Hurricane Sandy: The calm before the storm
Although experts predicted late last week that Hurricane Sandy’s whip would be felt by Sunday afternoon, weather in the New York area stayed relatively calm over the weekend with light rain and increasing tides the only noticeable foretaste of the storm to come.
As of 6 a.m. this morning in the JFK area of Queens, a light rain, a strong breeze and an unfamiliar silence were the only things that suggested that something wicked was coming our way.
Residents have scoured local stores for water, flashlights and food and the roads are empty of the usual morning traffic.
The city is effectively shuttered. Subways and buses are not running. The New York Stock Exchange is closed. Schools, both public and private, are closed for the day. Museums and attractions are closed and even Broadway will be dark tonight. People are being encouraged to stay at home, although Mayor Michael Bloomberg stressed that that edict did not include municipal workers at his press conference on Sunday morning.
Bloomberg’s mandatory evacuation of Zone A, low-lying areas near water, is mostly being heeded. Some residents in these areas, which include the Rockaways near JFK and Coney Island have been filmed by news crews saying they would be riding out the storm. The city has set up group shelters and is telling the public that pets are welcome, too.
With all our hatches effectively battened down, New Yorkers are sitting with their morning coffee and waiting, unfazed as usual, for the show to begin.
by Gretchen Kelly
Gretchen Kelly
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers