Stripped of its bustle and mostly cut off from the world, New York was left wondering when its particular way of life would return.
Follow breaking Hurricane Sandy updates as New York struggles through power and transit outages that are expected to plague the region for days.
Send your Tweets and photos to @NewYorkPost
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9:02 p.m. -B’klyn hero
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Nino Coppolino used his Ford F-350 pick-up truck, with 40 inch tires and a 12 inch lift, to rescue people trapped inside their Gerritsen Beach, Brooklyn homes when the hurricane hit.
He was driving through four feet of water Monday night when police knocked on his window for help.
Coppolino, 29, and his buddies didn’t think twice.
“We just started driving up and down the street looking for people who needed help with a firefighter and a cop in the back.
“Emergency vehicles couldn’t get through the streets. I was the only truck able to get through. It started out with rescuing one friend and her family and then it turned into helping everyone who needed it, children, the elderly, the sick.
“The cops would give us an address and we would just head over. The police officer and a firefighter were in the back and they would do the rescue.”
Coppolino and his buddy Keith Farrell, 29 and Michael Farrell, 26 even picked up a canoe that was floating down the street to use during the rescue.
“Sometimes they put the victims in the back or inside or just stuck them in the canoe. It was nuts. I can’t believe it.”
Lorena Mongelli
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7:33 p.m. -Bloomberg visits Breezy Point devastation
This video of Mayor Bloomberg and other elected officials visiting Breezy Point, Queens, earlier today, shows images of the damage caused by the devastating fire and flooding that accompanied Hurricane Sandy.
There’s no sound, but it gives an idea of the strength of the storm — which spread fire that destroyed 111 houses and damaged 20 others.
Emergency crews had to contend with flooding, wind and low fire-hydrant pressure for nearly 12 hours to douse the horrifying six-alarm blaze, which kicked up around 11 p.m. Monday.
The fire may have initially started as an electrical fire that quickly jumped from house to house.
Despite the breadth of the damage, there were no serious injuries or reports of missing people.
Dan MacLeod and Reuven Fenton
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7:31 p.m. -Bloomberg: NYC doesn’t need O visit
Mayor Bloomberg told President Obama to stay out of the Big Apple.
“I talked to the president today … particularly about a trip here. What I pointed out to him is that we’d love to have him but we’ve got lots of things to do,” Bloomberg said this afternoon.
“But I know he had planned a trip to NJ and I said that’s fine. It represents the whole region,” the mayor said, adding that he praised the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s work with the city.
Sally Goldenberg
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7:25: p.m. -Hero cop dies after saving 7
NYPD Officer Artur Kasprzak, 29, of Staten Island died after saving six adults and a 15-month-old boy from their flooded home on Doty Avenue near the water.
Kasprzak — a six-year veteran assigned to Manhattan’s 1st Precinct — fought his way through a gut-wrenching to get his family into the attic to escape the rapidly rising waters inside the home Monday — only to be sucked into the basement by a 10-foot tide.
He was found dead at 7 a.m. this morning.
Pedro Oliveira Jr.
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7:20 p.m. -NYU canceling classes through Saturday
NYU officials have announced that they’re canceling classes for the rest of week — including Saturday.
“We anticipate being able to resume our normal academic schedule and activities on Monday, November 5,” NYU president John Sexton wrote in an email to students and staff this evening.
He said the one exception might be the College of Dentistry, which is closed tomorrow but will re-evaluate its status daily because of responsibilities to patients and for clinical education.
Yoav Gonen
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6:30 p.m. -New Yorkers swarm businesses to charge electronics
They’re in search of the perfect plug.
Smartphone-addicted New Yorkers living in the blackout zone below 39th Street have been swarming businesses above the demarcation line to power up.
A customer at the Whole Foods store on East 57th Street plugged in while answering nature’s call in the ladies room.
One desperate woman spotted a cord dangling from a restaurant menu display box at Second Avenue near 45th Street and quickly seized the opportunity to grab some free electricity.
And an office tower on Third Avenue between 39th and 40ths Streets with a conveniently located electrical outlet outside became a mecca for the power-hungry. At one point. a clever guy brought over a power strip so several people could re-charge at once.
David Seifman
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6:17 p.m. -Sandy forces city to postpone Halloween
Officials from Maryland to New York City to Maine have ordered trick-or-treating postponed amid deaths, floods and fallen trees and power lines.
“We encourage children and adults to enjoy H but use good judgment and be careful,” Bloomberg said in a press conference.
The annual Halloween parade in the Village scheduled for tomorrow was also postponed because of Sandy.
Bloomberg said “[The city] cannot spare the manpower from NYPD … to host” the parade, which is postponed until next week.
In New Jersey, which was also walloped by the hurricane, Halloween may still be on, but it will most likely be delayed.
“If conditions are not safe on Wednesday for Trick or Treating, I will sign an Executive Order rescheduling #Halloween,” New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a father of four, tweeted on Monday night.
For those looking to burn calories instead of eat them, the New York City marathon is still on so far — but race officials are considering their options given that the race starts from Staten Island.
Beth DeFalco
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5:41 p.m. -People visit Prospect Park, in spite of it being closed
Hundreds of people have visited Prospect Park today despite it being officially closed.
About an hour ago, police started ordering people to leave.
One woman was reportedly struck by a branch this morning and injured near Ocean Avenue at the eastern edge of the park.
Rebecca Rosenberg
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5:17 p.m. -Tree smashes minivan
An uprooted tree smashed this minivan like an accordion on S. Elliot Street – alongside Brooklyn Tech HS – in Fort Greene, BK.
-Sent in by Kari Betts
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5:13 p.m. -Submerged at LaGuardia
Might as well be gate sea-34.
This photo of a submerged LaGuardia Airport runway tells the whole story: all major metro-area airports are closed.
The latest word is that only Kennedy Airport has a shot of opening tomorrow – with limited service, according to Port Authority officials.
Photo credit — Jet Blue Airways (via Twitter)
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5:06 p.m. -Historic Playland Amusement Park damaged
Westchester’s historic Playland Amusement Park sustained millions of dollars of damage when it was inundated by surging water from Hurricane Sandy late last night.
The 1928 park’s iconic boardwalk was largely demolished, and its three-rink indoor Ice Casino was flooded with sea water, sand and fish that likely wrecked the underground compressors, officials said.
It was unclear whether such famed rides as the Dragon Coaster were also damaged when the entire Rye park was submerged in about two to three of water from the Long Island Sound at the height of high tide.
County Executive Rob Astorino said the cost of repairs would likely exceed the $3.2 million in damages that Westchester needs to qualify for federal disaster relief.
“It’s sad to see Playland in this kind of condition,” Astorino said after walking through the park late this afternoon. “It’s clear she came in with a fury, and for whatever reason, Sandy didn’t like Playland.”
Bruce Golding
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5:04 p.m. -Limited Manhattan bus service restored
Several Manhattan buses got rolling early this evening, the M34, M34A, M14, M57 and M22 lines. The MTA hopes to have most or all lines running by tomorrow.
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4:41 p.m. -New Yorkers’ cell hunt
There’s a steady stream of New Yorkers walking north on 9th avenue in search of power and cell service.
“I want to make phone calls to let people know I’m okay. I’m stranded on this island,” said Samantha Smith, a 26-year-old child care provider. “We have no radio, we can’t hear the latest updates. I want to plug in the computer to read the news.”
French transplant Thomas Jean, who lives in the West Village, said he’s been trying to contact concerned friends and relatives in his native France – with no luck.
“It’s difficult. We have no water, no electricity, no gas, no nothing,” the 22-year-old said.
Julia Marsh
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4:37 p.m. -Water taxis
Good luck hailing these cabs. A view of western Hoboken, NJ, north of 14th Street.
Kate Kowsh
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4:30 p.m. -Luxe stores socked by Sandy
Businesses near South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan were socked and soaked by Sandy.
At Coach, hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of pricey leather handbags, wallets and other luxury goods were ruined by 2 feet of water overnight.
Next door at Brookstone, electronics were piled up against the windows. Wireless speakers and rolling luggage were piled up among shards of glass.
“I’m speechless. We’re taking pictures because it’s so unbelievable,” said Lauren Bendheim, a 24-year-old marketing manager who lives across from South Street Seaport.
“It’s like a whole different place.”
Nearby on Water Street, three window panes of a T-Mobile store were shattered by the storm. Cell phone accessories and shopping bags litter the soaked carpet. Cash registers were pulled out and boxes of Androids torn apart.
“The store is unsalvageable, but not from vandalism. Not a thing was stolen,” said store manager Monica Acevedo, 32, of Brooklyn. “We’re waiting for them to board up the windows and move the dangerous shards of glass, then the corporation will take the next steps to recover, clean and rebuild.”
One woman came across a “Superdry” button-down shirt still on its hanger and with its price and security tags intact. It was discarded on South Street near Maiden Lane.
“It’s definitely not super dry – it’s super dirty and super wet and super sandy,” said Bethaney Merola, a choreographer who lives in the East Village. “I’m wondering if I can salvage it.”
Four Superdry mannequins could also be found on the sidewalk — half dressed in chinos and $108 jeans — on Water Street.
Julia Marsh
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3:55 p.m. – FDR still closed
The FDR Highway remains closed, officials said. The West Side Highway is closed from 125th Street to the Battery on the southbound side. The northbound lanes are currently open.
Jennifer Fermino
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3:48 p.m. – Fire ravages Belle Harbor
A devastating fire swept through several blocks of Belle Harbor, Queens early this morning and ravaged homes and cars over a 2-block stretch of Beach 130th Street.
“It looked like the 4th of July,”resident Mike McNair, 51 said of the initial fire. “Then it was finally contained a little, so we were going to stay because the water was subsiding — then the house behind me caught on fire. And then the firemen came and told us to get out.”
Fire Department Spokesman Frank Dwyer said units were working on multiple fires on a number of blocks in Belle Harbor — as well as in fire-racked Breezy Point nearby — from about 1 a.m. until 6 a.m.
“The wind was extremely strong and sustained around that time and you had flooded streets,” he said. “[Fire] was going on multiple blocks.”
Dwyer said no injuries were reported and that fire fighters are still addressing pockets that are smoldering.
One man who lives on Beach 135th Street said his brother – who was out canoeing in the stormy waters when the fire started – lives with his family on the stretch of homes that were destroyed.
“They don’t have anything – not even a wallet,” he said.
This was the same neighborhood where an airplane bound from JFK to the Dominican Republic crashed in 2001 — killing all 260 passengers and crew on board.
Ikimulisa Livingston and Yoav Gonen
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3:25 p.m. – Brooklyn carousel under water
Jane Walentas, wife of DUMBO master developer David Walentas, on status of Jane’s Carousel (a 1920s carousel she exquisitely restored located within Brooklyn Bridge Park by the historic bridge. The ride, which opened in 2009, is within a massive glass pavilion designed by architect Jean Nouvel and is fully lit and could even be seen during storm from river last night until power flickered out at 11 pm):
“I was looking at it all night from our windows,” Jane Walentas said. “It was amazing. We lost power (she and her husband live across the street at the pricey 1 Main Street building he owns) at 1 Main Street around 9:30 pm, but the carousel building was still lit. I really thought it would make it and then it began flickering and finally went out around 11 pm.”
“There were 8-foot waves crashing into [the carousel building] all night,” she said. “It looked like it was floating out in the middle of the river. It was wild but I am quite relieved it survived.”
She said the carousel and pavillon itself are completely intact but a basement area underneath was covered with five feet of water. The electrical system is kept there and will need to be repaired.
“I would be shocked if the carousel it’s operating by the spring, but I don’t expect to be operating by Thanksgiving,” she said.
Walentas said 1 Main Street and much of DUMBO is still without electricity [as of 3 pm when I spoke to her].
Rich Calder
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3:18 p.m. – Cuomo tweets power update
More than 2 million New York state electricity customers are still without power today, and Gov. Cuomo gave this agency-by-agency breakdown of the darkened: Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. has 65,060 customers in the dark; ConEd 792,936; Long Island Power Authority 943,924; National Grid 15,885; New York State Electric & Gas 113,480; Orange and Rockland Utilities Inc.140,554; and Rochester gas & Electric 19,065.
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3:09 p.m. – Disaster relief info
Disaster relief: Here’s how to report damage to homes and businesses to FEMA.
Call FEMA at 800-621-3362 (FEMA) or visit http://www.disasterassistance.gov to register for federal disaster assistance.
Before you call, be sure to have the following information ready:
* Address of affected property
* Multiple phone numbers to reach you
* Insurance information
* Social security number
Also keep photos of damage and receipts from disaster-related expenses if you have them available.
Sally Goldenberg
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3:02 p.m. – A tree falls in Brooklyn
An uprooted tree used a BMW parked outside the 5th Avenue Cat Clinic to cushion its landing near President Street, in Brooklyn’s Park Slope.
Rebecca Rosenberg
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2:59 p.m. – CUNY colleges to remain closed Wednesday
All CUNY colleges will remain closed Wednesday, officials announced.
Here’s a breakdown of the current conditions at a number of its campuses, as the damage assessments continue:
– Borough of Manhattan Community College suffered significant water damage at its main campus at 199 Chambers St. in lower Manhattan — including to its engineering plant, computer center and theaters. It also lost power. The newly-built Fiterman Hall was spared.
– Kingsborough Community College in Manhattan Beach was heavily impacted by flooding of its temporary buildings, academic center and cafeteria.
– Hunter College’s Brookdale campus, on East 25th Street and First Avenue endured extensive water damage, including to its physical therapy facilities. The main Hunter campus at 68th Street and Park Avenue was spared.
– Queens College’s roof was damaged by wind.
– Several campuses experienced power shortages and relied on emergency generators, and there have been numerous reports of fallen trees.
– Ten CUNY colleges are serving as temporary housing to nearly 2,000 people: Baruch College, City College; Hunter College; Queens College, Queensborough Community College, York College; Lehman College, Bronx Community College; New York City College of Technology; and John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Yoav Gonen
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2:52 p.m. -Storm snaps tree in half in Brooklyn
The powerful storm snapped a tree in half like a toothpick on Willoughby Avenue, in front of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.
Photo sent in by Jeremy March
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2:15 p.m. – FDR Drive eerily clear
Parts of the FDR Drive are under water and parts are full of debris. But up in the 70s, the typically bustling roadway is free of water, debris — and cars.
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2:09 p.m. – Estee Lauder heir loses home in storm
The Sagaponack beachfront home of Ronald Lauder – the son of the founders of the Estee Lauder Companies – was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.
Ocean water breached the house during high tide last night — leaving just a back wall, a few couch cushions and a bathtub. The rest of the one-story, modern house on Beach Lane was in splinters.
Ron Lauder, who had been trying to shore up his home or years against beach erosion, is a philanthropist who managed real estate.
Selim Algar
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2:07 p.m. – Congressman Turner lost home in Breezy Point blaze
Congressman Bob Turner (R-Queens) lost his home in the huge Queens fire that devoured more than 80 homes in Breezy Point last night and this morning, the pol said.
Turner said he was at his son-in-law’s nearby house when the devastating blaze broke out.
“I’ll get through this. My wife and I are pretty tough cookies,” the first-time congressman told New York 1 today.
“This is disappointing. We can look around us and say this could have been a lot worse — and for some others, it really is. We’re all right.”
The 71-year-old Turner represents New York’s 9th congressional district in a seat that used to be held by disgraced, former US rep. Anthony Weiner.
Turner, a successful television executive, won a special election 13 months ago.
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2:05 p.m. – Storm’s wrath in Far Rockaway
The storm surge deposited a shipping container awkwardly at Beach 35th Street and Far Rockaway Blvd. in Far Rockaway – one block from the bay and two blocks from the beach.
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2:04 p.m. – No timetable for restoring NJ Transit
There is no timetable for restoring NJ Transit service, New Jersey officials said today.
“Early inspections this morning reveal that Sandy has devastated NJ Transit’s operation & infrastructure,” the agency tweeted.
Gov. Christie tweeted, “The NJ_TRANSIT system has experienced unprecedented devastation. Service will not resume until it’s repaired, safe, & secure.”
Jennifer Fermino
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1:44 p.m. – At least 10 killed in 5 boroughs in Hurricane Sandy
At this point, 10 Big Apple residents have died because of Hurricane Sandy devastation, according to the NYPD.
The victims include:
– A 30-year-old man in Flushing, Queens, died when a tree crashed through his house at 7:02 p.m. yesterday.
— A 23-year-old woman in South Richmond Hill, Queens, was electrocuted when she stepped in a puddle by a downed live wire at 8:30 p.m. yesterday.
— Cops found an unidentified body in a woman’s flooded home at 164-25 98th St. in Queens today. The woman is in her 70s and was found floating in the first floor at 1 a.m.
— An off-duty NYPD officer drowned in Staten Island at 7:23 p.m. yesterday, trying to rescue family in his flooded home. He was trying to reach loved ones, who had taken shelter in the attic.
— Officers in Staten Island found a 13-year-old girl dead on a lawn at 600 Metman Ave. The cause of death was not immediately known.
— A 55-year-old man was found dead inside a business at 90 Broad St. at 1:38 a.m. today. Police believe his body floated into the building from outside.
— A 75-year-old woman, identified as Herminia St. John, was found dead at her Gramercy Park home by a relative.
“She was on a respirator. Electricity went out. She suffered cardiac arrest,” Commissioner Ray Kelly said.
— Two people were killed in Brooklyn by a falling tree near Ditmas Avenue and E. 18th St. this morning. “We had a man and a woman hit by a tree,” Kelly said.
“They were both killed as a result.” The victims are a man and woman and both 24.
— A man in his 50s was found dead in a car in the flooded basement parking garage at 92 Laight St. in Tribeca. The victim, believed to be a worker, was found at 9:24 a.m. today.
Sally Goldenberg, Jessica Simeone
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1:30 p.m. – City libraries closed Wednesday
The city’s public libraries will remain closed Wednesday – for a third straight day – because of Hurricane Sandy, officials announced. Fines on any materials that are due through tomorrow will be waived.
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1:28 p.m. – Couple killed by falling tree in Brooklyn
A man and woman walking in the Ditmas Park neighborhood of Brooklyn this morning were struck and killed by a falling tree, police said.
The couple, whose ages weren’t immediately known, were walking on Ditmas Avenue near E. 18th Street.
“We had a man and a woman hit by a tree,” Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said. “They were both killed as a result.”
One online report said the couple were out walking their dog, but the NYPD couldn’t confirm that.
Jessica Simeone
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1:06 p.m. – Rockaway Beach, Long Beach boardwalks ripped to shreds
Last night’s storm ripped boardwalks to shreds in Rockaway Beach, Queens – near Beach 94th Street – and Long Beach, Long Island, witnesses said.
In Atlantic Beach, Anthony Bello – a retired NYC firefighter and lifelong resident – described a grim scene.
“The dunes are completely wiped out… the town is totally devastated. Two to three feet of water in all the houses on the bayside – but all houses are flooded. The West end of Atlantic Beach is the worst, if possible. Right now, on Nevada Avenue, three cars are smoldering, about to blow. The main streets look like a blizzard, but it’s sand. It’s covering everything. The boardwalk [in Long Beach] is now on the street…with giant nails sticking out.”
In Rockaway Beach, a witness on Beach 94th street said he couldn’t see boardwalk in either direction — only concrete pillars.
Linda Stasi and Larry Celona
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12:58 p.m. – Water supply safe to drink
New York City water supply is safe to drink, Mayor Bloomberg said today.
Hizzoner said he has been in constant contact with President Obama throughout the recovery efforts.
“Given the magnitude of the storm, we probably have gotten through this better than some people might have thought,” he said.
Sally Goldenberg
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12:57 p.m. – NYSE to reopen tomorrow
The New York Stock Exchange will reopen for regular trading Wednesday after being shut down for two days because of Hurricane Sandy.
The exchange said in a statement Tuesday that its building and trading floor are fully operational.
Tuesday marks the first time since 1888 that the NYSE remained closed for two consecutive days due to weather. The last time was due to a massive snow storm.
Sections of Manhattan were inundated with water and power was shut off to thousands of people and businesses.
Global markets rebounded Tuesday, though trading was subdued in the wake of the storm.
AP
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12:53 p.m. – NJ man killed in Port Jefferson Station
A 21-year-old New Jersey man was killed in an early morning car accident in Port Jefferson Station, Long Island, police said.
Vishwaja Muppa was a passenger in the back seat of a 2002 Toyota Highlander that crashed into a Suffolk County police cruiser at 1:30 a.m.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.
The driver – Amanpreet Dhaliwal, 20 – and two other passengers were taken to Stony Brook University Hospital.
Police officer Rene Garcia was also treated at the hospital and released.
Cops are investigating whether the accident was storm related.
Selim Algar
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12:36 p.m. – Bridge reopened
The Outerbridge Crossing, George Washington, Goethals and Bayonne bridges have been reopened, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. However, all motorists are urged to avoid driving unless absolutely necessary.
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12:35 p.m. – UWS damage
One of the few signs of damage on the Upper West Side is this felled tree at West 95th St and Amsterdam. Despite high winds, the neighborhood — the second most elevated area in Manhattan — was remarkably unscathed. The streets and coffee shops were bustling since the early hours of the morning, and lots of cars were zipping up and down Broadway.
Jennifer Gould Keil
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12:25 p.m. – Flooded parking garage
The entrance to a parking garage at Shore Parkway and East 7th street — just blocks from Coney Island Hospital — is completely submerged.
Kevin Sheehan
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12:19 p.m. – MTA track worker: Some trains could be running by Wednesday
An MTA track worker who’s been on the clock since Sunday gave The Post his personal assessment of the damage to the subway system.
“I’m honestly thinking the earliest [service will resume] will be sometime Wednesday, at limited service. There’s flooding in the Monahue tube, the other tubes are partly flooded,” he said. “There was fire on Chambers Street – an electrical fire. It did do some damage. Some repair work is going on now.”
The worker was walking across the Brooklyn Bridge to get a hot meal. He said he hadn’t eaten anything since Monday afternoon.
“The [MTA’s] support for their workers has been terrible – we haven’t even gotten a warm cup of coffee. We can’t get a vehicle to get supplies back and forth across the bridge,” said the worker, who expects to be on the clock until Thursday.
“I slept two hours last night, nothing the night before. It’s been terrible, terrible,” he added. “We’ve been cut completely off on the other side. We’re resorting to crossing the bridge on foot to get something to eat.”
Julia Marsh
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11:27 a.m. – School makeup days
According to the public school calendar, students in kindergarten and grades 7 and 8 will likely have to make up one of the school days that were missed this week.
Those grades were scheduled for 182 school days – and are missing at least three this week – but the state requires that students attend school for 180 days.
Students in other grades, which were scheduled for 183 days, will likely have to make up a lost school day if public schools don’t reopen Thursday.
Yoav Gonen
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11:27 a.m. – Breezy Point underwater
Breezy Point is underwater and devastated.
The entire neighborhood is flooded. Homes along the beach are in tatters, with living rooms visible through entire walls that have been blown in.
The side of one home was ripped from the rest and is laying diagonally in a massive pool of water. The wind is still extremely fierce.
Further into Breezy Point, the devastation gets worse. Homes are flattened to the ground. People are hugging and crying.
Even further are some 50 homes destroyed by fire last night.
Reuven Fenton
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11:19 a.m. – Body found at Georgica Beach
A body has washed ashore on tony Georgica Beach in East Hampton.
Nobody has been reported missing recently, officials said.
Response teams are trying to identify the victim.
Selim Algar
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11:18 a.m. – Bloomberg: Getting transit running, restoring power is biggest challenge
Mayor Bloomberg said this morning “The biggest challenges going forward is getting our mass transit system running and restoring power.”
Both will take “more time and a lot of patience,” he said.
He hopes for some limited bus service this afternoon, with full bus service tomorrow if all goes well.
Subways are another story.
“The [subway] tunnels are flooded and that’s going to be a big problem,” he said.
Many of the subway yards that hold the trains also flooded. It could take up to five days for service to be fully restored.
No planes will be coming into or out of New York airports today, he said.
“Runways are flooded,” he said.
Because mass transit isn’t running, he is allowing livery cabs to accept street hails. Also, yellow cabs will pick up multiple passengers for trips.
Jennifer Fermino
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11:15 a.m. – Bloomberg’s news conference
For a full, live feed of the mayor’s presser, take a look at City Hall reporter Sally Goldenberg’s Twitter feed. She’s got it all there: https://twitter.com/SallyGold
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11:13 a.m. – South Ferry 1 stop
One of the hardest hit subway station is the brand new South Ferry 1 train stop — which in 2009 underwent an overhaul of more than $500 million, a source said.
There is water up to the ceiling in the station, a source said.
Otherwise the subways experienced “wide spread” flooding in all five boroughs, the source said.
Here’s some photos of the rehabbed station in better days: http://www.mta.info/capconstr/sft/
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11:06 a.m. – Metro-North ‘rail’ block
Here’s what’s blocking the Metro-North tracks at Ossining Station.
Maybe transit workers should slap some wheels on it and get some passengers on board…
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10:57 – All East River Bridges reopened
The city has reopened all of the East River Bridges – the Manhattan, Williamsburg, 59th Street, and Brooklyn – this morning.
And the MTA opened all of its bridges — the Triborough, Throgs Neck, Bronx-Whitestone, Verrazano-Narrows, Henry Hudson, Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial, and the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial – to emergency vehicles, like fire trucks and police.
Jennifer Fermino
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10:52 – Knicks-Nets opener up in air
NBA spokesman Tim Franks said this morning the league is “assessing’’ whether the Knicks-Nets season opener on Thursday and whether the Knicks’ home opener on Friday will be played due the destruction created by Hurricane Sandy.
Franks said tonight’s season opening games will go on as scheduled. The Celtics take on the Heat tonight in Miami while the Lakers visit Dallas.
Marc Berman
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10:43 a.m. NJ Halloween in question
Hurricane Sandy may have scared away Halloween in New Jersey.
Gov. Chris Christie said it won’t be safe for kids to trick-or-treat tomorrow and may cancel Halloween.
“We may want to reschedule Halloween for another day,” he said. “I want kids to be safe. … I certainly want to make that assessment probably today or early tomorrow.”
Chuck Bennett
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10:37a.m. Christie: PATH won’t be up any time soon
Gov. Chris Christie warned that getting to and from Manhattan will be difficult via mass transit.
“I would not look for the PATH system to be operating anytime in the near feature, at least 7 or 10 days. My guess, people will have to rely on the ferry system to get back and forth into Manhattan much like we saw after 9/11.”
He added, that “NJ Transit, I think will be less compromised than the PATH system,” but could provide no timetable.
Christie, then said they will rebuild the Jersey shore. “If there is any good news, it is October and the Jersey shore season doesn’t start to Memorial Day.”
Chuck Bennett
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10:33 a.m. – Gov. Christie updates NJ damage
Gov. Chris Christie provided an update on the “devastation” Sandy unleashed on New Jersey.
“There are houses in the middle of Route 35,” he said, describing the damage to the Jersey shore. “The level of devastation at the Jersey shore is unthinkable.”
He said even though the rain has tapered it off it far too dangerous for homeowners to return to the barrier islands to assess the damage
“We need to remain patient, let the waters recede and then go in and get a full assessment,” he said. “It is a devastating sight right now. The devastation that happened in New Jersey is beyond what happened anywhere else. The devastation is unprecedented, like nothing we have ever seen.”
He said the recovery could take longer than Hurricane Irene.
“We need to keep that in mind in terms of gauging our expectations.”
Christie also said he is suffering from a cold.
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10:30 a.m. – Damage in Clifton Shop
A look inside the Clifton Shop, which services Staten Island Railway cars. Water crestes over the sea wall and wreaked havoc inside.
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10:18 a.m. – Brooklyn Bridge commute
Most commuters this morning are taking the Brooklyn Bridge – the pedestrian walkway, that is.
“Sandy really came through and shut down New York. But you see a lot of people are walking to work. I’m a nanny, the mom works for City Hall so mom’s got to go to work and we need to get New York back moving. So it’s going to take us a little time, but we’re New Yorkers so we’ll make it happen,” said Alvin McCain, 45.
And this is the second day that Henry Trieu, 42, an accountant, walked from Little Italy to the Brooklyn Marriott for work. The walk takes an hour door to door.
“I hold the key for the main safe to the hotel so I have no choice but to come. We’re 24-hour service so someone’s got to be there,” he said. “I was fighting against the wind, holding on to the railings. We had power up to 7:30 p.m. then it went pitch black. It’s still out now.” He was decked out in a rain jacket, hat and knee high rubber boots: “Yesterday I didn’t have my boots on I was soaked waist down.”
Some people were just trying to get home.
“I started at 4 p.m. yesterday. I’m trying to get home to my family in Queens. My family is scared, my kids are crying,” said Mohammad Rahman, 40, who lives in Sunnyside and is a bus boy at Leshalles, a French restaurant on John Street in Manhattan.
We “were open until the blackout then they closed. There were a lot of customers. We worked by candle. Inside when I was working I couldn’t see anything. But when someone said “emergency” I was worried. My family was calling from India, worried.”
He said people were carrying on as usual, dining on prime rib and chicken breast. After the blackout, the manager put staff up in the nearby Hilton.
Julia Marsh
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10:14 a.m. – Tanker washes ashore in SI
A massive tanker washed ashore on Staten Island — with the Manhattan skyline visible in the background.
Named the John B. Caddell, the ship was built in 1941 and weighs more than 700 tons.
Chad Rachman
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10:10 a.m. – NYPD mobilized in the streets
NYPD brass are kicking their officers out of the office and into the streets.
Inside 1PP, headquarters security just made an announcement over the loudspeaker:
“All uniforms members of service below the rank of captain must mobilize in the first floor…including nightsticks and vests.”
A source said the cops will likely be manning traffic lights because there is no power in Lower Manhattan and to have extra emergency response teams in the street.
The same measures during the blackout.
Jessica Simeone
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10:00 a.m. – NYU Medical Center evacuated
The evacuation at NYU Medical Center is still ongoing – though the people being taken out right now do not appear to be in critical condition.
Earlier in the night “there were people in the ICU who had drips of medicine that couldn’t stop and breathing tubes and we had to carry them down narrow staircases,” Dr. David Ellenberg said. “We lifted someone up into the ambulance, turn around, and get another person. It’s like an assembly line.”
One official said there are seven million gallons of water flooding the basement of Bellevue and at NYU there is medical waste floating in the basement.
Matt Abrahams
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9:49 a.m. – DUMBO
Flood waters receded into the East River early this morning, leaving streets several hundred feet in from the shoreline damp and littered with debris.
The ground was littered with flotsam — upended picnic tables, Styrofoam cups, wooden pallets, plastic bottles, and sheets of plywood.
At the break of dawn residents began to emerge from their lofts to walk the streets. They found that their neighborhood wasn’t as hard-hit as others.
Mike Schetzel, 43, said it was the first time since the storm hit that he felt safe enough to venture out.
“We couldn’t leave our building – the winds were too bad,” Schetzel said.
With power out in much of DUMBO and also across the river in Lower Manhattan, Schetzel said they had seen the ConEd transformer explosion on Monday night.
“We were sitting on our couch, and the whole sky lit up when the transformer blew on 14th Street,” he said.
And Kareem Jones examined the cobblestone street as he walked, looking like a transplanted beachcomber in search of urban treasure.
He was holding a soggy piece of paper.
“I just found this dollar,” Jones said, with a smile.
“I’m going to let it dry, and then I’m going to put it in a photo album,” he said.
Mitchel Maddux
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9:35 a.m. – Central Jersey damage
In parts of Central New Jersey – even where flooding was minimal – the storm re-damaged pieces of infrastructure that had not been fully repaired after last year’s storm.
On Wakefield Drive in Metuchen, a power cable that came down last year was brought down again last night. That’s because the line was never full restored last year.
Town leaders sent robocalls to every Metuchen resident, saying the whole town had no power and that it was under a state of emergency.
The entire town – only miles off the Outerbridge Crossing – lost power around 7 p.m. last night.
Josh Margolin
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9:28 a.m. – Long Island power out
It’s still lights out on Long Island.
More than 80 percent of the Long Island Power Authority’s 1.1 million customers are without power with 400,000 households in the dark in Nassau County and 450,000 in Suffolk.
Stunned LIPA officials are warning residents that restoration efforts could take longer than a week to complete and that crews cannot even begin work until the scope of Sandy’s wrath is fully assessed.
Selim Algar
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9:23 a.m. – Coney Island Hospital
Coney Island Hospital – seen here with fences downed and debris scattered along its front walkway – lost power at 10:09 pm. Emergency generators worked in new building, but the old building is without power.
At one point there was 2 feet of water in the emergency room, which is still closed. Patients were moved to higher floors.
Kevin Sheehan
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9:19 a.m. – Southhampton near The Cut
A shot of what was a beach parking lot in Southampton near The Cut — it’s now covered in sand and debris.
Jennifer Gould Keil
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9:16 a.m. – Bloomberg to hold news conference
Mayor Bloomberg will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. at the Office of Emergency Management in Downtown Brooklyn to update New Yorkers on power outages, fires, and transit services. He may also address any effect on the Marathon, scheduled for Nov. 4.
Sally Goldenberg