ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - At least 17 U.S. deaths are being blamed on Superstorm Sandy, which has knocked out power to an estimated 7.5 million people across the Eastern part of the country.
Sandy slammed into the New Jersey coastline with 80 mph winds Monday night and hurled an unprecedented 13-foot surge of seawater at New York City, flooding its tunnels, subway stations and the electrical system that powers Wall Street.
But for New York City, Sandy was not the dayslong onslaught many had feared, and the wind and rain that sent water sloshing into Manhattan began dying down within hours. The full extent of the storm's damage across the region is unclear, and unlikely to be known until daybreak.
Heavy rain and further flooding remain major threats over the next couple of days as the storm makes its way into Pennsylvania and up into New York State. Near midnight, the center of the storm was just outside Philadelphia, and its winds were down to 75 mph, just barely hurricane strength.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - Forecasters say the center of Superstorm Sandy has roared ashore on the New Jersey coast, packing high winds and a life-threatening storm surge.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said the center of the enormous storm made landfall at 8 p.m. near Atlantic City, after it was reclassified from a hurricane to a post-tropical cyclone.
Sandy had sustained winds of 85 mph. Forecasters say it's no longer a hurricane, but was still a vast and dangerous hybrid storm
Sandy is combining with a wintry storm from the west and cold air from the Arctic. The superstorm could menace some 50 million people in the nation's most heavily populated corridor, from big East Coast cities to the Great Lakes.
Just before roaring ashore, the National Hurricane Center announced that it considered Sandy no longer a hurricane but had turned into a wintry hybrid.
Nuclear power plant on alert
WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's oldest nuclear power plant is on alert after waters from a colossal storm reached high levels.
Oyster Creek in Lacey Township, N.J., was already offline for regular maintenance before Sandy, a superstorm downgraded Monday night from a hurricane, slammed the East Coast.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says an "unusual event" was declared around 7 p.m. when water reached a high level. The situation was upgraded less than two hours later to an "alert," the second-lowest in a four-tiered warning system.
Federal officials say all nuclear plants are still in safe condition. They say water levels near Oyster Creek, which is along the Atlantic Ocean, will likely recede within a few hours.
Oyster Creek went online in 1969 and provides 9 percent of New Jersey's electricity.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - Forecasters say Sandy is no longer a hurricane but is still a dangerous system taking dead aim at New Jersey and Delaware.
The National Hurricane Center said Monday evening that Sandy is a post-tropical storm and losing strength but still has sustained winds at 85 mph. The eye has almost made landfall.
The center says storm surge has reached heights of 12.4 feet at Kings Point, N.Y.
Gaining speed and power through the day, the storm knocked out electricity to more than 1.5 million people and figured to upend life for tens of millions more. It clobbered the boarded-up big cities of the Northeast corridor, from Washington and Baltimore to Philadelphia, New York and Boston, with stinging rain and gusts of more than 85 mph.
Utility cuts power to parts of downtown NYC
NEW YORK (AP) - New York City's main utility has cut power to part of downtown Manhattan in a pre-emptive bid to lessen damage from a massive approaching storm.
Consolidated Edison spokesman Chris Olert says the utility cut the power shortly after 7 p.m. Monday to 6,500 customers.
That's when a few inches of water began spilling over the seawall of lower Manhattan. A weakened Sandy approached the city, threatening an 11-foot storm surge.
Olert says that power was cut to customers in an area bordered by the Brooklyn Bridge, Broadway and the East River.
Crane dangles from NYC high-rise, clearing streets
NEW YORK (AP) - Nine-hundred guests at a nearby hotel are among those who have been evacuated as a construction crane dangles from a luxury high-rise in midtown Manhattan.
The crane collapsed in high winds as conditions worsened from the approaching Hurricane Sandy. Meteorologists say winds atop the 74-story building could have been close to 95 mph at the time.
Engineers and inspectors were planning to climb to the top of the building to examine it as the huge storm -- now classified a post-tropical cyclone -- bears down on the city.
There are no reports of injuries. City officials don't have a number on how many people have been told to leave.
The nearly-completed high-rise is known as 0ne57 and is in one of the city's most desirable neighborhoods, near Carnegie Hall, Columbus Circle and Central Park.
City officials say the crane had been inspected, along with other city cranes, on Friday and was found to be ready for the weather.
Sandy: State by State
The massive storm that started out as Hurricane Sandy slammed into the East Coast and morphed into a huge and problematic system affecting millions of people. Here's a snapshot of what is happening or expected, state by state.
CAROLINAS
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued 14 members of a crew forced to abandon a tall ship off the North Carolina coast. One of the crew members was found hours later and was in critical condition at a hospital Monday night, but the ship's captain was still missing. The HMS Bounty was originally built for the 1962 film "Mutiny on the Bounty" starring Marlon Brando and has been featured in other films, including one of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies. Power outages: 5,639.
CONNECTICUT
The University of Connecticut is closing Tuesday, joining a hundreds of other schools and school systems across the state. The closure includes UConn's law school and the UConn Health Center, though the John Dempsey Hospital will remain open during the storm. State police said one person has died after being hit by a falling tree. Power outages: 615,000.
DELAWARE
Dover Air Force Base relocated some aircraft before the storm, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency has requested that the base be used as a staging area for support and supplies. Some residents of low-lying areas of the base were ordered to evacuate. Power outages: 32,000.
ILLINOIS
The powerful storm is expected to extend as far as Chicago, where the National Weather Service already has issued high wind warnings and a lakeshore flood warning for Tuesday and Wednesday. City officials said Lake Shore Drive, along Lake Michigan, is expected to remain open. But they urged motorists to proceed carefully. The Chicago Transit Authority said it will reroute buses if necessary.
KENTUCKY
Sandy forecast to bring snow to far southeastern Kentucky. A winter storm warning is in effect in Harlan, Letcher and Pike counties through Wednesday morning. Forecasters say snow could accumulate from 4 to 10 inches in high elevations and 1 to 3 inches in lower elevations.
MAINE
Virtually all Maine public schools opened Monday but some were closing early before the storm's heaviest rain and wind. State officials say the biggest concern is wind, which is expected to cause widespread power outages. The state's utilities say they have crews poised to deal with expected power outages, including some from Canada. Power outages: 80,000.
MARYLAND
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake barred vehicular travel on city roads as of Monday evening. The restrictions do not apply to uniformed personnel, hospital employees or other medical providers. Gov. Martin O'Malley earlier Monday also closed the Bay Bridge.
MASSACHUSETTS
Voluntary evacuation recommendations have been issued in Scituate, Lynn, New Bedford and Plum Island. The recommendations are for just certain sections of the communities that could be affected by flooding as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Mandatory evacuations were ordered in sections of Dartmouth and Fall River. Power outages: 400,000.
MICHIGAN
Michigan utilities say high winds could cause power outages in the state and they're keeping an eye on the weather to respond to power problems. DTE Energy Co. said gusts of 50 mph Monday evening and Tuesday could affect some it its 2.1 million customers. Power outages: 23,000.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Gov. John Lynch declared a state of emergency and directed that non-essential state workers be released from work Monday afternoon. He urged employers to consider releasing workers early. The governor has put 100 New Hampshire Guard soldiers on active duty. At least 13 shelters have been opened. Power outages: 120,000.
NEW JERSEY
All roads into and out of Ocean City are closed due to flooding that has cut off the popular Jersey shore resort community. Former Hurricane Sandy already had flooded most of Atlantic City, sweeping away an old section of the city's famed boardwalk. Two people were killed when officials say a tree landed on their vehicle. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has shut down Newark Liberty airport until further notice. The airport had technically been open through the day Monday although flights were not coming or going. Power outages: 1.7 million.
NEW YORK
Much of New York was plunged into darkness Monday from the superstorm and utilities that deliberately darkened downtown Manhattan to prevent storm damage. Water flooded into two major commuter tunnels and onto some subway tracks at stations in the city. Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office says at least five people have died in New York state because of the storm. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Power said airports in metropolitan New York City have been closed until further notice due to flooding. Power outages: 1,130,000.
OHIO
Residents of low-lying areas and along Lake Erie were told to watch for flooding; utilities are anticipating high winds that could blow down trees and poles. Snow is forecast in some areas. Power outages: 22,000.
PENNSYLVANIA
Officials from the state transit agency and the Pennsylvania Turnpike have instituted speed restrictions over concerns about high winds and ordered certain vehicles, including empty trucks and motorcycles, off some highways. The National Weather Service says southeastern Pennsylvania could get winds reaching 75 mph and rainfall up to 10 inches. An infant was slightly injured when a tree fell on a house in Delaware County on Monday. A man died Sunday in Lancaster County when he fell while trimming a tree. Power outages: 640,000.
RHODE ISLAND
Officials are concerned about wind driving water north up Narragansett Bay, which could create flooding in low-lying areas of the upper bay, including Providence, Warwick and Cranston. Power outages: 110,000.
TENNESSEE
Snow is expected in higher elevations, where a freeze warning has been issued. High winds are expected in many areas.
VERMONT
Gov. Peter Shumlin declared a state of emergency to provide access to National Guard troops in a state still recovering from the devastating effects of the storm. Culverts and storm drainage basins in some spots have been cleared of debris. Power outages: 14,470.
VIRGINIA
Thousands in Virginia are without power as the storm began moving away from the state. There are about 100,000 people without electricity in northern Virginia. Utilities have brought in additional crews to assist with restoration efforts. Power outages: 123,460.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Taxis that originate in Washington are authorized to add an emergency flat rate of $15 per trip because of Hurricane Sandy. The price is supposed to expire at noon Tuesday, but can be extended if considered necessary. The capital area's transit system shut down rail service for the first time since 2003. Power outages: 5,500.
WEST VIRGINIA
Officials say a woman was killed in a storm-related traffic accident. A spokeswoman for Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin says about 5 inches of snow had fallen in the area of Tucker County where the crash occurred, making road conditions treacherous. Tomblin declared a state of emergency for the state. West Virginia Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Jimmy Gianato said conditions are expected to be at their worst overnight and early Tuesday before the storm moves on.
WISCONSIN
The Village of Pleasant Prairie along Lake Michigan near the Illinois border has advised residents in about 265 homes to voluntarily evacuate Tuesday morning because of the possibility of dangerously high waves and flooding. Lori Getter of the Wisconsin Division of Emergency Management said waves of 14-18 feet are forecast for Lake Michigan.
