Hurricane Sandy Leaves New York Crippled
Major disaster in New York as Sandy kills 27, causes major flooding and fires
Millions of people awoke on Tuesday to scenes of destruction wrought by monster storm Sandy after it smashed into the eastern United States, cutting power to swathes of the nation’s most densely populated region, swamping New York’s subway system and submerging streets in Manhattan’s financial district.
At least 15 people were reported killed along the eastern seaboard by Sandy, one of the biggest storms to ever hit the country, which dropped just below hurricane status before making landfall on Monday night in New Jersey.
As a weakened but still massive storm system continued its trek inland, more than 1 million people in a dozen states were under orders to evacuate. Sandy left behind a trail of damage – homes underwater, trees toppled and power lines downed – caused by epic flooding and fierce winds all along the Atlantic coast.
Sandy, which was especially imposing because of its wide-ranging winds, brought a record storm surge of almost 14 feet (4.2 meters) to downtown Manhattan, well above the previous record of 10 feet (3 meters) during Hurricane Donna in 1960, the National Weather Service said.
Water poured into the subway system and tunnels that course under the city, raising concerns that the world’s financial capital could be hobbled for days.
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