“Super-storm” Sandy has swept into the US East Coast with hurricane-force winds, bringing flooding, cutting power and claiming at least 33 lives. US President Barack Obama on Tuesday declared that Sandy had triggered “major disaster” in the states of New York and New Jersey and freed up federal aid for those who lost homes or businesses.
At least 50 homes burned to the ground in the Breezy Point neighborhood of Queens, fire officials said, though the cause of the blaze was not immediately released. More than 200 firefighters battled the leaping flames.
Officials blamed at least 33 deaths on the storm — five in New York, three each in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, two in Connecticut, and one each in Maryland, North Carolina and West Virginia. Elsewhere along the East Coast, a US sailor on board a replica of the HMS Bounty was recovered from the sea and later died at hospital, and the captain was missing and feared dead after the tall ship went down off the Carolinas.
Both President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney cancelled campaign appearances little more than a week before the presidential election. US stock markets were closed on Monday, the first time since the attacks on September 11, 2001, and will remain shut on Tuesday.
The federal government in Washington was also closed, and so too were schools up and down the East Coast. Fierce winds will blow from northern Georgia into Canada and as far west as Lake Michigan. Heavy rains will soak New England and parts of the Midwest.
The southernmost parts of New Brunswick as well as southwestern Nova Scotia are under rainfall warnings, while the agency warns winds could gust to 120 km/h in Inverness County to the north Tuesday morning. A massive explosion at a power substation in lower Manhattan Monday evening contributed to the power outages. Bob Robichaud of the Canadian Hurricane Centre said while Sandy is striking late in hurricane season, there could be more Atlantic storms to come.
At least 50 homes burned to the ground in the Breezy Point neighborhood of Queens, fire officials said, though the cause of the blaze was not immediately released. More than 200 firefighters battled the leaping flames.
Officials blamed at least 33 deaths on the storm — five in New York, three each in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, two in Connecticut, and one each in Maryland, North Carolina and West Virginia. Elsewhere along the East Coast, a US sailor on board a replica of the HMS Bounty was recovered from the sea and later died at hospital, and the captain was missing and feared dead after the tall ship went down off the Carolinas.
Both President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney cancelled campaign appearances little more than a week before the presidential election. US stock markets were closed on Monday, the first time since the attacks on September 11, 2001, and will remain shut on Tuesday.
The federal government in Washington was also closed, and so too were schools up and down the East Coast. Fierce winds will blow from northern Georgia into Canada and as far west as Lake Michigan. Heavy rains will soak New England and parts of the Midwest.
The southernmost parts of New Brunswick as well as southwestern Nova Scotia are under rainfall warnings, while the agency warns winds could gust to 120 km/h in Inverness County to the north Tuesday morning. A massive explosion at a power substation in lower Manhattan Monday evening contributed to the power outages. Bob Robichaud of the Canadian Hurricane Centre said while Sandy is striking late in hurricane season, there could be more Atlantic storms to come.
