Updated 10.30.2012 2 pm
Most recent satellite view of Post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy shows the storm rolling inland, still massive in size. (Photo Credit: NASA Goddard Images)
How You Can Help.
Giving To Red Cross Disaster Relief
People can help by making a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief online, by text or by phone. Donations help the Red Cross provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to those affected by disasters like Hurricane Sandy.
To donate, people can visit www.redcross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
PHOTOS: Sandy Rips Through New Jersey
Nearly 100 Red Cross blood drives were cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy so blood supplies are low in the areas affected the most. The Red Cross asks that those able to donate, schedule an appointment to give blood. The New York Blood Center is urging people to donate blood for those in the New York/New Jersey area. To donate, call 1-800-933-2566 or visit www.nybloodcenter.org.
The Salvation Army has dozens of mobile feeding units and shelters along the East Coast that are working to serve thousands in the most heavily hit areas. Visit www.salvationarmyusa.org to donate.
Feeding America has thousands of pounds of emergency food, water and supplies in the disaster zone that they are working to distribute to hurricane victims. To donate, visit www.feedingamerica.org or call 1-800-910-5524.
AmeriCares is providing medicine and other supplies to people impacted by Hurricane Sandy. To donate, visit www.americares.org.
World Vision is distributing flood clean-up kits, personal hygiene items and emergency food kits to people hit by the hurricane. To donate, visit www.worldvision.org.
Save the Children is working to provide relief to families and their children affected by Hurricane Sandy. Visit www.savethechildren.org to donate.
Samaritan’s Purse is asking for volunteers to help with the response to Hurricane Sandy victims. To volunteer, visit their website.
Sandy Leaves 7.5 Million Without Power, 30 Dead.
Sandy was downgraded from a hurricane to a post-tropical storm shortly before it made landfall at 8 p.m. in Atlantic City, N.J., on Monday, however that didn’t stop the superstorm from wreaking havoc.
Five deaths were reported in New York, including three children in Westchester County just north of New York City. One death was recorded in the city and a fifth in Ulster County.
Two people were also reported dead in New Jersey, two in Connecticut, three in Pennsylvania and one in West Virginia.
Nearly 5 million customers were without power from the East Coast to Ohio, according to figures from the Department of Energy and local power company reports. Read More
VIDEO: Bravely Failing to Brave Hurricane Sandy
New York Subway system takes hit.
Superstorm Sandy flooded parts of the New York City subway system, rail yards and bus depots, creating what officials are calling the biggest disaster of its 108 years in existence.
“The New York City subway system…has never faced a disaster as devastating as what we experienced last night,” MTA Chairman Joe Lhota said in a statement. ”Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on our entire transportation system, in every borough and county of the region.”
NYU Medical Center evacuated.
About 200 patients, roughly 45 of whom are critical care patients, were moved out of NYU via private ambulance with the assistance of the New York Fire Department, city officials said. ABC News’ Chris Murphey reported a long line of ambulances outside of NYU Langone waiting to transport patients to other hospitals in the city.
PHOTOS: Sandy Devastates The East Coast
2012 Election campaigns canceled.
Reporting from the White House, President Obama warned Monday afternoon that Hurricane Sandy is a “big and powerful storm” that could have “fatal consequences” and urged all those in the storm’s path to heed the warnings of state and local officials.
“Please listen to what your state and local officials are saying,” he said from the White House briefing room. “When they tell you to evacuate, you need to evacuate. Do not delay, don’t pause, don’t question the instructions that are being given, because this is a serious storm and could potentially have fatal consequences if people haven’t acted.” Read More
Governor Mitt Romney is campaigning in Ohio today because with the bad weather it’s about the only swing state where he can be at this point. Romney told a crowd in the critical swing state of Ohio that the storm is a time for Americans to come together.
“We’ve faced these kinds of challenges before and as we have it’s interesting to see how American’s come together and this, this looks like another time when we need to come together all across the country, even here in Ohio, and make sure that we give our support to the people who need it,” Romney said to a crowd of thousands gathered in a school gym to hear him speak.
RELATED: Three Tips To Safely Ride Out Hurricane Sandy (And Other Storms)
Flight cancellations.
Nearly 7,000 flights have been cancelled in anticipation of the storm’s arrival, most of which are either from, or to, one of the hubs in Sandy’s path. These cancellations are creating a ripple effect that is being felt across the entire country, forcing delays as far west as Seattle and San Francisco.
EXCLUSIVE: Hurricane Sandy Affects Travelers In Houston
New York Stock Exchange Closes.
The New York Stock Exchange will be shut down on Monday as New York City prepares for Hurricane Sandy.
In a statement, NYSE Euronext, the company that runs the exchange, said: “We support the consensus of the markets and the regulatory community that the dangerous conditions developing as a result of Hurricane Sandy will make it extremely difficult to ensure the safety of our people and communities, and safety must be our first priority.”
Read more here.
Refineries are shutting down.
The second-largest refinery on the east coast is shut down and three other plants cut output as hurricane sandy threatened widespread power outages and a massive storm surge across the region.
Phillips 66 shut its 238,000-barrels-per day Bayway, New Jersey refinery, nicknamed the “gasoline machine” because of its key role supplying motor fuel to the New York City area.
The Philadelphia Energy Solutions facility in Philadelphia, has begun to reduce production. In addition, PBF Energy reduced output at its Delaware plant and Hess Corp curbed production in New Jersey.
While major refineries are built to withstand hurricane-force winds, they are vulnerable to power outages, which can damage units in the case of a “cold shutdown”, as well as flood damage if the storm surge accompanying Sandy breaches their defenses.
Oil traders are already factoring in a potential squeeze on fuel supplies. Benchmark gasoline futures jumped 1 percent and heating oil rose 0.6 percent.
This is how Queens, New York looked last night as residents awaited Sandy’s arrival. [Photo Credit: Scott Frost)
Rats are coming from underground.
The tidal surge is salt water and that will cause very destructive damage to the electrical components that propel the subway trains, meaning a major disruption in transportation services.
The rising water underground will roust out the tens of thousands of rats that live in the tunnels.
EXCLUSIVE: Sandy Brings Potential Rat Invasion In NYC [LISTEN]
Cellular providers fuel backup generators.
Just like everyone else along the eastern seaboard, phone companies are also preparing for hurricane Sandy.
Verizon, the largest landline phone company on the east coast is making sure it has fuel for back-up generators and lining up disaster recovery trailers to move into flooded areas after the storm passes.
A-T&T is adding portable generators to its cell towers. And phone companies are asking that people use text messaging when the storm hits and network capacity is strained.
Text messages use minimal network resources compared to phone calls and web surfing. So if you’re here in Houston and have trouble reaching a loved one on the east coast, try texting.
