New York, Oct 30: Sandy, one of the biggest storms ever to hit the United States, battered the nation’s eastern seaboard on Tuesday, swamping New York City streets with record levels of floodwater, blacking out power to millions of people and bringing transportation to a halt through much of the region.
At least 20 people were reported killed in the United States by Sandy, with disaster forecasting companies predicting that economic losses could ultimately reach $20 billion.
The storm also slowed the presidential campaign at a key time ahead of next week’s vote and closed US markets for two days. Sandy, which was especially imposing because of its wide-raging winds, brought a record surge of almost 14 feet (4.2 meters) to downtown Manhattan, well above the previous record of 10 feet (3 meters) during Hurricane Donna in 1960, the National Weather Service said.
Water poured into the subway system and tunnels that run under the rivers around Manhattan, raising concerns that the world’s financial capital could be hobbled for days.
Hurricane-force winds as high as 90 miles per hour (145 kph) were recorded in the area. “In 108 years our employees have never faced a challenge like the one that confronts us now,” Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Joseph Lhota said in a statement. It could take anywhere from 14 hours to four days to get the water out of the flooded subway tunnels, the MTA said.
Much of the city was deserted, as its subways, buses, commuter trains, bridges and airports were closed. Neighborhoods along the East and Hudson rivers were underwater, as were low-lying streets near Ground Zero, where the World Trade Center once stood. Power and back-up generators failed at New York University Hospital, forcing patients to be moved elsewhere for care.
Trees were downed across the region, falling debris closed a major bridge in Boston and floodwater and gusts of wind buffeted coastal towns such as Fairfield, Connecticut, home to many commuters into New York City. US stock markets were set to be closed on Tuesday.
They closed on Monday for the first time since the attacks of September 11, 2001. The federal government in Washington was closed and schools were shut up and down the East Coast.
Sandy killed 66 people in the Caribbean last week before pounding US coastal areas.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 30 Oct 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 30 Oct 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:00:00 IST