy. The building, which is expected to top out at 90 stories and feature some of the city’s most expensive residences, has had a history of construction complaints, as TIME previously reported.

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Oct. 30, 8:10 p.m.: A spokeswoman for the Wildlife Conservation Society told the Associated Press earlier today that all 14 acres of the New York Aquarium on Coney Island were under water. But the aquarium’s executive vice president Jim Breheny told local news site The New York World that its newest resident, at least, is safe: aquarium staffers stayed overnight to monitor their new 236-pound baby walrus, Mitik, because he had been “experiencing some health issues” since he arrived from Alaska earlier in October. —by Olivia B. Waxman

Oct. 30, 7:35 p.m.: Amtrak announced it will restore some services in storm-stricken areas, the Associated Press reported, although New York City’s Penn Station remained too flooded for trains to pass. More from the AP:

The railroad said late Tuesday that modified service between Newark, N.J., and points south will resume on Wednesday. That includes restoring Virginia service to Lynchburg, Richmond and Newport News, Keystone trains in Pennsylvania and Downeaster service between Boston and Portland, Maine.

However, Amtrak said in a statement that the amount of water in train tunnels under the Hudson and East rivers is unprecedented, preventing service to New York. There will be no Northeast Regional service between New York and Boston and no Acela Express service for the entire length of the Northeast Corridor. No date has been set for resumption of service.

Oct. 30, 7:28 p.m.: Superstorm Sandy will not stop the NBA or the NFL; both sports leagues plan to continue their schedules, according to the Associated Press. NBA spokesman Tim Frank tweeted that season-opening games Tuesday night in Miami, Los Angeles and Cleveland are set to tip off on time. (However, the storm still might affect scheduled opening games for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets — making their home debut — scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday respectively.)

The NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers say they’re ready for their tilt against the New York Giants on Sunday, and will prepare to play unless they hear otherwise from league officials. NFL offices were closed Monday and Tuesday.

Oct. 30, 6:45 p.m.: Halloween may be postponed, but New York City’s great race will go on. Mayor Bloomberg said this Sunday’s marathon will take place as scheduled — a sentiment echoed by the New York Road Runners, the organization that’s in charge of planning the annual road race. “We will keep all options open with regard to making any accommodations and adjustments necessary to race day and race weekend events,” Mary Wittenberg, the chief executive of NYRR, told the New York Times. But not everyone was as rosy about the outcome: “I don’t know how many thousands of people will run it, but I will say with confidence that 47,000 people will not be the number,” Norman Goluskin, a board member at New York Road Runners, told the Times.

Oct. 30, 5:55 p.m.: The MTA has given the public a glimpse of just how devastated parts of the subway system is. The transit authority posted a video of a Tuesday afternoon walk through the South Ferry and Whitehall Street station on the 1 and R lines in lower Manhattan. Sandbags and barricades at the entrance appear to have been blown over by the storm, and water down by the station’s entrance appears to be at least knee-high. All power has been cut to the station and the stations are waterlogged — it certainly appears the MTA will need the four or five days, at least, to bail out, as Mayor Bloomberg has previously predicted.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/_Xkdv0H31d8]

In a Tuesday evening press conference, Mayor Bloomberg said 6,400 people remain in the 76 evacuation centers around the city, with 2,900 people helping to staff the centers. The evacuation for Zone A remains in effect for tonight, as well. Bloomberg said that the death toll in New York City had increased to 18 throughout the day. — by Nick Carbone

Oct. 30, 5:30 p.m.: The annual Village Halloween Parade has been canceled in New York City tomorrow. Due to the extensive damage in Lower Manhattan, the NYPD and the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management have announced that the yearly parade will not go on — for the first time in its 39-year history, according to the parade’s website. It’s been rescheduled for a later date, to be determined later. “We hope that everyone who would have come to the Parade is safe and that those who can volunteer to help out at one of the Emergency Outreach Centers near you,” the site says. The theme of the parade was going to be “Tick! Tock!”, counting down to the December 2012 apocalypse, as foretold by the Mayan calendar. — by Olivia B. Waxman

Oct. 30, 5:10 p.m.: New York City is getting moving again — at least above ground. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and MTA Chair Joe Lhota announced Tuesday afternoon that limited bus service (basically a weekend schedule) resumed this evening at 5 p.m. with no charge to passengers. Lhota stated that so far they have found no damage to the buses or subway cars — all damage to the system has taken place on the tracks. While this news is certainly welcomed by city residents, Lhota followed up with some not-so-good news. Because of the immense damage to the subway system, service reinstatement might “take a little longer than we had thought.” Instead of focusing on getting the whole system running again, officials are trying to determine sections in which service can resume. Gov. Cuomo also noted that JFK Airport is expected to be reopen tomorrow, while massive flooding at LaGuardia Airport will force the hub to remain closed.

Oct. 30, 4:35 p.m.: Although residents of the coastal cities in New Jersey have yet to be allowed to visit their homes and businesses, the New Jersey National Guard has released a video that shows an aerial view of Seaside Heights. The town, which was made famous as the location of MTV’s The Jersey Shore, has seen devastating flooding and destruction in the wake of Sandy, with the boardwalk being washed away by the tide and the famed Star Jet rollercoaster falling into the ocean. Take a look at the National Guard’s video, shot by Master Sgt. Mark C. Olsen:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRAdgh9VH0o]

Oct. 30, 3:55 p.m.: President Obama will tour the Sandy-stricken state of New Jersey with Governor Chris Christie on Wednesday, the White House has announced. The Republican governor has offered effusive praise for Obama’s efforts and responsiveness regarding the storm. “The President has been outstanding in this and so have the folks at FEMA,” Christie said Tuesday morning on the Today show. Obama has canceled planned campaign events in Ohio to be in New Jersey assessing the storm damage.

Obama appeared at a news conference at a Red Cross center in Washington D.C. on Tuesday afternoon, telling victims of the storm that “America is with you.” He promised that state officials would have all the federal resources they need in order to move forward with the recovery efforts that are already underway. “My message to the federal government is no bureaucracy, no red tape. Get resources where they are needed as fast as possible, as hard as possible, and for the duration.” He also praised the local officials and first responders saying, “During the darkness of the storm, I think we also saw what’s brightest in America.”

As Obama heads out of D.C., millions of federal workers in the District will be expected at work on Wednesday. All employees are expected to be at work tomorrow, according to the government, as regular Metro service resumed Tuesday afternoon.

Oct. 30, 3:40 p.m.: All three major airports in the New York area remain closed, with officials from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey still assessing damage. All airports reported flooding and debris on runways, but LaGuardia Airport, right on Flushing Bay and fed by both the East River and the Long Island Sound, is perhaps among the worst off. JetBlue tweeted this harrowing photo Tuesday of flooding at LaGuardia (and posted other unbelievable photos on its blog).

[tweet https://twitter.com/JetBlue/status/263316302062579712%5D

The airline says it’s planning to reopen its operations in Boston and Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, but New York’s airports will take greater cleanup.

Oct. 30, 3:20 p.m.: As Sandy continues moving inland, Michigan is feeling the impact of the storm. MLive reports that wind gusts struck up 20-foot waves on Lake Huron Tuesday morning and wind gusts of 74 mph. More than 56,000 southeast Michigan residents were out of power in the morning, a number that grew to 140,000 at the height of the storm, according to DTE Energy.

Oct. 30, 2:40 p.m.: A New York University Hospital building on East 32nd St. has lost “years” of scientific research due to the storm, one researcher told the New York Daily News. Thousands of genetically-modified mice drowned in a flood, and the hospital may have lost various special enzymes, antibodies, and DNA strands that were stored at very specific temperatures. The Daily News writes: “In one case, scientists were rolling a big freezer — the size of a big refrigerator — to an area of the hospital with emergency power.”

Further downtown, looters raided the upscale gadget store Brookstone in the South Street Seaport around 3:45 a.m., security guard Maurice Alinton told Gothamist. He saw people snatching headphones and when he shined his flashlight on them, they “scattered.” Police told Gothamist that the storm broke the store’s windows, which allowed the looters inside. — by Olivia B. Waxman

Oct. 30, 2:25 p.m.: Massive flooding washed away much of Atlantic City’s iconic boardwalk, ripping the massive wooden boards from their pylons and washing them into the city’s streets, smashing storefronts and blocking roads. The casinos are stable but were shut down for the duration of the storm, which made landfall just south of Atlantic City around 8 p.m. Monday night.

Officials estimated that as much as 80% of Atlantic City was under water at high tide on Monday. A dispute between Gov. Chris Christie and Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford over evacuation orders escalated on Tuesday morning, as state and federal rescue teams attempted to reach residents who were stranded in their homes.

Seth Wenig / AP

Foundations and pilings are all that remain of brick buildings and a boardwalk in Atlantic City, N.J., Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, after they were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.

Oct. 30, 2:10 p.m.: In Ocean City, Md., water levels reached up to seven feet higher than normal during the storm. While flooding remained on Tuesday morning, some roads were able to reopen, including the Route 90 bridge. Near the coastline, it was reported that 100 feet of a fishing pier was destroyed and debris from nearby homes and businesses scattered the boardwalk. Officials estimate that residents can return to the town on Wednesday, the Baltimore Sun reports.

Power outages across Maryland reached about 300,000 at the height of the storm. Baltimore’s subway resumed operations at noon on Tuesday, with limited service on Maryland’s mass-transit system expected to restart on Tuesday afternoon. — by Erin Skarda

Oct. 30, 2:05 p.m.: When the WABC-TV crew arrived at the scene on Staten Island, N.Y. on Monday evening, it seemed like something “out of a movie.” A 168-foot tanker had washed ashore, propelled by the waves of Hurricane Sandy. The huge tanker, carrying water, was moored a mile out into the Atlantic but was washed onto the devastated shorefront of Staten Island south of Manhattan.
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Oct. 30, 1:55 p.m.: The Queens home of New York congressman Bob Turner (R) was “obliterated” in the wake of the storm, NY1 reports. Turner’s home was located in the Breezy Point section of Queens that was flooded and subsequently burned to the ground. Turner and his wife were fortunately reported safe. Turner won the Congressional seat vacated in 2011 by Anthony Weiner.

Oct. 30, 1:40 p.m.: As the financial and political hubs of the U.S. evaluate the storm damage, the international destruction has taken a backseat in the public consciousness. But before it hit the U.S., Sandy pounded both Cuba and Haiti, the latter country reporting at least 52 deaths from the hurricane, Reuters reports. The Caribbean nation is still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Isaac in late August and, of course, the devastating earthquake that crippled the nation back in 2010. “The economy took a huge hit,” Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe told Reuters. Authorities said 18,000 families were left homeless after Sandy swept through.

Oct. 30, 1:10 p.m.: As millions across the nation clamored to get information about Hurricane Sandy, Google launched a new project called Public Alerts. Tied to the search terms we all use most in the face of disasters both natural and unpredictable, Google will show the most crucial details about evacuation routes and shelter locations. Going forward, during emergency situations like extreme weather or disasters, Google search results will show first and foremost safety information provided by a list of public affairs partners like NOAA and the USGS. If you type Hurricane Sandy into Google now, the primary result displayed is federal emergency information from ready.gov, flanked by links to state emergency management websites. — by Nick Carbone

Oct. 30, 1:00 p.m.: The New York Stock Exchange will reopen Wednesday, according to CEO Duncan Neiderauer. The financial market has been closed both Monday and Tuesday to mitigate storm damage.

Oct. 30, 12:50 p.m.: Of the 15 New York City deaths related to Hurricane Sandy, one of the most tragic is that of a 22-year-old woman in Queens, who was killed last night. The New York Post reports the yet-unidentified woman left her home in the Richmond Hill section to snap photos, but got too close to a downed power line and was electrocuted. Her neighbor told the Post what happened:

“I looked out my window and I saw the girl across the street taking pictures of the live wire sparking near my car, so I ran outside to move my car,”  said Mahendra Chetram, 35.

“I jumped in [the car]. She was still taking pictures and as I backed down the street, [then] I heard a loud shriek and it looks just like how it does in the movies. Her body was gyrating, smoke was coming from her and within 25 seconds she was out, No movement.” — by Madison Gray

Oct. 30, 12:30 p.m.: Facebook has published a list of the “Top-10 Shared Terms by U.S. Users.”  As of 10 a.m. ET, the top three are:
1. we are ok
2. power – lost power, have power, no power
3. damage

Vicki Smith / AP

Snow covers the streets Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, after superstorm Sandy moved through Elkins, W.Va.

Oct. 30, 11:50 a.m.: Sandy brought excessive water to many towns in its path, but in West Virginia and parts of western North Carolina, residents are experiencing a chillier reception from Sandy. More than a foot of snow has fallen in West Virginia’s most populous cities, with two feet falling in the less-populous mountainous regions. A blizzard warning was in effect for parts of the state, with the snowy conditions expected to last until Wednesday. More than 45 miles of Interstate 68 was closed due to hazardous conditions, and 205,000 people remained without power, according to the Associated Press.

To see other states experiencing power issues, visit our up-to-the-minute outages page.

Oct. 30, 11:35 a.m.: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that all bridges will be re-opening at noon. The Brooklyn Battery and Holland Tunnels will remain closed until further notice due to extensive flooding. MTA chairman Joe Lhota said that “every single borough and every single county served by the MTA” has suffered damage and flooding in the wake of the storm. At least 5 subway tunnels between Brooklyn and Manhattan are flooded.

Oct. 30: 11:30 a.m.: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg just wrapped up a press conference with updates about how the city fared in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. He said that at least 10 people have died as the storm swept through the city. Aside from ongoing rescue missions, the biggest challenges going forward are to restore public transportation service and to repair the power grid. Con Edison reports that the damage to the power systems in the city is “unprecedented in scope,” and the Mayor said his administration “will move heaven and Earth to help them so we can get back up and running as soon as humanly possible.”

There is extensive flooding in MTA subway tunnels. MTA chairman Joseph J. Lhota released a statement Tuesday morning about the state of New York City’s transportation system. Seven subway tunnels under the East River were flooded, the Metro-North has lost power on multiple lines, the Long Island Railroad evacuated its West Side Yards and suffered flooding. “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,” he said. The country’s largest transit system is expected to remain closed for at least four days.  The city hopes to restore limited bus service by Tuesday afternoon and have bus service running normally by Wednesday — and fares will be free for the day. — by Erin Skarda

Bloomberg signed an executive order allowing cab drivers to pick up multiple passengers at a time, and livery cabs can pick up anyone in the city.  The three main airports in the New York City area remain closed due to runway flooding. The crane at One57 in midtown Manhattan is still hanging on this morning, but nothing can be done about it until the wind dies down.

The Mayor reported that 911 is functioning normally; the biggest delay reported was five minutes. — by Olivia B. Waxman

Oct. 30: 11:15 a.m.: New York City public schools will also be closed on Wednesday, Mayor Bloomberg announced Tuesday morning.

Oct. 30, 11:00 a.m.: WCBS Radio reports that the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges have reopened, as well as the Tappan Zee which connects the Greater New York area with Upstate. Each were closed during the majority of Hurricane Sandy’s onslaught due to high winds.

Other river crossings in New York including the Triboro, George Washington, and Queensboro Bridges remain closed. Tunnel crossings also remain closed including the Holland Tunnel and Brooklyn Battery tunnel. The Lincoln Tunnel has remained open.

However, MTA transit officials have no idea when New York City subways will be operational again. In a Tuesday morning press conference, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said there’s “no firm timeline for reactivation.” Gov. Chris Christie says the PATH train will take 10 days to get up and running. — by Madison Gray

Oct. 30, 10:30 a.m.: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said at a press conference that the damage to his state from Hurricane Sandy is “beyond anything I ever thought I’d see.” He says all of the major rail lines in the state are damaged and that a number of water supply issues are arising throughout the state.

In comparison to Hurricane Irene, he said it took 8 days to restore power to affected areas, for this he expects it to take longer. The most affected area is along the Jersey Shore stretching down to the Cape May area. “The level of devastation at Jersey Shore is unthinkable.” — by Madison Gray

Oct. 30, 9:45 a.m.: Multiple disasters collided Monday in the Breezy Point neighborhood in Queens, where 80 to 100 already-flooded homes were destroyed by a fire that broke out around 11 p.m. More than 190 firefighters rushed to the scene to fight the blaze, in the area where water already filled the streets chest-high, according to WABC-TV. Firefighters rescued 25 people trapped upstairs in an apartment, with flames lapping at the apartment next door. Breezy Point, located on the far tip of Rockaway Point, which juts out into the Atlantic Ocean, looked like a virtual wasteland of waterlogged debris Tuesday morning.

Frank Franklin II / AP

Damage caused by a fire at Breezy Point is shown Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in in the New York City borough of Queens.

Oct. 30, 9:30 a.m.: CNN is reporting that more than 5 million people across wide swath of Sandy’s path are without power this morning as cleanup from the storm begins.

Oct. 30, 08:38 a.m.: Websites haven’t been entirely able to fend off Sandy, with the likes of Gawker, Buzzfeed and The Huffington Post temporarily going offline due to the power outage.

Oct. 30, 08:33 a.m.: Could this be one of the images of the day (as can be seen in the below tweet)? A tanker has washed up on Staten Island, yet another example of Sandy’s impact.

[tweet https://twitter.com/BBCBreaking/status/263254813851148288%5D

Oct. 30, 08:15 a.m.: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been giving interviews — where he praised President Obama for his assistance, calling his help “outstanding” — and is constantly updating his Twitter account. Two takeaways: “The devastation on the Jersey Shore is some of the worst we’ve ever seen,” and then he added that “New Jersey is a tough place. We will dig out from under and we will be back.”

Oct. 30, 07:54 a.m.: It’s estimated that over seven million people in the Northeast are without power.

Oct. 30, 07:42 a.m.: New Jersey Mayor, Cory Booker, said Tuesday that it will take days before power is restored in Newark. What’s more, the majority of the city is without electricity.

Oct. 30, 07:35 a.m.: Metropolitan Transportation Authority (M.T.A.) chairman, Joseph J. Lhota, has called the storm the worst disaster in the history of its subway system. “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,” he said in a statement. “All of us at the M.T.A. are committed to restoring the system as quickly as we can to help bring New York back to normal.”

Oct. 30, 07:15 a.m.: The death toll in the U.S. has risen to 16. Five of the deaths were in New York, three in New Jersey, two in Maryland, two in Connecticut, two in Pennsylvania, one in West Virginia, and one from the HMS Bounty replica. One death has also been confirmed in Canada. Before Sandy made its way to the U.S., there were 67 people killed in the Caribbean, which included 51 in Haiti. The overall death toll is now at least 84.

Oct. 30, 07:07 a.m.: According to the West Virginia Department of Emergency Management, 11 counties are under a blizzard warning until 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Oct. 30, 07:00 a.m.: Away from New York, and the Mayor of Philadelphia, Michael Nutter, told CNN that his city “got through it.” Nutter said their emergency plans worked well, though there are reports of flooding and downed trees. Unsurprisingly, schools are shut and there’s no mass transit Tuesday.

Oct. 30, 06:55 a.m.: Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office sends out the following Tuesday morning tweet…

[tweet https://twitter.com/NYCMayorsOffice/status/263221447739199488%5D

Oct. 30, 06:45 a.m.: According to the Howard County Emergency Management Department, a leak at a water plant in Maryland is causing roughly 2 million gallons of raw sewage to rush out every hour. The cause? An overflow caused by power loss.

Oct. 30, 06:18 a.m.: Further news is emerging on the levee breaking in New Jersey. The towns of Moonachie, Little Ferrie and Carlstadt have been flooded with 4-5ft (1.2m to 1.5m) of water. It’s possible that up to 1,000 people are affected. Ralph Verdi, the chief of police in Little Ferrie told CNN that four to six feet of water is covering 75% of the town.

Oct. 30, 05:47 a.m.: President Obama has declared a “major disaster” in New York state and orders federal aid be made available in the counties of Bronx, Kings, Nassau, New York, Richmond, Suffolk and Queens, according to the AFP.

Oct. 30, 05:40 a.m.: Reuters is reporting that there’s been a levee break in the borough of Moonachie, New Jersey. A rescue operation is underway for residents.

Oct. 30, 05:30 a.m.: A fire has razed at least 50 homes in the New York City borough of Queens, reports the Washington Post. More than 190 firefighters have been dispatched to the flooded neighborhood to contain the fire, and two people have been injured, said a fire-department spokesperson.

Oct. 30, 05:00 a.m.: Sandy is now moving westward across southern Pennsylvania, according to the latest advisory from the National Weather Service’s Hydrometeorological Prediction Center. As of now, the post-tropical cyclone is near Millersburg, Pa., moving at a top speed of 45.6 m.p.h. (73 km/h). Tonight it will move into western New York and into Canada on Wednesday. Sandy is forecast to weaken steadily during the next 48 hours. The next advisory will be issued at 11:00 a.m.

At least 13 people in the U.S. have died from Sandy and more than 6.5 million people in storm-affected areas are without power, reports CNN.

Oct. 30, 04:40 a.m.: Check out the Google Crisis Map of the superstorm to see affected areas, storm track, electricity status and more.

[tweet https://twitter.com/ConEdison/status/263198166759899136%5D

Oct. 30, 03:35 a.m.: Red Cross chapters in storm-stricken areas are taking donations for relief efforts. If you wish to donate to the American Red Cross, South Central New York Chapter, you can do so here.

Oct. 30, 03:30 a.m.: Experts say Sandy is going to make history for its sheer size and scale of destruction, especially at the Jersey Shore, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Oct. 30, 2:40 a.m.: Sandy is located near Lancaster, Pa., according to the latest advisory from the National Weather Service. The next advisory is scheduled for 5 a.m.

[tweet https://twitter.com/RedCross/status/263146868920434688%5D

Oct. 30, 2:30 a.m.: CNN updates its power-outage figure: 6,535,896 are without electricity across 13 states and Washington D.C.

[tweet https://twitter.com/FDNY/status/263182607108427776%5D

[tweet https://twitter.com/NewsGunner/status/263158987728490496%5D

[tweet https://twitter.com/FDNY/status/263156612754182145%5D

Oct. 30, 2:05 a.m.: New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority says the city subway system “has never faced a disaster as devastating” as Sandy in its 108-year history. Several subway tunnels and bus garages have been flooded. Power outages have also affected operations. No timeline has been announced for the resumption of services.

Oct. 30, 2:05 a.m.: The mayor of Hoboken, N.J., has called in the National Guard to help rescue 50 to 60 people stuck in shelters, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Oct. 30, 1:45 a.m.: Sandy threatens to cause $20 billion in economic damage, Bloomberg Businessweek estimates.

[tweet https://twitter.com/ConEdison/status/263153864017072128%5D

Oct. 30, 1:15 a.m.: Nearly 5.8 million people nationwide are suffering through power outages, the Washington Post reports, citing the Associated Press and the Maryland Public Service Commission. CNN estimates 5.5 million customers in 13 states and Washington D.C. are affected. Weather.com says nearly 6 million people are without power.

[tweet https://twitter.com/USCG/status/263110989485047808%5D

[tweet https://twitter.com/marclavorgna/status/263124814766686208%5D

Oct. 30, 12:00 a.m.: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued an alert for the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant, in New Jersey, at 8:45 p.m. because of high water levels. The alert is the second lowest of four NRC action levels.

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