Ctr. for Disaster Philanthropy–Nov. 1, 2012, 9 a.m.
Supplies are beginning to run short in the areas hit hardest by Sandy. Gas stations are out of gas—or out of commission. Those who sheltered in place are running out of food. Power still hasn’t been restored. And as authorities can get into some of the worst flooded areas, the known death toll is increasing, now standing above 70.
The environmental damage is mounting as well, with oil and fuel spills pushing their way toward the ocean. Sewage continues to be an issue in many communities, with raw waste flooding streets or gushing into waterways.
Meanwhile, more discussions are beginning to take place about the country’s expanding hurricane zone. Long a challenge to the Southern United States, warmer water temperatures and melting Arctic ice are combining to push the Northeast into the hurricane zone.
CBS/AP/ October 29, 2012, 12:42 PM
NEW YORK A super storm threatening 50 million people in the most heavily populated corridor in the nation gained strength Monday, packing winds of 90 mph and picking up considerable speed just hours before it is expected to make landfall, forecasters said.
The National Hurricane Center said Monday afternoon that Hurricane Sandy is moving northwest at 28 mph – up from 18 mph a few hours earlier. At 4:00 p.m. ET the Category 1 hurricane was about 55 miles east-southeast of Cape May, N.J. The storm’s top sustained winds are holding at about 90 mph with higher gusts.
Hurricane Sandy 11 am update: Getting stronger
Gale/tropical storm-force force winds were reported from North Carolina to southern New England.
Hours before the storm made landfall, high winds had already knocked out power to more than half a million customers in several states by mid-day Monday.
Sandy is expected to hook inland Monday, colliding with a wintry storm moving in from the west and cold air streaming down from the Arctic. Forecasters say the storm’s center will make landfall along or just south of the Southern New Jersey coast Monday evening.
Sandy is likely going to strengthen even more as it approaches the East Coast, Bernard reports, with hurricane-force winds reaching land by Monday.
Flooding will be a huge threat, with many areas potentially seeing rainfall amounts between 5 and 8 inches over a 48-hour period.
Winds building: Maximum sustained winds are at 90 mph, with gusts over 100 mph observed along the coast.
Outages: Around 500,000 people are without power across several East Coast states. Officials have warned that response crews may be delayed because of high winds.
NYC tunnels closing
Travel: Nearly 10,000 flights have been canceled Monday and Tuesday, almost all storm-related, according to FlightAware. With major carriers canceling all flights at the three New York-area airports, a ripple effect of delays can be expected across the U.S. and worldwide.
After shutting down subway and train service in New York City, authorities also closed two major tunnels into Manhattan, the Holland and Brooklyn Battery.
Evacuations: Hundreds of thousands are under orders to evacuate coastal regions, including 375,000 in New York City, 50,000 in Delaware and 30,000 in Atlantic City. At a mid-morning news conference, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned that time was running out for those ordered to evacuate, saying that those people “should have left already.”
Hurricane Sandy slams Northeast
States of emergency: President Barack Obama has declared emergencies in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, authorizing federal relief work to begin well ahead of time. He promised the government would “respond big and respond fast” after the storm hits.
“My message to the governors as well as to the mayors is anything they need, we will be there, and we will cut through red tape,” Mr. Obama said. “We are not going to get bogged down with a lot of rules.”
CBS/AP/ October 29, 2012, 12:42 PM