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| Sharp Warnings as Hurricane Churns In | |
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| Hurricane Sandy, a menacing monster of a storm that forecasters said would bring “life-threatening” flooding, churned toward some of the nation’s most densely populated areas on Sunday, prompting widespread evacuations and the shutdown of New York City’s transit system. | Hurricane Sandy, a menacing monster of a storm that forecasters said would bring “life-threatening” flooding, churned toward some of the nation’s most densely populated areas on Sunday, prompting widespread evacuations and the shutdown of New York City’s transit system. |
| Officials warned that the hurricane, creeping north from the Caribbean, where it killed more than 60 people, could disrupt life in the Northeast for days. New York went into emergency mode, ordering more than 370,000 people evacuated in low-lying communities from Coney Island in Brooklyn to Battery Park City in Manhattan and giving 1.1 million schoolchildren a day off on Monday. | Officials warned that the hurricane, creeping north from the Caribbean, where it killed more than 60 people, could disrupt life in the Northeast for days. New York went into emergency mode, ordering more than 370,000 people evacuated in low-lying communities from Coney Island in Brooklyn to Battery Park City in Manhattan and giving 1.1 million schoolchildren a day off on Monday. |
| The subway closing was to darken every one of the city’s 468 stations at 7 p.m., for the second time in 14 months. But as construction workers put plywood over air vents on Sunday afternoon to prevent flooding in the tunnels, the closing this time seemed more ominous. The shutdown before Tropical Storm Irene last year began at noon on a Saturday, and service resumed before the workweek started on Monday. This time, officials warned, it might be Wednesday before trains were running again. | The subway closing was to darken every one of the city’s 468 stations at 7 p.m., for the second time in 14 months. But as construction workers put plywood over air vents on Sunday afternoon to prevent flooding in the tunnels, the closing this time seemed more ominous. The shutdown before Tropical Storm Irene last year began at noon on a Saturday, and service resumed before the workweek started on Monday. This time, officials warned, it might be Wednesday before trains were running again. |
| President Obama, who attended a briefing with officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Washington, called Hurricane Sandy “a big and serious storm.” He said federal officials were “making sure that we’ve got the best possible response to what is going to be a big and messy system.” | President Obama, who attended a briefing with officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Washington, called Hurricane Sandy “a big and serious storm.” He said federal officials were “making sure that we’ve got the best possible response to what is going to be a big and messy system.” |
| “My main message to everybody involved is that we have to take this seriously,” the president said. | “My main message to everybody involved is that we have to take this seriously,” the president said. |
| The National Hurricane Center said it expected the storm to swing inland, putting the center of the storm near the mid-Atlantic coast by Monday night. The hurricane center reported that the storm was packing sustained winds of almost 75 miles an hour. | The National Hurricane Center said it expected the storm to swing inland, putting the center of the storm near the mid-Atlantic coast by Monday night. The hurricane center reported that the storm was packing sustained winds of almost 75 miles an hour. |
| The center said it expected a storm surge of up to 11 feet in New York Harbor, Long Island Sound and Raritan Bay in New Jersey — significantly higher than previous forecasts and significantly above the levels recorded during Tropical Storm Irene last year. Forecasters said the water could top 8 feet from Ocean City, Md., to the border between Connecticut and Rhode Island. They predicted the waves would rise to 6 feet on the south shore of Cape Cod. | The center said it expected a storm surge of up to 11 feet in New York Harbor, Long Island Sound and Raritan Bay in New Jersey — significantly higher than previous forecasts and significantly above the levels recorded during Tropical Storm Irene last year. Forecasters said the water could top 8 feet from Ocean City, Md., to the border between Connecticut and Rhode Island. They predicted the waves would rise to 6 feet on the south shore of Cape Cod. |
| Forecasters also warned that rain that could saturate the ground and that trees could tumble across roads or onto power lines. | Forecasters also warned that rain that could saturate the ground and that trees could tumble across roads or onto power lines. |
| From North Carolina to Connecticut, officials declared emergencies and directed residents to leave areas near the shore. Delaware ordered coastal communities evacuated by 8 p.m. Sunday. In New Jersey, gamblers scrambled to play a few last rounds of blackjack before leaving the Atlantic City casinos under orders from Gov. Chris Christie. He also ordered residents to leave barrier islands from Sandy Hook to Cape May. | From North Carolina to Connecticut, officials declared emergencies and directed residents to leave areas near the shore. Delaware ordered coastal communities evacuated by 8 p.m. Sunday. In New Jersey, gamblers scrambled to play a few last rounds of blackjack before leaving the Atlantic City casinos under orders from Gov. Chris Christie. He also ordered residents to leave barrier islands from Sandy Hook to Cape May. |
| Forecasters said the hurricane was a strikingly powerful storm that cut a wide path of potential destruction. The tropical storm warning from the National Weather Service covered more than 580 nautical miles, all the way to Bermuda, and forecasters said they expected high-altitude winds to whip every state east of the Mississippi River. | Forecasters said the hurricane was a strikingly powerful storm that cut a wide path of potential destruction. The tropical storm warning from the National Weather Service covered more than 580 nautical miles, all the way to Bermuda, and forecasters said they expected high-altitude winds to whip every state east of the Mississippi River. |
| In beachfront towns from North Carolina to New Jersey, the surf was spitting, and crews were rushing to build sand walls in places where the beaches had been rebuilt after Tropical Storm Irene. The concern about the power of the storm was heightened because a system known as a midlatitude trough — which often causes severe winter storms — was moving across the country from the west. It was expected to draw in Hurricane Sandy, giving it added energy. | In beachfront towns from North Carolina to New Jersey, the surf was spitting, and crews were rushing to build sand walls in places where the beaches had been rebuilt after Tropical Storm Irene. The concern about the power of the storm was heightened because a system known as a midlatitude trough — which often causes severe winter storms — was moving across the country from the west. It was expected to draw in Hurricane Sandy, giving it added energy. |
| A burst of arctic air is expected to sweep down through the Canadian Plains just as the two storms converge. That could lead to several feet of heavy, wet snow in West Virginia and lighter amounts in Pennsylvania and Ohio that could bring down trees and power lines if already chilly temperatures drop below freezing. | A burst of arctic air is expected to sweep down through the Canadian Plains just as the two storms converge. That could lead to several feet of heavy, wet snow in West Virginia and lighter amounts in Pennsylvania and Ohio that could bring down trees and power lines if already chilly temperatures drop below freezing. |
| The full moon on Monday could cause even greater flooding, because tides will be at their peak. | The full moon on Monday could cause even greater flooding, because tides will be at their peak. |
| The possibility of a higher surge was one reason that Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York ordered mandatory evacuations in low-lying areas, just as he did before Tropical Storm Irene. One city official said there was particular concern about Con Edison’s Lower Manhattan infrastructure, noting that if the storm surge washed over the bulkheads, it could damage the utility’s electrical and steam networks. If the surge runs as high as forecast, Con Ed will shut off two electrical networks in Lower Manhattan, known as the Fulton and Beekman networks, the official said. | The possibility of a higher surge was one reason that Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York ordered mandatory evacuations in low-lying areas, just as he did before Tropical Storm Irene. One city official said there was particular concern about Con Edison’s Lower Manhattan infrastructure, noting that if the storm surge washed over the bulkheads, it could damage the utility’s electrical and steam networks. If the surge runs as high as forecast, Con Ed will shut off two electrical networks in Lower Manhattan, known as the Fulton and Beekman networks, the official said. |
| “We’re looking at two networks in Lower Manhattan,” the official said. “If storm comes to a point where it’s going to endanger the infrastructure, they’d rather save the system than make the system broke.” The official added: “It all depends on the surge; if it goes to what it’s predicted for, that’s when it will happen.” | “We’re looking at two networks in Lower Manhattan,” the official said. “If storm comes to a point where it’s going to endanger the infrastructure, they’d rather save the system than make the system broke.” The official added: “It all depends on the surge; if it goes to what it’s predicted for, that’s when it will happen.” |
| The potential loss of power, the official said, led to the decision to evacuate New York Downtown Hospital. And for residents who do not need medical care — but who do not live in buildings with generators — longer power failures are a concern. | The potential loss of power, the official said, led to the decision to evacuate New York Downtown Hospital. And for residents who do not need medical care — but who do not live in buildings with generators — longer power failures are a concern. |
| “The evacuation is easy, it’s the recovery and sustainment of that that’s harder,” the city official said. | “The evacuation is easy, it’s the recovery and sustainment of that that’s harder,” the city official said. |
| The official said a task force had been set up to deal with downed trees. It comprises officials from several city agencies, including the city’s Office of Emergency Management and the departments of fire, parks, police, environmental protection and transportation. | The official said a task force had been set up to deal with downed trees. It comprises officials from several city agencies, including the city’s Office of Emergency Management and the departments of fire, parks, police, environmental protection and transportation. |
| As for the subway shutdown, Mr. Bloomberg said that if the Metropolitan Transportation Authority had not suspended service, but instead had left itself vulnerable to the storm, the city would have risked being without its mass transit network for even longer. | As for the subway shutdown, Mr. Bloomberg said that if the Metropolitan Transportation Authority had not suspended service, but instead had left itself vulnerable to the storm, the city would have risked being without its mass transit network for even longer. |
| “They do have to make sure that their equipment doesn’t get damaged,” Mr. Bloomberg said. “Otherwise we would not have subway trains when this is over or buses when it’s over.” | “They do have to make sure that their equipment doesn’t get damaged,” Mr. Bloomberg said. “Otherwise we would not have subway trains when this is over or buses when it’s over.” |
| Joseph J. Lhota, the chairman of the authority, said he expected the transit systems to restore at least some service about 12 hours after the storm ended. But he warned that the city could be without mass transit for as many as two full work days. “I do think Monday and Tuesday are going to be difficult days,” Mr. Lhota said. | Joseph J. Lhota, the chairman of the authority, said he expected the transit systems to restore at least some service about 12 hours after the storm ended. But he warned that the city could be without mass transit for as many as two full work days. “I do think Monday and Tuesday are going to be difficult days,” Mr. Lhota said. |