Superstorm Sandy floods NYC streets, causes blackouts

Largest ever

The storm's wind field stretched from the Canadian border to South Carolina, and from West Virginia to an Atlantic Ocean point about halfway between the United States and Bermuda, easily one of the largest ever seen.

The National Hurricane Center said Sandy came ashore as a "post-tropical cyclone", meaning it still packed hurricane-force winds but lost the characteristics of a tropical storm. It had sustained winds of 80 miles per hour (129 kph), well above the threshold for hurricane intensity.

Storm surf kicked up by the high winds from Sandy break onto homes in Southampton, New York, Oct 29, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

With eight days to go before the election, President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney canceled scheduled campaign events. Both candidates acted cautiously to avoid coming across as overtly political while millions of people are imperiled.

US stock markets were closed on Monday for the first time since the attacks of Sept 11, 2001, and were set to remain shut on Tuesday. The federal government in Washington was closed, and schools were shut up and down the East Coast.

NYSE Euronext said there had been no damage to the New York Stock Exchange headquarters that could impair trading floor operations, but it was making contingency plans in case of such damage.

One disaster forecasting company predicted economic losses could ultimately reach $20 billion, only half insured.

Governors up and down the East Coast declared states of emergency. Maryland's Martin O'Malley warned there was no question Sandy would kill people in its path.

Sandy made landfall just south of Atlantic City, about 120 miles (190 km) southwest of Manhattan. Casinos in the gambling destination had already shut down.

Floodwaters from Hurricane Sandy rush into the Port Authority Trans-Hudson's (PATH) Hoboken, New Jersey station through an elevator shaft in this video frame grab from the NY/NJ Port Authority twitter feed, Oct 29, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]