NEW YORK: Millions of people were left reeling in the aftermath of monster storm Sandy yesterday as New York City and a wide swathe of the eastern United States struggled with epic flooding and massive power outages. The death toll climbed to at least 39.
As a weakened but still massive storm system continued its trek inland, more than 1 million people in a dozen states were under orders to evacuate. Sandy left behind a trail of damage - homes underwater, trees toppled and power lines downed - caused by epic flooding and fierce winds all along the Atlantic coast.
US President Barack Obama issued federal emergency decrees for New York and New Jersey, declaring that “major disasters” existed in both states. Police and fire officials fanned out to rescue hundreds. More than 8.2 million people across the East were without power. Airlines cancelled more than 15,000 flights around the world. The storm also disrupted the presidential campaign with just a week to go before Election Day.
Sandy will end up causing about $20bn in property damage and $10bn to $30bn more in lost business, making it one of the costliest natural disasters on record in the US, according to IHS Global Insight, a forecasting firm.
Lower Manhattan was among the hardest-hit areas. The New York Stock Exchange was closed for a second day. A huge fire destroyed as many as 100 houses in a flooded beachfront in Queens.Consolidated Edison said it could take at least a week to restore electricity to the last of the more than 800,000 customers in and around New York City. Agencies
