After Hurricane Sandy…the deluge
Hurricane Sandy made landfall on Monday night at about 8:00 p.m., flooding homes, tunnels, the New York subway system – and claiming lives.
Altogether at least 18 lives were lost in seven states due to the wrath of the hurricane that lived up to its monstrous nickname of "Frankenstorm."
The storm knocked out power in all of lower Manhattan last night from 14th street down due to Con Edison power downs as well as to the explosion of one power system that locals watched burst into flames as sea water flooded the area.
A massive crane blew backwards on 57th Street, near Central Park West, hanging by a thin cable over the street below. Guests at Le Parker Meredien at 119 W. 56th Street and two other local hotels were evacuated to other local hotels and told they would most likely not be coming back for two or three days. A hospital lost its backup generator and critically ill patients were transferred to other care facilities in the wind and the rain.
All major airports in the area (JFK, LaGuardia, Newark) remain closed although Boston Logan Tweets that it is now open again after closure last night due to storm conditions as far as Massachusetts. The New York subway system is closed Tuesday as well. Some stations have water and debris in the tracks up to the platform line so it may be days before service is normal.
Lower Manhattan (the Battery area), City Island and areas near the Hudson and the East River are all still dealing with power outages and massive flooding.
The site FlightAware.com reports that nearly 13,500 flights have been cancelled because of the storm. It may be well into the end of the week before flights can get back up to speed at New York area airports. Even if aircraft are able to land, passengers may have difficulty getting out of the airports as roads and tunnels are flooded and the subway and bus system has been inundated with water at key stations.
President Barack Obama’s state of emergency declaration for the area means that FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security can mobilize equipment and resources to start the massive cleanup.
Gretchen Kelly
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