Hurricane Sandy: US braces for superstorm as Obama declares emergency

Washington/New York: Millions of Americans over a 700-mile stretch across eight states up and down the East Coast prepared to meet the onslaught of approaching Hurricane Sandy and its potentially devastating impact.

President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in the national capital as also Maryland, Massachusetts and New York as he headed back to Washington to monitor the situation from the White House after changing his campaign plans.

Washington's Metro system, all federal buildings in the city as also public schools are closed on Monday. The local government distributed sandbags to residents and businesses and authorities have kept generators ready at major intersections in case traffic lights are knocked out, Mayor Vincent Gray's office said.

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  Hurricane Sandy headed north from the Caribbean on Sunday - where it left nearly 60 dead - to threaten the eastern US with sheets of rain, high winds and heavy snow as officials warned millions in coastal areas to get out of the way of the behemoth storm.

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  The rare hybrid that follows will cause havoc over 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) from the East Coast to the Great Lakes.

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  The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Sandy will continue moving parallel to the Southeast coast and approach the coast of the mid-Atlantic states by Monday night.

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  The storm forced the presidential campaign to juggle schedules. Mitt Romney scrapped plans to campaign on Sunday in the swing state of Virginia and switched his schedule for the day to Ohio. First lady Michelle Obama cancelled an appearance in New Hampshire for Tuesday, and President Barack Obama moved a planned on Monday departure for Florida to on Sunday night to beat the storm.

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  Experts said the storm could be bigger than the worst East Coast storm on record - the 1938 New England hurricane known as the Long Island Express, which killed nearly 800 people.

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  As the storm swirled away towards the US East Coast, officials in the Caribbean reported that the hurricane cost at least 58 lives in addition to destroying or badly damaging thousands of homes.

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  Up and down the US East Coast and far inland, officials urged residents and businesses to prepare in big ways and little. The Virginia National Guard was authorised to call up to 500 troops to active duty for debris removal and road-clearing, while homeowners stacked sandbags at their front doors in coastal towns.

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  Utility officials warned rains could saturate the ground, causing trees to topple into power lines, and told residents to prepare for several days at home without power. Last year, Hurricane Irene poked a new inlet through the island, cutting the only road off Hatteras Island for about 4,000.

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President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in the national capital as also Maryland, Massachusetts and New York.

Like several neighbouring states, Maryland could see as much as a foot of rain in some areas, according to the CNN Weather Unit. Officials in Ocean City ordered all downtown-area residents to leave before 8 pm on Sunday. A voluntary evacuation order was in place for those in low-lying areas.

In Virginia, which could alo see as much as a foot of rain according to the weatherman, sandbags were piled up inside restaurants in the Old Town section of Alexandria, along the banks of the Potomac River, in anticipation of Sandy's arrival.

In Massachusetts, Governor Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency for the Bay State, while the City of Boston announced that schools will be closed Monday. Harvard University and Harvard Kennedy School too have suspended operations for Monday.

New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority started shutting down subway service at 7 pm on Sunday. The city expects a slow surge of water to flood low-lying areas such as Queens, the Bronx and Battery Park in Manhattan, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said all its trains and stations will close at midnight amd all Port Authority Bus Terminal carriers will suspend service by early Monday morning.

Offices at United Nations headquarters in Manhattan also will be closed Monday, as will the physical trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Operations will continue on the company's electronic exchange.

Several other states in the Northeast including Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut and North and South Carolina too declared a state of emergency and closed schools and public transport services.

Also See

• Hurricane Sandy closes NYSE trading floor on Monday
• Watch: NASA time-lapse animation of Hurricane Sandy

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