NEW YORK THE misery of superstorm Sandy’s devastation grew on Tuesday as millions along the US East Coast faced life without power or mass transit for days, and huge swaths of New York City remained eerily quiet. The US death toll climbed to 39, many of the victims killed by falling trees, and rescue work continued.
The storm that made landfall in New Jersey on Monday evening with hurricane force cut power to more than 8.2 million across the East and put the presidential campaign on hold just one week before Election Day.
New York was among the hardest hit, with its financial heart closed for a second day.
The storm caused the worst damage in the 108-year history of the city’s subway system, and there was no indication of when the largest US transit system would be rolling again.
“This was a devastating storm, maybe the worst that we have ever experienced,” New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.
But the full extent of the damage in New Jersey was being revealed as morning arrived.
Emergency crews fanned out to rescue hundreds.
A hoarse-voiced New Jersey Governor Chris Christie gave bleak news at a morning news conference: Seaside rail lines washed away. No safe place on the state’s barrier islands for him to land. Parts of the coast still under water.
“It is beyond anything I thought I’d ever see,” he said.
“It is a devastating sight right now.” The death toll from Sandy in the US included several killed by falling trees. Sandy also killed 69 people in the Caribbean before making its way up the Eastern Seaboard.
Airlines cancelled more than 12,000 flights. New York City’s three major airports remained closed.
Most major tunnels and bridges in New York were closed, as were schools and Broadway theatres.
Around midday, Sandy was about 190 kilometres east of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, pushing westward with winds of 72 kph, and was expected to make a turn into New York State on Tuesday night.
Although weakening as it goes, the storm will continue to bring heavy rain and flooding, said Daniel Brown of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Sandy also brought blizzard conditions to West Virginia and neighbouring Appalachian states, with more than 2 feet of snow expected in some places.
Sandy will end up causing about $20 billion in property damage and $10 billion to $30 billion more in lost business, making it one of the costliest natural disasters on record in the US, according to IHS Global Insight, a forecasting firm.
President Barack Obama declared a major disaster in New York and Long Island, making federal funding available to residents of the area. He suspended campaigning for a third day on Wednesday.
Obama, speaking during a stop on Tuesday at Red Cross headquarters, warned the public that the massive storm that struck the East Coast “is not yet over.” He said there were still risks of flooding and downed power lines. He called the storm “heartbreaking for the nation.” The president offered his thoughts and prayers to those affected and told them “America is with you.” He said he also told government officials coordinating the response that there was “no excuse for inaction.” And he said he told governors in affected areas that if they get no for an answer, “they can call me personally at the White House.” Republican challenger Mitt Romney resumed his campaign, but with plans to turn a political rally in Ohio into a “storm relief event.”
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