Live Blog: Hurricane Sandy Slams Into Northeast U.S. 10/28/2012
Get the latest updates on the "Frankenstorm"
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MT @wsjweather: Sandy's surge in Lower Manhattan now about 3ft & rising, just 1ft shy of Irene's high water mark. Next high tide in ~2hrs.by capitalweather via twitter 10/29/2012 11:26:45 AM -
Hurricane Sandy, which has already killed 65 people in the Caribbean, is strengthening and beginning to turn westward toward the eastern seaboard of the United States, where it is expected to make landfall Monday evening in southern New Jersey.
An estimated 50 million people live in the storm's projected path, where it has cancelled work and school and forced the first weather-related closure of the stock market in 27 years, according to Reuters.
Sandy's wind speeds have increased to 85 miles per hour, and the outer reaches of the 1,000-mile wide storm have already begun to thrash the East Coast with high winds and heavy rains. As of 5 a.m., Sandy was located about 285 miles off the coast of North Carolina.
We'll use this live blog to collect information on the storm and its effects throughout the day. -
In anticipation of the storm's potential severe impact, the Department of Defense has deployed 61,000 National Guard forces to the eastern seaboard and streamlined the military’s chain of command to ensure a smoother response effort. Read more about the military's full response to Sandy here.
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According to the National Hurricane Center’s 8 a.m. update, Sandy is accelerating and moving to the northwest with sustained 85 mph winds. It’s currently about 265 miles southeast of New Jersey. The Center continues to expect the storm to “bring life-threatening storm surge and coastal hurricane winds, plus heavy Appalachian snows.”
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Hurricane Sandy vital statistics, as of 8 a.m. Eastern:
Category 1 hurricane
Location: 265 mi. east of Atlantic City, NJ
Maximum sustained wind speed: 85 mph
Wind gusts: 105 mph
Movement: NNW at 19 mph -
Atlantic City --> RT @jitneyguy: 80 feet of boardwalk floating free at Atlantic and New Hampshire Ave. #sandy pbs.twimg.com
by twc_hurricane via twitter 10/29/2012 12:29:46 PM -
Never seen a HURRICANE FORCE WIND WARNING and SHELTER IN PLACE WARNING: www.nws.noaa.gov #Sandyby Jim Cantore via twitter 10/29/2012 12:30:41 PM -
Seventeen crew were forced to abandon a foundering ship Monday morning off the coast of North Carolina, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The crew boarded rubber lifeboats wearing life jackets and cold water survival suits, leaving their three-masted ship the HMS Bounty behind. As of 8 a.m., U.S. Coast Guard helicopters had rescued 14 of the 17 crew members in the Atlantic Ocean about 150 miles west of the eye of the hurricane, USA Today reports.
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“This is a serious and big storm. And my first message is to all the people across the Eastern seaboard, Mid-Atlantic, going north, that you need to take this very seriously and follow the instructions of your state and local officials.” - President Barack Obama, speaking at FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The president cancelled a scheduled campaign stop in Orlando this morning and has returned to Washington to oversee hurricane relief efforts. -
Ventnor Heights, NJ RT @Dustinwtff: Oh boy. instagr.am #Sandy
by twc_hurricane via twitter 10/29/2012 1:07:10 PM -
#Hurricane #Sandy [IMAGE] from GOES-East satellite (Oct 29) twitpic.com via @NOAASatellites
by NOAA via twitter 10/29/2012 1:11:13 PM -
On the 500mb charts you can see the merger/phasing of the 2 systems starting. twitpic.com #Sandy #snOMG
by Brad Panovich via twitter 10/29/2012 1:11:22 PM -
Latest Northwest Atlantic Infrared satellite image from the National Hurricane Center
by Christian Lowe via Ssd.noaa.gov 10/29/2012 1:27:46 PM -
More than 61,100 National Guard troops are available to help with relief efforts, the National Guard says. As of Sunday evening, 1,500 of them were on active duty and helping with efforts coordinated by the governors of Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Virginia.
These troops are working with regional first responders and FEMA employees to help clear routes, manage evacuation shelters, perform search and rescue operations and help deliver essential equipment and supplies.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta appointed specially trained “dual status commanders” to manage both local and federal resources. Learn more about this new and rare position here:
New Kind of Commander to Combat Sandy Destruction -
More power outage numbers: Long Island, NY 10k+, Norfolk, Newport News, VA: 2k+ #sandy #poweroutagesby WeatherBug via twitter 10/29/2012 1:40:41 PM -
Seth Guikema, an engineer at Johns Hopkins University, used his computer model to predict that 10 million people from Virginia to New Jersey are going to lose power after Hurricane Sandy rips through with its high winds and heavy rains on the East Coast Monday. -
U.S. Northern Command is on alert at the order of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, readying light- and medium-lift helicopters to assist with response and rescue efforts. It has also mobilized rescue teams on 24-hour status.
USNorthCom, based out of Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., is the unified command for all U.S. military tasked with protecting the national interests of the U.S., Canada and Mexico. It also provides military support for civil authorities.
FEMA is using NorthCom bases for its response operations. -
How large is #Sandy's wind field? 1,015 miles! pbs.twimg.com
by WeatherBug via twitter 10/29/2012 1:51:47 PM -
Despite Sandy, SCOTUS Stays Open
Come hell or high water, the U.S. Supreme Court has a history of carrying on with business as usual. Monday was no exception as Hurricane Sandy barreled into the Northeast bringing high winds and shutting down the federal government and Washington, D.C. metro area transportation.
The Court will be open as scheduled, according to CNN, with the Justices hearing two important hour-long oral arguments, one in a case challenging the government's secret domestic surveillance program and the other examining whether copyright protections extend to written materials produced overseas and then sold in the United States.
It will be "business as usual," Kathy Arberg, the court's public information officer, told CNN. Officials "will continue to monitor the situation," she added, and depending on the final call made by Chief Justice Roberts, the building could be closed Tuesday or beyond.
Oral arguments are scheduled months in advance, and canceling or delaying them causes logistical issues for cases argued before the high court. According to CNN, former chief justice William Rehnquist—a native of Wisconsin—routinely kept the Court open during snowstorms and other inclement weather, sending four-wheel-drive vehicles to pick up several justices from their homes. -
Hurricane Sandy has been dubbed the ‘October Surprise’ of the 2012 presidential election. Already, President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney have altered their campaign schedules to accommodate the mega storm.
Obama is currently en route from Orlando, Florida to Washington, D.C. where he will monitor the weather and direct recovery efforts via the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He’s already signed state-of-emergency declarations for several states ahead of the anticipated destruction, including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and the District of Columbia. That designation eases access to emergency resources for the affected regions.
Romney issued an e-mail to supporters on Sunday night advising Americans to look out for their neighbors and to support the American Red Cross. His note also showed great attention to detail, asking people to take in their yard signs.
“For safety's sake, as you and your family prepare for the storm, please be sure to bring any yard signs inside. In high winds they can be dangerous and cause damage to homes and property,” Romney wrote.
Sandy’s already had one tangible impact on the election—Maryland has cancelled early voting that was set for Monday, though it’s a Democratic stronghold and is not considered to be a swing-state. -
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Will Hurricane Sandy leave an economic boomlet in its wake? Don’t count on it—even if you hear forecasters and pundits touting the economic benefits that come from rebuilding after a natural disaster. That’s often bunk.
Hurricane Irene caused something like $15 billion in damage to the eastern seaboard when it struck in 2011. Sandy, a bigger storm likely to linger longer, could cause a lot more damage. Already, there are some press reports suggesting that a big rebuilding effort will provide a much-needed boost to construction and generate other helpful types of investment.
But most natural disasters are a net loss for the economy, with invisible damage nobody sees usually outweighing the supposed benefits to construction and a few other industries. "The alleged benefit of natural disasters is a recurring error in the media," says economist Donald Boudreaux of George Mason University, author of Hypocrites and Half-Wits: Here are a few thoughts on the topic from him:
Whenever there's a hurricane, there will be some media person saying there's a silver lining, because it will stimulate the economy. People will have to rebuild and restock the shelves.
That's true, but destruction is bad for an economy, not good for an economy. It can be good for some people, like those in the building trades, but when people have to rebuild a roof that was perfectly fine yesterday and is now destroyed, that’s money people don’t spend on other things.
So we see these handfuls of workers and businesses that benefit. What we don’t see is the money not spent on other things because the family is now poorer. The restaurant meals they didn't buy. The vacation they didn't take. This always happens, this claim that there’s a bright economic lining around a natural disaster. -
RT @MartinMMC: Norfolk continues to get hit hard by #Sandy #HRSandy pbs.twimg.com
by twc_hurricane via twitter 10/29/2012 2:31:21 PM -
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These airmen from the 108th Wing of the New Jersey National Guard get processed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst on Sunday before heading out to assist emergency shelters.
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Check out U.S. News' photo gallery: Preparing for Frankenstorm
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BREAKING -- WABC-TV: Atlantic City official says most of the city is under water; damage could be worse than 1962by mpoppel via twitter 10/29/2012 2:47:33 PM -
Hardly any air traffic over the northeast US. Many airports closed with @flightaware reporting 6,872 cancellations. pbs.twimg.com
by 4cast4you via twitter 10/29/2012 2:53:00 PM -
As Sandy Bears Down, Big Banks Waive Fees for Customers in Storm’s Path
Big banks are waiving overdraft and ATM fees while Hurricane Sandy continues to batter the eastern seaboard with dangerously high winds, driving rain, and flooding.
Hundreds of local bank branches across the Northeast are closing due to the historic storm, which threatens to knock out power for more than 10 million Americans.
Chase and Citibank sent an e-mail to customers on Sunday night, according to multiple sources, informing them that fees for late payments, overdrawing accounts, and outside-network ATM withdrawals would be suspended through Wednesday, October 31. Customers have until Thursday evening to make sure their accounts and balances are up-to-date to avoid fees. -
Governors across the East Coast prepared constituents for the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy on Monday. Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley warned his state that “people will die in this storm.”
O’Malley discouraged residents from going out on the road or underestimating the storm’s potential damage.We’re in the front lines of this. Maryland is going to be dead inside this very deadly storm, and right within that swath of downed trees, downed power lines. People need to stay off the roads. If you thought maybe because the kids had the day off school you could go get haircuts or go shopping, forget it.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo expressed frustration over New Yorkers who refused to evacuate potential high-impact areas.Citizens have a duty in this too. They need to be smart, they need to use common sense. You do not need to be going to the beach to take pictures. You really don’t.
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Power outage map for Washington, DC (via PepCo.) area. #Sandy pbs.twimg.com
by Seth_Cline via twitter 10/29/2012 3:07:13 PM -
Power outage map for NYC (via Con Edison). #Sandy pbs.twimg.com
by Seth_Cline via twitter 10/29/2012 3:07:41 PM -
Hurricane Sandy is a Democrat, at least in the Twitterverse. A Twitter account for the giant storm is mixing funny tweets about super-soaking the country with insults directed at Mitt Romney. -
This infrared satellite image of Hurricane Sandy shows the storm at roughly 3 a.m. in the Atlantic Ocean heading for the East Coast. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Monterey, Calif./Department of Defense)
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Attention #DMV, if you see a homeless person in need during the hurricane, call shelter hotline 1.800.535.7252. Please pass along!by DMVFollowers via twitter 10/29/2012 3:11:37 PM -
Via ssec.wisc.edu RT @irisheagle: Visible satellite image of #Sandy. pbs.twimg.com
by twc_hurricane via twitter 10/29/2012 3:12:03 PM -
Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Southern Maryland remains open but in a Mission Essential Personel status.
The base, located right on the Chesapeake Bay, is the main research and test facility for the Navy, including for the new V-22 Osprey. It also provides fleet support for Navy aircraft and engineering. -
Officials in Ocean City, NJ "the ocean has met the bay, we have never seen anything like this". pbs.twimg.com
by KathyOrrCBS3 via twitter 10/29/2012 3:17:07 PM -
The storm won't just keep people from going to work, it'll also keep them from going to the polls: Seven Ways Hurricane Sandy May Disrupt the Presidential Election
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Hurricane Sandy vital statistics, as of 11 a.m. Eastern:
Category 1 hurricane
Maximum sustained wind speed: 90 mph
Location: 205 mi. east of Atlantic City, NJ
Wind gusts: 115 mph
Movement: NNW at 18 mph -
A shirtless man with a horse mask on is apparently running around Washington D.C. through the hurricane.
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PIC: water entering the runway safety area adjacent to the bay runway at #JFK #sandy instagr.am
by Andrew Cuomo via twitter 10/29/2012 3:30:06 PM -
White House says President Obama will deliver a statement on Hurricane Sandy from the situation room at 12:45 p.m. Eastern Time.
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Mayor: All @NYCSchools will be closed again tomorrow, Tuesday the 30th. #Sandyby NYC Mayor's Office via twitter 10/29/2012 3:39:01 PM
