Embedded above: Live coverage from The Weather Channel.
Here’s an update as of noon today (Tuesday):
Summary:
- About six million people are without power throughout the northeast. An estimated 750,000 customers have lost electricity here in New York City.
- NYC’s bridges, commuter rails, and subways are closed. (MTA updates here.)
- Mayor Bloomberg said at a press conference about an hour ago that it could be three to four days until electricity is restored and the subways are running again. (Mayor’s office updates here.)
- New York City airports are technically open, but airlines aren’t operating.
- The city’s school are closed tomorrow (Wed.) (NYC school updates here.)
News Reports
The Wall Street Journal reports:
Millions of people along the U.S. East Coast remained without power Tuesday, as Superstorm Sandy brought powerful winds, rains, floods and snow to the mid-Atlantic states and Northeast.
The mega-storm’s center plowed through Pennsylvania early Tuesday after carving a harrowing path of destruction overnight, killing at least 17 people in seven states and cutting power to more than 6 million homes.
The New York Times says:
As Hurricane Sandy churned inland as a downgraded storm, residents up and down the battered mid-Atlantic region woke on Tuesday to lingering waters, darkened homes and the daunting task of cleaning up from once-in-a-generation storm surges and their devastating effects.
Power remained out for roughly six million people, including a large swath of Manhattan. Early risers stepped out into debris-littered streets that remained mostly deserted as dawn shed light on the extent of the damage. Bridges remained closed, and seven subway tunnels under the East River were flooded. Other mass transit service, including commuter rails, was also still suspended.
The AP reports:
Hurricane Sandy grounded well over 10,000 flights across the Northeast and the globe, and it could be days before some passengers can get where they’re going.
According to the flight-tracking service FlightAware, more than 13,500 flights had been canceled for Monday and Tuesday, almost all related to the storm. By early Tuesday morning, more than 500 flights scheduled for Wednesday also were canceled.
Major carriers such as American Airlines, United and Delta cancelled all flights into and out of three area airports in New York, the nation’s busiest airspace. About one-quarter of all U.S. flights travel to or from New York airports each day. So cancellations here can dramatically impact travel in other cities.
Bloomberg says:
New York City officials began assessing damage after superstorm Sandy killed 10 people, sparked a fire that razed 80 homes in a Queens, flooded tunnels of the biggest U.S. transit system and left 750,000 customers without power, including the lower third of Manhattan.
And:
Sandy, which weakened as it passed over the coast, is among the worst storms in New York history, rivaling the blizzards of 1888 and 1947. It was the worst disaster in 108-year history of the subway system and exceeded transit officials’ worst-case scenario, said Joseph Lhota, chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Columbia University News
All classes are cancelled today (Tues.). Check the Columbia University Web site for updates.
Late last night, after the hurricane has passed, I took a walk around part of the Eastern portion of the Columbia University campus.
I saw some downed tree branches around Morningside Park, and above is a photo of a fallen tree I spotted near St. John’s Cathedral, on Amsterdam Avenue.
We have not experienced any disruptions in electricity or other services in this part of town, as far as I know.
For coverage of the Northern Manhattan area, see Northattan.org, a site run by J-School students.
Other Stuff
- Above is a map of Sandy’s path (actual and projected), via Reuters.
- The Atlantic‘s In Focus photo blog has a good roundup of Hurricane Sandy images.
- The Reuters Liveblog is a good resource.
- The BBC has a helpful map plotting the damage in Manhattan.
- Again, you can watch live Weather Channel coverage on YouTube here (also embedded at the top of this post).
As ever, you can follow me on Twitter for updates and check out my Hurricane Sandy NYC Twitter list.
In addition, you can consult my previous Hurricane Sandy posts for more info.