Hurricane Sandy’s impact is being felt along the N.C. coast hours before the storm is expected to make landfall near the border between Delaware and Maryland. The storm assaulted a 400-mile path along North Carolina’s coastline on Monday.
Utilities crews have begun repairs along the N.C. coast and are expected to turn their attention to the N.C. mountains which is slated to receive at least eight inches of snow. Utilities crews and rescue personnel will likely be deployed in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states, where the storm is expected to have the biggest impact and cause millions of dollars worth of damage.
The Piedmont area is under a wind advisory.
Airline and trains throughout the Carolinas have been cancelled. The Coast Guard is using a helicopter and an airplane to search for two crew members who are missing from a replica tall ship, HMS Bounty, that has sank in rough seas off the North Carolina coast. The Coast Guard already rescued 14 crew members on Monday.
Nationally, states of emergency have been declared in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Thousands of flights have been cancelled. In New York City, public transportation has been closed. Over the next 24 hours eastern states may experience gale-force winds, up to 12 inches of rain in some locations, flooding, storm surges of up to 10 feet and even wintry gusts of snow.
In response, the Red Cross has opened shelters in seven states and deploying more than 1,000 Red Cross workers to support relief efforts. The Red Cross mobilized nearly 170 Emergency Response Vehicles, secured more than 230,000 shelf-stable meals and prepared thousands of supplies such as cots, comfort kits and clean up kits.
Check our our Hurricane Sandy playlist to get you ready for the storm.
