Sandy: authorities suspended subway service, train and bus in New York

LIRR connecting concourse at Penn Station. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NEW YORK --- The Authorities of the State of New York Announced the suspension of services metro, train and bus in the city and surrounding area from the Local 19H00 Sunday against the impending arrival of Hurricane Sandy.

 "The governor Announced the suspension of service on the MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority), Including the LIRR (train near Long Island), the bus and train connections, the MTA-North. Last train at 7pm," said Gov. Andrew Cuomo through his Twitter account.

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Super Storm Sandy to Hit East Coast

Official photographic portrait of US President Barack Obama (born 4 August 1961; assumed office 20 January 2009) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hurricane Sandy on Saturday threatened the eastern United States with heavy rain, strong winds, heavy flooding and power outages, just over a week before the presidential elections in the world's largest economy.

 

Experts anticipate that Sandy, a slow-moving storm whose winds tropical extend 1,050 kilometers, could generate waves of 1.2 to 2.4 meters in Long Island Sound, the southern part of the bay of New York and Delaware.

 

Is likely to accumulate in some areas up to 12 inches of rain.

 

As is combined with a jet stream from the Arctic, meteorologists say that Sandy has all the ingredients to become a so-called "Super Storm", unlike what has been seen for decades in the eastern United States.

 

Governors in several states along the East Coast declared states of emergency and called on citizens to hold food, water and batteries.

 

The storm, which strengthened in the hectic run-up to the U.S. presidential elections of November 6, presents a challenge to the campaigns of President Barack Obama and his Republican rival, Mitt Romney.

 

Because Sandy, Romney rescheduled their planned campaign events on Sunday in Virginia and moved to Ohio instead. Meanwhile, the Obama campaign announced that Vice President Joe Biden canceled a trip scheduled for Saturday at Virginia Beach.

 

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

 

Millions of Americans are taking advantage of the electoral arrangements to cast their vote early. State officials said they have implemented contingency plans in the event of extended power outages or other problems could disrupt the vote.

 

The White House said the president convened a meeting with Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Craig Fugate and other officials to discuss the government's actions by storm.

 

In New York, the authorities considered suspending public transportation-buses, subways and commuter railroads, and bridges and tunnels close to the threat of Sandy.

 

Decisions related to the transport system is likely to be taken on Sunday, said the director of state operations, Howard Glaser.

 

A potential closure could begin at 7 pm Sunday, when the last departing trains. The whole system should be closed around 3 am on Monday, officials said.

 

Sandy was centered about 540 kilometers southeast of Charleston, South Carolina, and had maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour on Saturday afternoon, said the National Hurricane Center.

 

Sandy already made disasters in the Bahamas and eastern Cuba during the past two days, with at least 41 dead. Now moving slowly north and then on Sunday expected to turn to the United States.