U.S. East Coast braces for Sandy; snow possible in Ontario
Posted October 28, 2012 10:48 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency and announced the New York City transit system will be shut down as Hurricane Sandy approaches the East Coast of the U.S.
At a news conference on Sunday morning, Cuomo and other officials said the city’s subways, buses and trains would stop running as of 7 p.m. and there would be mandatory evacuations of flood zones. They also said 400 National Guard troops have been deployed to Long Island and 200 to New York City.
The New York City subway also shut down for Hurricane Irene last year after a Columbia University study predicted a surge of just one foot would paralyze lower Manhattan.
The New York Stock Exchange will close its trading floor on Monday however electronic trading will continue on ARCA, an electronic trading platform operated by New York Stock Exchange parent NYSE Euronext.
Parts of New Jersey, New York, and Ocean City Maryland have been ordered to evacuate ahead of the storm.
The weather is also effecting the U.S. presidential campaign trail.
CNN is reporting that President Barack Obama was scheduled to make a campaign stop in Ohio on Monday with former president Bill Clinton however he will now fly directly from Florida to the White House where he can monitor the storm.
Democratic candidate Mitt Romney spent Sunday in Ohio instead of Virginia and has cancelled campaign stops scheduled this week in New Hampshire.
The Canadian Hurricane Centre says southern and eastern Ontario and western Quebec could see between 50 and 100 millimetres of rain late Monday and early Tuesday. Winds could top 100 km/h.
That rain could change to snow over central Ontario, and the wet weather could continue until Halloween Wednesday.
CityNews meteorologist Natasha Ramsahai says the long-range forecast shows only one to five millimeters of rain on Halloween, but that could change.
As a result of the storm, Toronto Region and Conservation is warning residents to be careful around rivers and streams through Tuesday.
“The forecasted rainfall will result in higher flows and water levels in all our rivers and streams, creating dangerous conditions,” the authority said in a release. “Drivers should exercise extreme caution and avoid driving through low lying areas and roadways, particularly at underpasses.”
Several airlines, including Air Canada, have cancelled most flights through New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Boston and Baltimore from Sunday to Tuesday.
Travel Alert – 29 – 31 Oct – US North East. Details, Flight Status & rebook online. Change fees waived: aircanada.com.
— Air Canada (@AirCanada) October 28, 2012
Click here to check Pearson Airport’s arrivals and departures.
American Airlines, United Airlines and JetBlue have cancelled thousands of flights to the U.S. East Coast.
Sandy has already killed nearly 60 people in the Caribbean, wrecked homes and knocked down trees and power lines.
Click here to see our hour-by-hour model on the impact the storm will have on the GTA and southern Ontario.
