The MTA has released vision of floodwaters in Manhattan's subway stations, promising to return services to customers safely and efficiently. Vision: MTA
An ambulance sits abandoned in the middle of a flooded street after Sandy in Hoboken, New Jersey. Picture: Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images/AFP Source: AFP
Damage caused by a fire at Breezy Point in the New York City borough of Queens. Picture: Frank Franklin II Source: AP
Officials are estimating at least 50 homes have been destroyed as a fire ravages a flooded Queens.
An explosion at a Con-Ed power plant is caught on CCTV camera in New York City. Credit: TrillianMedia.
SUPERSTORM Sandy has smashed into the American northeast, leaving millions without power and parts of Manhattan underwater. Conditions remain dangerous as this one-of-a-kind storm moves inland.
Live updates, photos, news and alerts will be posted here as they come to hand.
8.15pm: The Twitter troll who became an online villain after several false tweets about the destruction of Hurricane Sandy has apologised and resigned from a Republican congressional campaign.
Twitterati had heaped criticism on ComfortablySmug after the micro-blogger claimed the New York Stock Exchange was flooded and that Consolidated Edison was shutting off all power to New York City during the storm.
Both "breaking" news posts were refuted by authorities, but not before being retweeted hundreds of times, sparking panic as the massive storm devastated the US east coast and claimed dozens of lives.
After going silent for several hours, ComfortablySmug offered "the people of New York a sincere, humble and unconditional apology".
The Buzzfeed online news site had earlier identified ComfortablySmug as a 29-year-old hedge fund analyst and the campaign manager of New York Republican congressional candidate Christopher Wright.
6.25pm: NYC will be open for business on Wednesday. ''The financial markets will resume, as will businesses in all 5 boros,'' New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg tweeted. He also urged New Yorkers to share cabs with 4000 yellow cabs the first to hit the streets as of 4.30pm on Tuesday.
A car is upended on a mailbox on Surf Avenue in Coney Island, New York, in the aftermath of Sandy. Picture: AP Source: AP
6.15pm: Buses returned back on the road for limited service from 5pm Tuesday, and are expected to be almost at normal strength by Wednesday morning, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York tweeted.
This photo provided by Metropolitan Transportation Authority shows people boarding a bus, as partial bus service was restored on Tuesday. Picture: AP Source: AP
6pm: Limited air travel is expected to return to the New York City metro area on Wednesday. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Newark International Airport in New Jersey will open at 7am with limited service, CBS News reports
5.45pm: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has spoken of his devastation over the destruction caused by super storm Sandy. "The Jersey Shore of my youth is gone," he tweeted. "It was an emotionally overwhelming afternoon for me as a son of this state."
"We will rebuild the Shore," he said. "It may not be the same, but we will rebuild."
"Tomorrow we start recovery. We can be sad but, sorrow should not replace resilience."
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie holds a media briefing on damage and recovery efforts. High winds and a massive storm surge caused major destruction to the Jersey Shore and throughout the Garden State. Source: Getty Images
5.30pm: Eight young Aboriginal athletes from the Northern Territory, far north Queensland and regional NSW are pushing ahead with plans to run the New York marathon on Sunday. The marathon is going ahead despite devastation left by super storm Sandy.
The squad - Korey Summers, Justin Gaykamangu, Marius Clarke, Kieren De Santis, Grace Eather, Emma Cameron, Jurgean Tabuai, Nat Heath and Amber Parker - were in Sydney today ahead of their flight to the US tomorrow morning.
Indigenous marathon runners Nat Heath, Marius Clarke, Kieren De Santis, Grace Eather, Korey Summers, Justin Gaykamangu and Amber Parker go for a jog at Bondi Beach in preparation for their trip to New York. Picture: Katrina Tepper Source: News Limited
5.20pm: These taxis aren't going anywhere anytime soon, overwhelmed by floodwaters in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Taxis sit in a flooded lot after Hurricane Sandy in Hoboken, New Jersey Picture: AFP Source: AFP
5.15pm: A man smiles relieved to find a free charging station offered by a 7-Eleven store in an area with power in Manhattan.
People charge their devices at a free charging station offered by a 7-Eleven store in an area with power in Manhattan. Picture: AFP Source: AFP
5.05pm: The super storm has forced the American Red Cross to cancel more than 300 blood drives, causing a shortfall of more than 9000 blood and platelet donations across 14 states that would otherwise be available for those needing transfusions.
4.55pm: The toxic stew of raw sewage, industrial chemicals and floating debris that has filled flooded waterways around New York may threaten the health of residents, the Huffington Post reports.
"Normally, sewer overflows are just discharged into waterways and humans that generate the sewage can avoid the consequences by avoiding the water," said John Lipscomb of the clean water advocacy group Riverkeeper. "But in this case, that waste has come back into our communities."
4.15pm: For the second night in a row, superstorm Sandy and its aftermath forced David Letterman to live out that performer's nightmare: Telling jokes to a vacant theatre, or as he called it, "a big ol' empty barn''.
Letterman hosting the Late Show to an unpeopled Ed Sullivan Theatre on Tuesday, as he did on Monday, says the Associated Press, was the oddest sight of the continuing cultural fallout of the hurricane.
4.00pm: One clever thinking individual hooked his bicycle to generate electricity for people to charge their mobile phones.
A man rides a bicycle to generate electricity so residents can charge their cell phones after Hurricane Sandy left them without power. Picture: AFP Source: AFP
A man rides a bicycle to generate electricity so residents can charge their phones. Picture: AFP Source: AFP
Others took the opportunity to have a party.
Residents have a party on the sidewalk during the blackout after Hurricane Sandy. OuctyreL AFP Source: AFP
3.55pm: Employees of the restaurant 'Zum Schneider' enjoy food and beers in the empty dark dining room
Employees of the restaurant "Zum Schneider" enjoy food and beers in the empty dining room during a power outage caused by Hurricane Sandy. Picture: AFP Source: AFP
3.53pm: It's night in New York, and many areas are still without power.
Cars drive down a darkened 2nd Avenue after Hurricane Sandy. Picture: AFP Source: AFP
3.40pm: The New Jersey National Guard has come to Hoboken to help residents of the heavily flooded city on the Hudson River across from New York City, the Associated Press reports.
Officials announced the Guard's arrival in messages posted late on Tuesday on the city's Twitter and Facebook accounts. It says Guard members will use high-wheeled vehicles to assist in evacuating residents and delivering supplies to flooded areas in the 2.6-square-kilometre city.
A resident walks through floodwaters in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy in Hoboken, New Jersey. Source: AP
3.20pm: New York University Hospital lost years of scientific research after the Smilow building lost power during the superstorm, destroying precious enzymes, antibodies, DNA and thousands of mice, the Daily News reports.
2:48pm: The death toll for super storm Sandy has now risen to 50, according to the Associated Press.
A weakening Sandy, the hurricane turned fearsome super storm, has killed at least 50 people, many hit by falling trees, and still isn't finished.
As it inched inland across Pennsylvania, it was ready to dump more of its water and likely cause more havoc. Behind it: a dazed, inundated New York City, a waterlogged Atlantic Coast and a moonscape of disarray and debris - from unmoored shore-town boardwalks to submerged mass-transit systems to delicate presidential politics.
2:18pm: An off-duty New York police officer has drowned in Staten Island trying to rescue his family from super storm Sandy, CBS News reports.
NYPD officer Artur Kasprzak, who died during the storm helping family. Picture: Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=378116695598452&l=35e4131a99 Source: Facebook
Officer Artur Kasprzak, 28, reportedly died after pulling six members of his family into his attic so they could escape the rising waters.
2:12pm: As residents in America's northeast endure the wind and rain from super storm Sandy, the state of Georgia now faces a higher risk of dangerous wildfires.
The Georgia Forestry Commission said the dry conditions, mixed with the high winds from the storm, creates a huge hazard, as WRCB TV reports.
2:10pm: A 13-year-old girl was killed when a catastrophic wave destroyed her family home on Staten Island, the Daily Mail reports.
Angela Dresch, 13, died when her Staten Island home was hit by the storm surge during Superstorm Sandy. Picture: Facebook Source: Supplied
Angela Dresch, whose house was in the mandatory evacuation zone, was found dead, her mother is in a critical condition and her father is still missing.
Neighbours said the family refused to leave their house as it was looted during Tropical Storm Irene last year.
2:03pm: The man behind a US-based Twitter account which yesterday posted misinformation about the storm that many American news organisations re-tweeted has resigned from his post as a Congressional aid for a Republican candidate, BuzzFeed reports.
The Twitter handle- Comfortably Numb- yesterday began a rumour that the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange had flooded and that a power company was cutting off power to customers before the storm hit. Read his full resignation statement here.
Watch this video for a look at the damage from the air above New Jersey.
The US National Guard has released aerial footage of the New Jersey coastline in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
1:45pm: Photographer Michael Cinquino has captured a stunning view of New York City as seen from Brooklyn.
A view of the Big Apple from Brooklyn after Sandy as caputred by photographer Michael Cinquino: "New York City. View from Brooklyn: 10.30.1" he tweeted." Source: Supplied
1:15pm: US fashion retailer American Apparel is no stranger to controversy, but their storm-themed sale which offered a 20 per cent discount "in case you are bored during the storm" has angered many, according to tech website Mashable.
Also watch amazing amateur footage taken of flooding in Stuyvesant Town in New York.
Flooding from Hurricane Sandy in Stuyvesant Town, NYC. Credit: Daniela Kafshi
12:59pm: US President Barack Obama's re-election bid could be helped by super storm Sandy because people look to leaders during times of emergency, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani told AAP.
Obama has suspended campaigning in the lead-up to the November 6 poll as he returns to Washington DC to oversee the national response to Sandy.
Meanwhile, here's a look at where the storm will head next, plus this incredible image of flood damage in the East Village in New York has been posted on Twitter.
Nadiya Anderson @NadiyaaAndEast Village NYC #Sandy #Hurricane http://instagr.am/p/RaMI21hg5i/ Picture: Twitter Source: Twitter
12.52pm: Relatives have paid tribute to a young Jewish couple who were killed by a falling tree in Brooklyn while walking their dog, the New York Observer reports.
Student Jacob Vogelman, 23, and teacher Jessie Streich-Kest, 24, were found dead in Brooklyn's Ditmas Park neighbourhood.
"Jessie loved life and was deeply devoted to social justice,'' a family spokesman said in an email statement.
The South Ferry subway station, near Battery Park, is flooded with seawater. Source: AP
This photo provided by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority shows the South Ferry subway station after it was flooded during superstorm Sandy. Source: AP
12.40pm: The New York Times says the city's subway may be closed for four or five days due to flooded tunnels. Transit officials who surveyed the damage to the system found battered stations and damaged signals. The South Ferry station at the southern tip of Manhattan was filled "track to ceiling'' with water, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said.
12.36pm: A heartwarming story has emerged from the New York Aquarium at Coney Island, which was badly hit by Superstorm Sandy. Staff stayed on-site throughout the night to care for orphaned baby walrus Mitik, who has had health issues since his rescue.
A beachfront house is left badly damaged in the aftermath of yesterday's surge from superstorm Sandy. Source: AP
12.28pm: CNN is reporting that 6.9 million customers are without power in 15 states and Washington D.C. - about 1 million less than four hours ago.
12.24pm: Lovable muppet Elmo appeared on WNYC radio to help kids deal with the Sandy disaster and was asked by one young fan if he was scared during the storm.
"Yeah but Elmo was with his mummy and daddy and he asked a lot of questions about what was happening,'' he said, adding that he wondered if the wind would ever stop.
"If Elmo's friends don't have electricity it will be on very, very soon and be careful out there,'' he said.
12:18pm: New York's JFK and Newark airports will reopen for some flights tomorrow, local time, according to CBS News.
12.10pm: The US economy will absorb the cost of cleaning up after Sandy, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani says. Mr Giuliani, who is in Sydney for the Property Council's annual conference, said New Yorkers would bounce back from the monster storm. The clean-up and reconstruction is expected to cost about $45 billion.
12.02pm: The New Jersey Turnpike will reopen tomorrow, local time, according to nj.com. The toll road, which was shut down from exit 14 due to chlorine fumes, will resume from 6.30am on Wednesday.
11.52am: The New Jersey Shore, famous for its amusement parks and fine white sand beaches could be among the areas hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy, NBC News reports.
Aerial shots of the iconic beach strip show boats tossed inland and shredded boardwalks. Governor Chris Christie has called the damage "unthinkable."
Boats cluster together at a marina in Brant Beach, on Long Beach Island on the New Jersey shore. Picture: AP /Philadelphia Inquirer, Clem Murray Source: AP
A portion of Harvey Cedars on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, is underwater a day after Superstorm Sandy blew across the New Jersey barrier islands. Source: AP
11.43am: A crane dangling precariously from a high-storey building in New York remains "stable" but experts worry it could still crash to the ground.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said t "the Department of Buildings has determined that the crane is currently stable," but high winds are preventing further work on the site, ABC news reports.
11:30am: No Australians have been killed, injured or hurt by the deadly Superstorm Sandy, Foreign Minister Bob Carr said.
Senator Carr said reports so far indicated none of the estimated 24,000 Australians in the area were in "great trouble''. "This is a great relief,'' Senator Carr told ABC radio.
Meanwhile, Sandy has destroyed 70 per cent of the crops in southern Haiti and caused widespread deaths of livestock while in neighbouring Jamaica it's left at least $16.5m worth of damage, officials told Associated Press.
A mighty blizzard buckets down on West Virginia, dropping a metre of snow and toppling trees. Vision: Fox News
11:19am: Amid the scenes of devastation in New Jersey, some residents reacted to the storm with spirit.
In one poignant photograph posted on Twitter by local WABCTV reporter Newton Jones Burkett shows one tough New Jersey resident holding a sign which reads "count your blessings".
This photo of a New Jersey resident was posted on Twitter by local WABCTV reoprter Newton Burkett. Picture: Twitter Source: Supplied
"You have to admire the spirit of the people in the West End of Long Beach," Mr Burkett tweeted.
11:10am: Claudia McCann the wife of Robin Walbridge who captained the replica ship of the HMS Bounty who remains missing at sea after the boat got caught in the storm said he was a storm veteran. "He was the best in the industry," she said.
11.02am: New York City will be open for business from tomorrow, says Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
"NYC will be open for business tomorrow. The financial markets will resume, as will businesses in all 5 boros #Sandy," he tweeted.
Meanwhile if you want to know what it's like to live through this kinds of storm, take a look at these pictures taken by Australian journalist Sean Plambeck.
New York residents line up to use a payphone. Picture: Sean Plambeck Source: Supplied
A sign for a New York bar. Picture: Sean Plambeck Source: Supplied
Inside a bar in New York City following Sandy's power outages. Picture: Sean Plambeck Source: Supplied
10.59am: Not even the Boss can beat Superstorm Sandy with the rock star cancelling a gig due to the disaster.
A Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concert scheduled for tonight US time at the Rochester Blue Cross Arena in upstate New York was postponed until Wednesday because of flight cancellations for the band and ticket holders.
10.48am: Monmouth County in New Jersey is imposing a curfew on all residents in the "interests of safety and security". All residents need to be off the streets by 7pm local time, nj.com is reporting. The curfew will stay in place until 7am Wednesday local time and only "essential personnel" are allowed outside to deal with the disaster.
Storm-weary residents in Statten Island said "Sandy you broke our hearts" in a poignant message left on a damaged home. A photo of the message, written in pink spray-paint was posted on Twitter by local WABCTV reporter Lucy Yang. Source: Supplied
10.43am: AN Australian who weathered Superstorm Sandy joins the stunned populace of New York to examine the damage done to one of the greatest cities in the world. Read the full account here.
People look at homes and businesses destroyed during Hurricane Sandy in the Rockaway section of the Queens borough of New York City. Picture: Spencer Platt Source: AFP
10.41am: The pictures coming out of the east coast of the United States continue to amaze.
10.35am: NY Mayor Bloomberg has tweeted that the city's schools will remain closed tomorrow, and that 2.6 million households remain without power. "Con Ed is working as fast as they can to restore power. We are doing everything possible to help. Power and transit remain our biggest challenges. It's a mammoth job".
Point Pleasant is now a wasteland of sand and broken houses. Vision: Fox News
10.29am: Most of the shows in New York's iconic Broadway theatre district will re-open tomorrow, after being suspended as Hurricane Sandy bore down on the city. Some of the city's most popular shows, including Jersey Boys and The Book of Mormon, were to open for either tomorrow's matinee or evening performances, the official Broadway League industry group said in a statement.
10.23am: NY Mayor Bloomberg: I visited Breezy Point Qns. where 80 homes burned. The area is completely leveled. Fortunately there were no fatalities. We can now confirm 18 fatalities citywide. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and friends. I can't say enough about the extraordinary work of our first responders at the FDNY and NYPD, EMS, hospital workers, and more.
10.18am: The subway station beneath New York's World Trade Centre.
Flooding at the Path station beneath the World Trade Centre, New York. Picture: nygovcuomo / twitter Source: Supplied
10.12am: President Obama has conferred with power and utility executives, asserting that the restoration of power to the areas hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy must be "a top priority". He has offered the utilities the services of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
10:02am: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has visited Breezy Point in Queens to look at the damage.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg surveys the damage caused by Sandy at Breezy Point in Queens. Picture: Instagram/ supplied by New York City Mayor's office Source: Supplied
Mayor Bloomberg said New Yorkers are pulling together in this crisis.
"We've seen an enormous outpouring of support from people who want to volunteer & contribute," he tweeted.
9:41am: The death toll from the disaster now stands at 48 in the US alone, according to the Associated Press.
9:40am: An Australian mother has given birth amid the chaos of Superstorm Sandy after having an epidural by torchlight and being evacuated during labor. Chat with other Australians living through this disaster LIVE from 10:30am AEDT.
9:30am: Incredible images of the devestation emerging from Breezy Point in Queens where the superstorm sparked a fire that burnt 80 homes.
This aerial photo shows burned-out homes in the Breezy Point section of the Queens borough New York. Picture: AP Photo/Mike Groll Source: AP
Robert Connolly, left, embraces his wife Laura as they survey the remains of the home owned by her parents that burned to the ground in the Breezy Point section of New York. Picture: AP/Mark Lennihan Source: AP
9:21am: Superstorm Sandy grounded more than 18,000 flights across the globe, and it will take days before air travel gets back to normal.
According to the flight-tracking service FlightAware, more than 7,000 flights were canceled on yesterday alone. Delays rippled across the US, affecting travelers in cities from San Francisco to Atlanta. Some passengers attempting to fly out of Europe and Asia also were stuck.
Meanwhile, more vision has emerged of the key moments of the last 24 hours of the superstorm.
Americans are waking to devastation following hurricane Sandy
9.16am: Three commercial nuclear power reactors remain shut in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy while another plant - the oldest in the United States - is still on alert.
Nine Mile Point Unit 1 reactor on Lake Ontario, northwest of Syracuse, New York, shut down automatically Monday night when an electrical fault occurred on a power line used to send electricity from the plant to the grid, according to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The second reactor at the site lost one of its incoming power lines, causing a backup generator to start. That reactor was continuing to produce electricity.
Another nuclear reactor, Indian Point's Unit 3, about 40km north of New York City, was shut down Monday because of external electrical grid issues, said operator Entergy Corp.
9.10am: The search for the sick and injured continues as many homeowners return to their properties for the first time.
Two New York City Fire Department firefighters view damage in a neighborhood in the Breezy Point area of Queens in New York. Picture: /Stan HONDA Source: AFP
A man surveys the damage to his basement after flooding due to Hurricane Sandy in Little Ferry, New Jersey. Picture: Andrew Burton Source: AFP
New York Police Department divers walk through a flooded area in the Breezy Point area of Queens in New York that was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. Picture: Stan HONDA Source: AFP
9.05am: New York mayor Michael Bloomberg says the New York City Marathon will go ahead as scheduled this Sunday.
9.03am: Repairing the power and mass transit system is a "massive job", Mayor Michael Bloomberg told a news conference.
9am: Mayor Michael Bloomberg says storm has resulted in 18 fatalities in NYC. A number of bodies have been found in seafront districts hit by the storm on Monday night, causing widespread flooding and more than 20 major blazes.
8.49am: President Obama will tour storm-damaged regions of New Jersey with tough-talking Governor Chris Christie tomorrow, the White House has announced. The tour will replace President Obama's previously scheduled election campaign trail events.
8.48am: NASA has released a time-lapse video of satellite images showing the growth of Hurricane Sandy through to after it struck the United States' east coast.
From start to finish, NASA satellites capture hurricane Sandy's massive size
8.43am: Some habits die hard. New Yorkers gather around a closed Starbucks coffee shop.
Why are these New Yorkers clustered outside a closed Starbucks? Two words: working wifi. Picture: nowthisnews / twitter Source: Supplied
8.40am: The floodwaters that poured into New York's deepest subway tunnels may pose the biggest obstacle to the city's recovery from the worst natural disaster in the transit system's 108-year history. The head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said it was too early to tell how long it would take to pump them dry and make repairs. Critical electrical equipment could be ruined. Track beds could be covered with debris. Corrosive salt water could have destroyed essential switches, lights, turnstiles and the power-conducting third rail.
8.33am: New video footage shows the extent of damage to houses and properties along the New Jersey shoreline.
See an aerial view of the obliterated homes and condos along the Jersey shoreline. Vision Fox News
8.25am: The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority says it will resume regional rail services tomorrow morning US time. A statement from the company says it expects to reopen subways and bus services later today.
Watch the storm roll into Manhattan and take out the power through the night. Vision: Richard Shepherd
8.02am: New York City's famous marathon is looking increasingly unlikely to go ahead as scheduled on Sunday. Marathon officials insisted yesterday - before the storm hit - that the race would go ahead as planned. However, the extent of damage now makes running an event of such a scale unlikely. Organisers say they will make an announcement later this morning.
A woman shops for groceries by flashlight in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York. Picture: Richard Drew Source: AP
7.49am: The total death toll and damage cost from Superstorm Sandy continues to grow.
- United States: The death toll, which is not yet final, stands at 38. Most deaths have been attributed to falling trees.
- Canada: One woman was killed when struck by a falling object.
- Haiti: The storm did not directly hit Haiti but it brought several days of drenching rains, causing rivers to overrun their banks across much of southern Haiti. Officials say as much as 70 per cent of crops were destroyed in some areas. The official death toll was 52.
- Cuba: Officials say the storm killed 11 people, including an infant, damaged more than 130,000 homes, and destroyed about 15,000 homes in eastern Cuba.
- Jamaica: One elderly man was killed when a boulder rolled onto his property and crushed him as the eye of Sandy traveled over eastern Jamaica. Floodwaters flattened farms, ripped roofs off houses in shantytowns and marooned rural areas.
- Bahamas: Police say the hurricane apparently killed two people, including the CEO of a bank who fell from his roof while he was trying to repair a window shutter.
- Dominican Republic: The storm killed two young men who drowned while attempting to cross rivers in separate incidents. Nearly 30,000 people were evacuated due to widespread flooding in the south of the country, including parts of the capital.
- Puerto Rico: The U.S. island territory was spared a direct hit but heavy rains caused flooding on the island. One death was reported, a man who was swept away in a rain-swollen river near the southern town of Juana Diaz
7.38am: New York's annual Halloween parade has been cancelled because of superstorm Sandy. "For the first time in our 39 year history, the mayor's emergency management and the NYPD have cancelled the parade,'' organisers said in a statement on their website.
People in New York's Tribeca neighborhood wait for a chance to charge their mobile phones on an available generator setup on a sidewalk. Picture: Richard Drew Source: AP
7.29am: There are reports that some Australians are walking up to 80 blocks towards uptown New York to find internet connections to let people back home know they are okay.
Here's a facebook post from Johnny Mackay from the band Children Collide.
"Thanks for your concern everyone. We're totally fine. No power, hot water or phone service. Candles are fun. It was kind of like camping. Today we walked 80 blocks uptown to civilization and sweet, sweet Internet. Mwah, mwah, mwah. I look forward to catching up on what exactly happened. x"
West Broadway is seen covered in beach sand due to flooding from Hurricane Sandy in Long Beach, New York. Pictur: Mike Stobe Source: AFP
7.25am: Superstorm Sandy will end up causing about $US20 billion in property damages and $10 billion to $30 billion more in lost business, according to IHS Global Insight, a forecasting firm.
In the long run, the devastation the storm inflicted on New York City and other parts of the Northeast will barely nick the US economy.
The short-term blow to the economy, though, could subtract about 0.6 percentage point from US economic growth in the October-December quarter, IHS says
Christopher Hannafin enters a friend's cottage through a window to salvage belongings from the structure destroyed by Superstorm Sandy, on Roy Carpenter's Beach, in the village of Matunuck, in South Kingstown. Picture: Steven Senne Source: AP
7.22am: Former Bush era FEMA director Michael Brown has criticised President Obama's response to Superstorm Sandy as being too speedy.
"One thing hes gonna be asked is, why did he jump on [the hurricane] so quickly and go back to D.C. so quickly when inBenghazi, he went to Las Vegas? Brown says. Why was this so quick? At some point, somebodys going to ask that question. This is like the inverse of Benghazi."
7.12am: The US Federal Communications Commission has reported that "a very small number of 911 emergency call centres are down". Calls are being re-routed to centres in states not affected by Superstorm Sandy, it says.
7.11am: The New Jersey Transit authority has tweeted an image showing cargo containers and boats washed on to the Morgan Draw Bridge.
Debris on the Morgan Draw Bridge. Picture: New Jersey Transit / twitter Source: Supplied
7.09am: Hurricane Sandy - by the numbers.
- 38 reported dead in the United States, one in Canada
- 200, including 20 babies, evacuated from NYU-Tish Hospital after flooding and power failure
- 8 million people are without power, from South Carolina to Maine
- 18,000 flights have been cancelled, and growing
- 6100 in New York emergency shelters
- 4.7 million children staying home from school
- 7 subway tunnels flooded
6.54am: Pictures show the devastation in the New York City borough of Queens after fire destroyed between 80 and 100 homes.
A fire fighter surveys the smoldering ruins of a house in the Breezy Point section of New York. More than 50 homes were destroyed in a fire which swept through the oceanfront community during superstorm Sandy.Pictur: /Mark Lennihan Source: AP
Homes destroyed by a fire at Breezy Point are shown, in the New York City borough of Queens. More than 190 firefighters contained the six-alarm blaze fire. Picture: Frank Franklin II Source: AP
6.34am: Sandy has stopped filming of shows like Gossip Girl, but New York's late-night talk show hosts are vowing to stay on air. Read more here.
6.21am: The airports within New York City remain closed, and you can see why with this picture taken by airline JetBlue at LaGuardia Airport in Queens.
6.12am: Instagram, the photo-sharing app recently acquired by Facebook, came into the limelight this week as a key source for pictures showing the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.
Photos of the storm were popping up on many social networks including Twitter and Google+, but Instagram data showed at least 521,000 photos with the hashtag Sandy.
Another 306,000 were tagged #hurricaneSandy and 39,000 tagged #Frankenstorm.
6.07am: President Barack Obama will travel to New Jersey Wednesday to view storm damage from Hurricane Sandy with Republican Governor Chris Christie, the White House said.
Mr Obama will also visit victims of the huge storm and will thank "first responders who put their lives at risk to protect their communities," White House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement.
US President Barack Obama gives a statement about the US government's response to superstorm Sandy at a Red Cross in Washington. Picture: Jewel Samad Source: AFP
5.56am: US President Barack Obama said today the crisis sparked by superstorm Sandy was not over and vowed to do whatever it took to handle a disaster which he said had left America heartbroken.
"This storm is not yet over," Mr Obama warned during a visit to the headquarters of the American Red Cross in Washington, adding that people affected by the storm needed to know "America is with you."
The president said his message to government officials is "no bureaucracy. No red tape."
"Obviously this is something that is heartbreaking for the entire nation," President Obama said.
A bartender at the International Bar in the East Village of New York makes drinks in the dark as New Yorkers cope with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Picture: TIMOTHY A. CLARY Source: AFP
5.50am: The New York Stock Exchange will reopen on Wednesday, officials said. The exchange said in a statement Tuesday that its building and trading floor are fully operational and that normal trading will resume at the usual starting time of 9:30 am.
There had been erroneous reports Monday that the exchange floor had flooded. Exchange spokesman Ray Pellecchia said the exchange's building did not have any flooding or damage.
Tuesday marks the first time since 1888 that the NYSE remained closed for two consecutive days because of weather. The earlier shutdown was caused by a massive snow storm.
5.41am: Searches along the US north-east coast have revealed the death toll from the storm is now 38. The Associated Press breaks down the toll state-by-state as:
New York: 17
Pennsylvania: 5
New Jersey: 4
Connecticut: 3
Maryland: 2
Virginia: 2
West Virginia: 1
North Carolina: 1
Off the coast of North Carolina: 1
A general view of submerged cars on Ave. C and 7th st, after severe flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy. Picture: Christos Pathiakis Source: AFP
5.39am: Sandy will end up causing as much as $US50 billion through damages and lost business, AP reports. The estimate totals about $US20 billion in damages and $US10 billion to $US30 billion more in lost business, according to IHS Global Insight, a forecasting firm.
In the long run, the devastation the storm inflicted on New York City and other parts of the Northeast will barely nick the US economy. That's the view of economists who say higher gas prices and a slightly slower economy in coming weeks will likely be matched by reconstruction and repairs that will contribute to growth over time.
The short-term blow to the economy, though, could subtract about 0.6 percentage point from US economic growth in the October-December quarter, IHS says. Retailers, airlines and home construction firms will likely lose some business.
5.04am: Hurricane Sandy has had an economic impact well beyond its already impressive physical size, with European stock and oil markets, airlines and insurance companies all affected by the storm.
"When New York is closed, there is roughly 40 per cent less volume in Paris," said stock trader Yves Marcais at Global Equities.
"The real engine is still Wall Street," he added as trading in New York was suspended for a second day, marking the first time traders have been told to stay away since the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.
Trading volume in Frankfurt amounted to less than 2.0 billion euros ($2.52 billion), almost half the average recorded by the German financial capital last week.
4.45am: The US death toll has risen to 35, the Associated Press reports.
4.28am: Some good news for American drivers. The price of petrol has fallen after Hurricane Sandy.
The US average for a gallon (3.8L) of regular fell by about a penny, to $US3.53 ($3.41). That's more than 11 cents lower than a week ago. Gasoline futures fell a penny to $US2.63.
With many roads impassable, drivers won't be filling up as much, which will slow demand for petrol.
"It will take some time before we can get demand anywhere close to normal," independent energy analyst Phil Flynn wrote in his daily energy report. "Many people are staying home if possible."
4.19am: The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq exchange have announced they will reopen at 12.30am AEDT tomorrow after Hurricane Sandy forced a two-day shutdown, the markets' first closure since the 9/11 attacks of 2001.
"We are pleased to be able to return to normal trading tomorrow," said NYSE Euronext chief executive Duncan Niederauer. "Our building and systems were not damaged and our people have been working diligently to ensure that we have a smooth opening tomorrow."
4.02am: Internet traffic and websites worldwide have been hit by the effects of superstorm Sandy which has damaged data centres or cut their power, industry sources say.
The storm slammed into the east coast of the United States, causing power cuts and heavy flooding in a zone where some 150 data centres are situated, in the states of Virginia, New Jersey and New York, according to a tally by the site Datacentermap.
Data centres, which house and treat computer data, are the nerve centres housing the servers that contain companies' strategic data and through which there flow the data from telecommunications operators and online content sites.
3.43am: The impact of Sandy isn't just being felt on the coast, as these pictures from West Virgina and Ohio show.
An ambulance is stuck in over a foot of snow off of Highway 33 West, near Belington, West Virginia. Picture: Robert Ray Source: AP
Waves pound a lighthouse on the shores of Lake Erie, near Cleveland. High winds spinning off the edge of superstorm Sandy took a vicious swipe at northeast Ohio, uprooting trees, cutting power to hundreds of thousands, closing schools and flooding parts of major commuter arteries that run along Lake Erie. Picture: Tony Dejak Source: AP
3.34am: Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is collecting relief supplies in Ohio in an attempt to strike the right tone in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy.
Mr Romney told Dayton-area voters that Americans have "heavy hearts" because of suffering along the East Coast. He thanked attendees for their donations, but didn't mention President Barack Obama in his brief remarks.
Mr Romney's campaign had neatly lined up toothpaste, nappies, canned food and other goods before Mr Romney's appearance. After he spoke, he collected bags of relief goods from supporters.
US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney helps to gather donated goods as he attends a storm relief campaign event in Kettering, Ohio. Picture: AFP Source: AFP
3.10am: New York's stock markets will likely reopen late tonight AEDT after a two-day shutdown due to Hurricane Sandy, despite the widespread power outages and flooding still affecting the city, New York state governor Andrew Cuomo said.
"I spoke with (US Treasury Secretary) Tim Geithner about accelerating the return of Wall Street and we are cautiously optimistic that Wall Street will be back online tomorrow," he said.
2.57am: The US death toll has climbed to 33, the Associated Press says, with many of the victims killed by falling trees.
The death toll climbed rapidly, and included 17 victims in New York State - 10 of them in New York City - along with four dead in Pennsylvania and three in New Jersey. Sandy also killed 69 people in the Caribbean.
2.46am: Travel chaos has shown little sign of abating as flooding, power outages and strong winds from Sandy have kept thousands of airplanes on the ground and buses and trains in their terminals.
More than 16,000 flights have been cancelled since Sandy first began battering the eastern United States on Sunday and regular schedules are not expected to resume before Thursday at the earliest.
New York's three main airports are closed - and LaGuardia even has flood water on the runways - and there is no word yet on when they will reopen.
2.32am: President Obama has cancelled campaign stops in Ohio on Wednesday to deal with aftermath of superstorm Sandy.
2.30am: A US Coast Guard ship is continuing to search for the skipper of an HMS Bounty-replica that has featured in Hollywood movies but sank in raging seas spawned by superstorm Sandy, leaving one other crew member dead. Read more here.
This photo provided by the US Coast Guard shows the HMS Bounty, a 180-foot sailboat, submerged in the Atlantic Ocean during Hurricane Sandy. Picture: AP Source: AP
2.13am: At least 10 people were killed when superstorm Sandy hit New York, city mayor Michael Bloomberg just said.
"Tragically we expect that number to go up," Mr Bloomberg warned at a press conference.
2:12am: More than 8.1 million homes and businesses were left without electric power across the eastern United States with superstorm Sandy still moving across the region, the US government said.
The most extensive outages were reported in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania where millions were plunged in darkness by the storm, the US Department of Energy said.
2.05am: Phone and cable companies are still assessing the damage in the storm-hit areas of the East Coast amid widespread reports of phone outages in flooded areas.
Cablevision, which serves parts of Long Island, New York City and New Jersey, says it's experiencing widespread outages due to the loss of power. Verizon Communications, the biggest phone company in the region, says some facilities in downtown Manhattan are flooded, shutting down phone and internet service. The company doesn't yet know the extent of outages in New Jersey, which bore the brunt of the storm.
AT&T says there are "issues" in hard-hit areas, and it's in the early stages of checking for damage and restoring service.
1.50am: The scene at Breezy Point in New York where 50 homes burned but so far no deaths have been reported.
Damage caused by a fire at Breezy Point in the New York City borough of Queens. Picture: Frank Franklin II Source: AP
1.41am: A hopeful sign of better things to come for New York City.
1.17am: The Associated Press reports that the death toll from Sandy in the US has climbed to 18, including six in New York, four in Pennsylvania and three in New Jersey, with most of the victims killed by falling trees. Sandy also killed 69 people in the Caribbean before making its way up the US Eastern Seaboard.
1.13am: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie says 2.4 million homes are without electricity in his state, twice as many as when Hurricane Irene hit last year. He also asks bosses to encourage their workers to stay at home for the day as commuting may be dangerous.
1.00am: A water tanker has washed ashore on New York's Staten Island during the storm.
12.34am: The massive relief operation that is unfolding to help Sandy victims may also prove uncomfortable for Mitt Romney.
The New York Times and Washington Post are already highlighting how Mr Romney had suggested in a Republican candidates debate last year that a big government agency was not the best way to handle disaster relief.
"Every time you have an occasion to take something from the federal government and send it back to the states, that's the right direction and if you can go even further and send it back to the private sector, that's even better," he said.
Mr Romney's campaign has since said that he would not abolish the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) which is handling the central government's coordination of the storm effort with states.
The New York Times, which has backed Mr Obama, called Mr Romney's notion "absurd" and asked "does Mr Romney really believe that financially strapped states would do a better job than a properly functioning federal agency?"
Damage from fire destroyed about 80 houses Monday night in the flooded neighborhood of Breezy Point. Picture: Frank Franklin II Source: AP
12.25am: Firefighters in boats rescued more than 25 people from 50 homes in a New York neighbourhood that were destroyed by a mass blaze after superstorm Sandy, officials have said.
The Breezy Point district of Queens was left a smoldering tangle of wood and metal after the blaze. Firefighters said it was "a miracle" that only two minor injuries were reported.
Floodwaters were chest high on the street and firefighters used boats to make rescues, a fire department spokesman said.
About 25 people were trapped in an upstairs apartment in one home, and the apartment roof was ablaze when the people were rescued, according to New York media reports.
12.03am: The New York Times has an interesting interactive here showing the spread of power outages across the US East Coast.
Read more from day two of Superstorm Sandy
