Monster tornado flattens suburb of Oklahoma City

BREAKING: State medical examiner's office: 37 killed in Oklahoma tornado; death toll expected to rise -RJJ Monster tornado flattens suburb of Oklahoma City Mon, May 20 20:46 PM EDT 1 of 2 By R.J. Young MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - A huge tornado with winds of up to 200 miles per hour devastated the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore on Monday, ripping up at least two elementary schools and a hospital and leaving a wake of tangled wreckage. At least four people were killed, KFOR television said, citing a reporter's eyewitness account, and hospitals said dozens of people were injured as the dangerous storm system threatened as many as 10 U.S. states with more twisters. Television video showed tracts of homes destroyed, cars tossed about and piled atop one another, and at least one building on fire. Rescue workers pulled third-graders from the devastated Plaza Towers Elementary school in Moore, a KFOR television reporter said from the scene, and aerial video showed first responders sifting through the rubble left behind. "I have never seen anything like this in my 18 years covering tornadoes here in Oklahoma City. This is without question the most horrific," said Lance West, a reporter for KFOR. Briarwood Elementary School, which also stood in the storm's path, was all but destroyed. On the first floor, sections of walls had been peeled away, affording clear views into the building, while in other areas, cars hurled by the storm winds were lodged in the walls. While the school was a wreck, nearby playground equipment stood undamaged, though littered with rubble. Across the street, people picked through the remains of their homes, looking for any possessions they might salvage. The National Weather Service assigned the twister a preliminary ranking of EF4 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale, meaning the second most powerful category of tornado with winds up to 200 mph. At least 45 people were injured, according to officials of four hospitals. "They (injured) are coming in minute by minute," said Integris Southwest Medical Center spokeswoman Brooke Cayot. Of the 19 injured there, seven were in critical condition, seven serious and five listed as fair or good, Cayot said. The University of Oklahoma Medical Center had received at least 20 injured. St. Anthony Healthplex South in Oklahoma City said it received four patients and Midwest Regional received four. Moore Medical Center sustained significant damage. "The whole city looks like a debris field," Glenn Lewis, the mayor of Moore, told NBC. "It looks like we have lost our hospital. I drove by there a while ago and it's pretty much destroyed," Lewis said. The massive twister struck at the height of tornado season, and more were forecast. On Sunday, tornadoes killed two people and injured 39 in Oklahoma. Witnesses said Monday's tornado appeared more fierce than the giant twister that was among the dozens that tore up the region on May 3, 1999, killing more than 40 people and destroying thousands of homes. That tornado ranked as an EF5, meaning it had winds over 200 mph. The 1999 event ranks as the third-costliest tornado in U.S. history, having caused more than $1 billion in damage at the time, or more than $1.3 billion in today's dollars. Only the devastating Joplin and Tuscaloosa tornadoes in 2011 were more costly. OTHER STATES THREATENED The National Weather Service predicted a 10 percent chance of tornadoes in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. It said parts of four other states - Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Iowa - have a 5 percent risk of tornadoes. The area at greatest risk includes Joplin, Missouri, which on Wednesday will mark two years since a massive tornado killed 161 people. The latest tornado in Oklahoma came as the state was still recovering from a strong storm on Sunday with fist-sized hail and blinding rain. Two men in their 70s died in the storm, including one at a mobile home park on the edge of the community of Bethel Acres near Oklahoma City, said Keli Cain, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management. Thirty-nine people were injured around the state as storms toppled trees and tore up rooftops, she said. Several hundred homes and buildings were thought to have been damaged or destroyed and approximately 7,000 customers were left without power in Oklahoma. "There is definitely quite a bit of damage," Cain said. Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin declared 16 counties disaster areas. More than two dozen tornadoes were spotted in Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas and Illinois, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and local news reports. Hail stones, some as large as baseballs, were reported from Georgia to Minnesota, NOAA said. The tornado season in the United States had been unusually quiet until last week, when a tornado struck the town of Granbury, Texas, killing six people. (Additional reporting by Lindsay Morris, Carey Gillam, Nick Carey, and Brendan O'Brien; Writing by Greg McCune and Daniel Trotta; Editing by Jim Loney) ================== May. 20, 2013 8:07 PM ET Oklahoma twister tracked path of 1999 tornado By MALCOLM RITTER, AP Science Writer This combination of Associated Press photos shows left, a neighborhood in Moore, Okla., in ruins on Tuesday, May 4, 1999, after a tornado flattened many houses and buildings in central Oklahoma, and right, flattened houses in Moore on Monday, May 20, 2013. Monday's powerful tornado in suburban Oklahoma City loosely followed the path of a killer twister that slammed the region in May 1999. (AP Photo) Small suburban Oklahoma City hospital damaged May. 20, 201310:25 PM ET Hospitals treat more than 140 after Okla. tornado May. 20, 20139:54 PM ET Oklahoma officials: Tornado search, rescue ongoing May. 20, 20139:10 PM ET 51 killed in Oklahoma tornado; death toll to rise May. 20, 20139:07 PM ET More tornado alerts in wake of deadly twister May. 20, 20138:34 PM ET Buy AP Photo Reprints NEW YORK (AP) — Monday's powerful tornado in suburban Oklahoma City loosely followed the path of a killer twister that slammed the region in May 1999. The National Weather Service estimated that the storm that struck Moore, Okla., on Monday had wind speeds of up to 200 mph, and was at least a half-mile wide. The 1999 storm had winds clocked at 300 mph, according to the weather service website, and it destroyed or damaged more than 8,000 homes, killing at least two people. Kelsey Angle, a weather service meteorologist in Kansas City, Mo., said it's unusual for two such powerful tornadoes to track roughly the same path. The May 4th, 1999 twister ( 4 / 5 / 1999 The conversion result is: Tuesday 18 MuHarram 1420 A.H.) was part of a two-day outbreak sweeping mostly across central Oklahoma — similar to the past two days. The weather service has tentatively classified the Moore twister's wind speeds as an EF4 on a 5-point scale. Angle said less than 1 percent of all tornadoes reach EF4 or EF5. The thunderstorm developed in an area where warm moist air rose into cooler air. Winds in the area caused the storm to rotate, and that rotation promoted the development of a tornado. The most destructive and deadly tornadoes develop from rotating thunderstorms. The biggest known tornado was nearly 2 1/2 miles wide at its peak width, which the weather service describes as near the maximum size for a tornado. It struck Hallam, Neb., in May 2004. The deadliest tornado, which struck March 18, 1925,Wednesday 23 SHa`baan 1343 A.H. , killed 695 people in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. The city of Moore has been damaged by significant tornadoes on October 4, 1998(4 / 10 / 1998 The conversion result is: Sunday 13 Jumaada al-THaany 1419 A.H. ) , May 3, 1999=Monday 17 MuHarram 1420 A.H. , May 8, 2003, =Thursday 7 Raby` al-awal 1424 A.H. May 10, 2010,=Monday 26 Jumaada al-awal 1431 A.H. and May 20, 2013=Tuesday 11 Rajab, 1434 The May 3, 1999 tornado that hit Moore, that was rated an F5 on the Fujita scale, was the strongest tornado in world history. The tornado, which occurred during the 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak, had an approximate recorded wind speed of 318 mph (512 km/h), the highest speed ever recorded from a tornado. It left a swath of destruction over 1 mile (1.6 km) wide at times, and 38 miles (60 km) long. It killed a total of 36 people in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. This was the deadliest F5 tornado recorded since the Delhi, Louisiana tornado in 1971 until this mark was eclipsed by several tornadoes in 2011 and the devastating 2013 Moore tornado. Deaths from twisters have been declining in recent years because of improved forecasts and increased awareness by people living in tornado-prone areas, especially in smaller and rural communities. 28 / 10 / 2012-Hurricane Sandy The conversion result is: Sunday 12 Thw al-Hijjah 1433 A.H. Most of Tornados and Twisters hit US Coasts in Zilhaaj, Moharram, Saffar, Rajab, Shabaan. 21 / 5 / 2013: Tuesday 11 Rajab 1434 A.H. Huge tornado hits Oklahoma City suburb, kills 51 May 4th, 1999 twister ( 4 / 5 / 1999, Tuesday 18 MuHarram 1420 A.H.). The 1999 storm had winds clocked at 300 mph, according to the weather service website, and it destroyed or damaged more than 8,000 homes, killing at least two people. March 18, 1925,Wednesday 23 SHa`baan 1343 A.H. , killed 695 people in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. It was almost Eid Day, the anniversary of Saddam's Execution, when Sandy concentrated all energy to wreck NY, NJ.http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#ec=xha3JkNDob-DtufEX1a5Rh4EkV6gVnRW&pbid=61ad5ff4ba57488ab20328b38b5a6f05, 23 / 8 / 2005, Tuesday 18 Rajab 1426 A.H. Hurricane Katrina formed over the Bahamas on August 23, 2005 and crossed southern Florida as a moderate Category 1 hurricane. its second landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on the morning of Monday, August 29 in southeast Louisiana. It caused severe destruction along the Gulf coast from central Florida to Texas. 23 / 8 / 1992, Sunday 24 Safar 1413 A.H., After turning westward, Andrew entered a stage of rapid intensification, strengthening into a destructive Category 5 hurricane near the the Bahamas on August 23, 1992. Associated Press ==============

New Jersey bridge collapse derails freight train; chemical leaks

New Jersey bridge collapse derails freight train; chemical leaks Fri, Nov 30 17:54 PM EST 1 of 7 By Dave Warner PAULSBORO, New Jersey (Reuters) - A railroad bridge collapsed on Friday over a creek in southern New Jersey, causing a Conrail freight train to derail and spill hazardous chemicals into the air and water, authorities said. Seven of the 82 cars derailed, and a tanker car that fell into Mantua Creek leaked vinyl chloride into the waterway, which feeds into the Delaware River near Philadelphia, said Deborah Hersman, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board. More than 12,000 gallons (45,425 liters) of the highly toxic and flammable industrial chemical leaked from a gash in the car's side, local officials said. Twenty-two people were examined at a nearby hospital as a precaution and were doing fine, said Larry Ragonese, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Ragonese said the health danger and environmental impact were minimal. "Initially there was a release of gas into the air that affected some nearby residents and people working right in that area," he said. Air quality monitors in the area did not register any problem, said Lawrence Hajna, also with the DEP. "All the levels are coming in within our safety range." Exposure to vinyl chloride can cause a burning sensation in the eyes or respiratory discomfort, the DEP said. The accident took place at about 7 a.m. EST (1200 GMT) in Paulsboro. Area residents initially were told to stay indoors, with windows shut, and local schools were closed. The leak was contained and no longer posed a threat, and authorities were using booms to trap the chemical in the water, Ragonese said. At the scene, one of the freight cars was nearly vertical, nose-down and partly submerged in the creek. Other cars lay jumbled on the collapsed bridge and the embankment. "It's part of living in Paulsboro, with refineries and trains. We accept it," said resident John Diamond, 53, who was taking photographs. The area is thick with chemical plants, and two refineries, PBF Energy's Paulsboro and NuStar's Asphalt, are nearby. TANK "BREACHED" The head of the Gloucester County, New Jersey, Office of Emergency Management, Tom Butts, said the leaking tanker car in the water had a tear in it, and the tank was "breached." About half of its contents leaked out, he said. The tank was carrying some 25,000 gallons (94,635 liters) of the chemical, said John Burzichelli, a state assemblyman and former mayor of Paulsboro. "When you live between two oil refineries, you have a sense that these things can happen," he said. Locals fish and go crabbing and jet-ski in the creek in the warm months, Diamond said. Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, said improved safety procedures, inspection, enforcement and oversight are needed to help prevent such accidents. "This time it was ... vinyl chloride. What if it was chlorine?" he said, referring to a chemical that is extremely dangerous if inhaled and has the potential to explode. Also, he said there is no mechanism to alert communities to what kinds of chemicals trains are carrying through the states. He questioned the integrity of the bridge, which is owned and operated by Conrail, since Superstorm Sandy slammed into New Jersey on October 29, causing surges in area waterways. The cause of the accident was undetermined. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating, and members of the agency arrived at the scene mid-afternoon. NTSB's chairwoman said four out of the five train cars that were on the bridge when it collapsed landed in the creek, and two other cars rolled onto the embankment. "We have requested a great deal of information from the railroad" as part of the investigation, Hersman said. Conrail said the train consisted of two locomotives, 82 rail cars and one caboose. "We very much regret the impact on the local community," said Conrail spokesman John Enright, who was at the scene. "We will be working very closely with federal investigators to determine the cause." The bridge underwent extensive repairs after getting damaged in a 2009 derailment of a coal freight train, Burzichelli said. "That bridge is very old. It's not a good day for Conrail," Burzichelli said, adding that the bridge carries three major freight trains daily. New Jersey State Senate President Steve Sweeney, also on the scene, said a nearby homeowner reported hearing a "loud bang" from the bridge about two days ago. Burzichelli said Conrail had come out to examine it in response. Conrail is jointly owned by rail operators CSX Corp and Norfolk Southern Corp. (Additional reporting by Edith Honan and Ellen Wulfhorst; Writing by Ellen Wulfhorst; Editing by Vicki Allen and Xavier Briand)

New York, New Jersey governors warn of long recovery from storms

New York, New Jersey governors warn of long recovery from storms Fri, Nov 09 21:10 PM EST 1 of 6 By Eddie Evans and Ernest Scheyder NEW YORK (Reuters) - Residents of New York and New Jersey were told on Friday to prepare for a long recovery from Superstorm Sandy, as thousands of people grappled with cleaning up their properties, the extended lack of electricity and gasoline shortages nine days after the storm. New Yorkers faced gasoline rationing for the first time since the energy crisis of the 1970s, as authorities tried to deal with long lines at gas stations and some commuters continued to struggle to get to and from work. The White House said President Barack Obama would visit the region next week. Sandy hammered the U.S. East Coast on October 29, killing at least 120 people and causing an estimated $50 billion in damage or economic losses. Then an early season snowstorm pummeled the region on Wednesday, knocking out power to some homes just as they were getting back on the grid. Rationing on Friday seemed to ease gas lines in New York, just as it did in New Jersey last week, and utilities reported that power was being restored to many homes. Some 434,000 homes and businesses in the Northeast lacked power as of Friday afternoon, down from 696,000 the previous day, the Energy Department said. But for coastal communities where thousands of homes were smashed, flooded, filled with sand or burned to the ground, full recovery would take a long time. "This is not going to be a short journey" for many communities, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said at a news conference. And New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, after touring the Shore, said that many popular vacation spots will not be fully rebuilt by next summer. "This is our Katrina," he declared, referring to the hurricane that washed out New Orleans in 2005. LONG BEACH ISLAND TO REOPEN At Sea Bright, New Jersey, where Christie spoke to reporters, the boardwalk was buckled and the pier was "out to sea," he said. Christie said access to Long Beach Island, a popular summer destination evacuated October 29, would reopen on Saturday morning, giving residents their first chance to view the damage to their homes. Still, he said he expected power to be restored to 100 percent of his state by Saturday night. Christie, Cuomo and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg all appeared to shift their focus from immediate recovery to long-term rebuilding. Bloomberg said New York City would work with federal authorities to provide electricians, plumbers and carpenters to people in the worst-hit coastal areas. He said some 40,000 homes in the Rockaways and other neighborhoods had suffered structural damage or salt water had eroded their electrical circuits and power could not be restored until they were sound. Bloomberg said the program, to be paid mostly by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, would be faster than asking individual homeowners to find contractors and would get people back in their homes by the end of the year. "We think we can kick-start this," he said. In the Long Island town of Oceanside, protesters - many without power - took to the streets chanting, "Where is LIPA? Where is LIPA?" LIPA is the Long Island Power Authority, a state-owned utility. In the Rockaways, a hard-hit area of Long Island, New York, that faces the ocean, a group of military veterans known as Team Rubicon helped residents shovel sand away from their homes, remove rotted drywall from basements and haul large items to the sidewalk. At the sidewalk, New York sanitation workers used huge tractors to scoop the debris into dump trucks that hauled it away. START OF GAS RATIONING Peter Meijer, a Team Rubicon member who said he just returned from a trip helping refugees in South Sudan, was glad to be helping. "This is more satisfying than even my time in the military," he said. Friday was the first day of gasoline rationing in New York City and some surrounding counties, a measure introduced by Bloomberg and Cuomo to ease long gasoline lines brought on by Sandy. Cars with odd- and even-numbered license plates will be able to buy gas and diesel fuel on alternate days. Ralph Bombardiere, executive director of the New York State Association of Service Stations and Repair Shops, said the situation was worse than the fuel crisis of the 1970s. "Back then there was just a perceived shortage of supply in New York, when there was plenty of gasoline around," he said. "Now we're having real distribution problems." While Sandy did disrupted the fuel supply to New York, Cuomo said the key problem was panic buying. "More than anything, we have to get buyers to relax," he said. Some 28 percent of gas stations in the New York metropolitan area did not have fuel available for sale on Friday, the same level as on Thursday, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said. With parts of the transportation network still damaged, the long lines at the pump added to the frustration of commuters, who must choose between driving and enduring seemingly interminable waits for buses and trains. The Morris Truck, which usually drives around Manhattan's midtown or financial districts selling $10 grilled cheese sandwiches, instead handed them out for free in the Rockaways, paid for by New York City. "I had no idea how bad it was out here until I came," said Kenan Fedele, who handed out more than 400 sandwiches and four gallons of spicy tomato bisque to victims of Sandy. The truck showed up around 11 a.m. and was out of sandwiches by 3:30 p.m., Fedele said. (Additional reporting by Dan Trotta, Edith Honan, Peter Rudegeair, David Sheppard and Jonathan Allen; Editing by Eric Walsh and Philip Barbara) ======================= How Much Will Hurricane Sandy Cost Insurance Companies? November 13, 2012 | Filed Under » Home Insurance, Personal Finance Just days after Hurricane Sandy pummelled the east coast of the United States, and made her historic turn inward towards the New Jersey coast, insurance estimates began rolling in, and the news wasn't good. The storm, which affected a broad area, particularly devastated the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. Many in the tri-state area and beyond suffered severe or moderate property damage, flooding, power outages and more. Now that the clean-up for Hurricane Sandy has begun, insurance companies are attempting to gauge just how expensive this catastrophic storm really was and what the real cost of this natural disaster looks like. Here is a look at preliminary figures from the damage Hurricane Sandy caused and an in-depth look at just how much money the superstorm is costing insurance companies as a result. Total Estimated Cost of Damage is Staggering The total estimated cost of damage wreaked by Hurricane Sandy is nothing short of staggering. An article released by the Associated Press on Nov. 2, 2012, estimates the total damage caused by Hurricane Sandy to be up to $50 billion. (The total was projected by Eqecat, a catastrophic risk management consulting firm, which indicated that the damage caused by the storm was between $30-$50 billion.) The damage is comprised of property damage, loss of business, an increase in living expenses and more. Cost to Insurance Companies Projected to Be Much Less Another finding in Eqecat's report is that although the total amount of damage is estimated at $50 billion, the costs that insurance companies will incur from Hurricane Sandy are considerably less. The report indicated that insurance companies can expect to pay between $10-$20 billion. The low end of this figure, while significantly reduced from that of the total damage incurred, is still a hefty price tag to pay. Hurricane Sandy is already more expensive than many severe hurricanes from the past, including 2008's Hurricane Ike, 2004's Hurricane Ivan and even the much overhyped Hurricane Irene from 2011. Why the Lower Price Tag for Insurance Companies? There are plenty of reasons why the insurance companies got a lower price tag. For one, many homeowners' insurance policies have tricks and do not cover the cost incurred from flooding. In order for flood claims to be paid, a consumer must have already purchased a flood policy prior to the arrival of Hurricane Sandy. In addition, the damage estimates include costs that are not covered by insurance policies such as loss of wages, power outages and increased costs of living expenses. High Short-Term Costs, Low Long-Term Effect While the staggering cost of Hurricane Sandy is still being calculated, insurance companies and risk management firms are trying to pinpoint whether the damage done is short-term or if it has the potential to cripple the economy and insurance industry on a long term or permanent level. According to an article released by the Huffington Post on Oct. 31, 2012, the rebuilding will start and continue at a feverish pace, and the economy will not be impacted over a long period of time. Meanwhile, an article released by SeekingAlpha.com projects that the insurance industry will take a hit, but quickly recover once the cleanup has been completed. The Bottom Line Hurricane Sandy ravaged the east coast and left New Jersey coastal towns, New York City and plenty of other locations with billions of dollars worth of damages. With cases of flooding, structural damage, power outages and more, the clean-up process for Sandy is certain to be long and expensive. Only time will tell if the numbers projected by Eqecat are correct, and as more reports of damage come through, it certainly seems as though the catastrophic risk management firm has done its homework. Let Sandy serve as a great reminder of how families should take appropriate measures for protecting their assets and finances from natural disasters. Read more: http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/1112/how-much-will-hurricane-sandy-cost-insurance-companies.aspx#ixzz2CfQQbP52 ====================== After Sandy, do you still want a beach house? Thu, Nov 15 05:53 AM EST (Linda Stern is a Reuters columnist. The opinions expressed are her own.) By Linda Stern WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The scenes rolling in from the New Jersey shore are devastating, and not just to the people whose homes were destroyed. Also damaged are the "retire with a water view" dreams of others who had aspired to vacation property and may have been thinking about beach real estate - until they saw what a storm like Sandy can do. Disclosure here: Along with my husband, I own a small beach townhouse condominium on the Delaware shore. And because of Sandy, we had to cancel a weekend's worth of concert tickets and family plans and instead head to the shore to make sure our place was still standing, and not full of water. It was safe and dry, but it hasn't always been so. As top floor owners, we've had to contend with nor'easter rain in our bedroom and roof repairs that took years to get right. And as members of a condo association, we would have been on the hook had flooding compromised the foundation underneath our neighbour's downstairs apartment. So we took ourselves out for a nice beach walk and some oysters, and talked about how much we dodged a bullet - this time. We also saw less-lucky neighbours bailing out their basements and grumbling about how much they would spend on the cleanup. After a big storm like that, some people will take their insurance settlements and walk away from properties that they will sell "as is" to undeterred buyers who think this is the time to pick up a beach bargain. Who's got it right? The National Association of Realtors, predictably, thinks it is the buyers. "There's intrinsic value to being by the shore," says spokesman Walter Molony. "It's a high desire that isn't going to go away." Maybe that's true, but satisfying that desire could cost more than you expect, and more than it used to. Here are some line items to consider before you ride in with your checkbook and start making offers. - Prices may rise, not fall. Stan Humphries, the chief economist for Zillow, the real estate research site, has observed that home prices typically rise about six months after an area is hit hard by hurricanes or other major natural events. Housing stock is depleted and new-construction costs are high. So, it's unlikely that you will pick up a big bargain, though some buyers are negotiating hard now on homes they were planning to buy before the storm hit. As always, people willing to buy "needs work" homes will get better prices. - Your flood insurance is going to get more expensive. If you own a home in a high-risk area, you're already paying about $275 a month for a policy that will cover a maximum amount of $250,000 for your building and $100,000 for its contents. Legislation that reauthorized the National Flood Insurance Program will require FEMA to eliminate subsidies and raise premiums on some properties. Premiums could go up by as much as 20 percent a year in some areas. Older "non primary" vacation homes will take a bigger hit: Their premiums are expected to rise 25 percent a year until they are fully covering the risk of flood. - That may be the only insurance you can get. Look at Florida for an example of what can happen to homeowners who live too close to the shore. Insurers like State Farm and Nationwide Insurance stopped writing new policies and raised rates aggressively on old ones. All across the country, insurers are revising their homeowners' policies to include hurricane and high-wind deductibles that run as high as 5 percent of the insured value of the home. Furthermore, some insurers charge more for some policies if the home is left vacant most of the time. - Your mortgage could cost more, too. Typically, a second-home mortgage doesn't cost very much more than one for a primary home as long as you can qualify for it on the basis of your income. If you need rental income to qualify for the mortgage, that's a different story. Expect to need a higher down payment - at least 20 percent - and to pay an interest rate that is roughly 0.5 percentage point higher, according to quotes from MortgageMarvel.com. - You're part of a club. Of course, many vacation places are simply single-family homes that owners tale care of themselves. (More about the expenses of that in a minute.) But condos and resort communities take care of maintenance for you, for a price. Our tiny place requires a monthly condo fee of $240, for example, and we don't have tennis courts or a pool, or lavish grounds or much of anything, save a parking lot and an exposed outside shower. And it's not just monthly maintenance. Everyone in a particular condo association pays when repairs are made to common areas like roofs, sidewalks and golf courses. When a building sustains significant damage, its condo association may eventually have to make a special assessment on all owners, asking them to pony up their share of the fixes. The last time our building needed new siding and a roof, we were assessed an extra $21,000. Not all owners were in a position to pay that and had to borrow the funds. - You're not there. It's not just your insurance that could cost more if you don't live near your vacation home. It's the emergency plumbing, lawn mowing and property management you might have to arrange from afar. With gasoline at or near $4 a gallon, the commuting costs aren't insignificant, especially if you have to race there in a hurry to board up windows or check on basements. And yes, if the roof fails and you don't have a condo association to fix it, it's on you to get it fixed. - Wear and tear is not insignificant. You can make money by renting out your beach home, but even the most careful and conscientious renters will break the window shades, wear out the sofa and track sand across the floors. You'll have to get everything sanded, cleaned, repaired and replaced often. Finally, don't forget friends. They will visit week after week. You'll have to feed them. That's the fun part, and the happiest expense on this long list. (Editing by Steve Orlofsky) ================ Buyers consider risks of beachfront homes after Sandy Wed, Nov 21 14:26 PM EST By Robin Respaut NEW YORK (Reuters) - Dina Anzalone thought buying her first home would be one of the most exciting experiences of her life. That is, until Superstorm Sandy struck a month before she and her husband were set to close on a house in the Rockaways, Queens. Located blocks from the ocean and the bay on a thin peninsula of land that makes up the coastal community of Belle Harbor in the Rockaways, Anzalone's prized colonial home with "old world charm" was inundated with 12 feet of seawater that filled the basement to the ceiling and a few feet of the first floor. "My husband and I struggled," said Anzalone, who ultimately decided to move forward with the purchase of the home worth around $750,000. "People think we're absolutely crazy." Throughout the New York metro area, Superstorm Sandy left behind difficult decisions for prospective buyers and sellers of damaged homes on the market. Some buyers have decided to move forward but now must negotiate how repairs will be completed. Others are reneging and looking for escape clauses in their contracts. Realtors are taking inventory of their listings in flooded neighborhoods, while banks are sending appraisers out in droves to re-evaluate homes in the wake of the storm. For the last eight years, Anzalone has rented in Brooklyn's Bay Ridge neighborhood with her husband and their 3-year-old daughter. Now, planning to go ahead with the purchase of the home in Rockaways, she expects home insurance premiums to rise 10 to 20 percent, and she is working with an attorney to negotiate with the seller to make necessary repairs. INSURANCE DECISION MORE IMPORTANT NOW Other buyers in contract have decided the risks are not worth closing the deal. Richard R. Rodriguez, a real estate attorney who represents Anzalone, is helping two other clients try to escape from contracts on homes that were damaged. "Everyone has the same concern: the neighborhood," and how it will recover, said Rodriguez. In one case, Rodriguez said he plans to use a clause in the buyer's contract that required the deal to close by the end of October, just two days after Sandy hit. The buyer will most likely lose a few thousand dollars by walking away, a cost Rodriguez considered "not bad." Attorney Jay Freedhand is representing a buyer who planned to close on a nearly $2 million home last week in Far Rockaway. But after the city's Department of Buildings deemed the house severely structurally damaged, the buyer wanted to renege. Freedhand is now looking for outlets to stop the sale stemming from the city's damage classification. "We don't know what that legally means," said Freedhand. "We need to figure out exactly what the government order actually means. That part is unprecedented." In hard-hit Hoboken, New Jersey, contracts began fraying shortly after the storm moved inland, even on homes that were not damaged by the storm. Gene Cordano, director of sales for Halstead Property in New Jersey, said he lost three deals in contract. "They decided they didn't want to deal with the possibility of flooding in the aftermath," said Cordano, who said he considered the loss "a blip on our radar screen." With some New Jersey residents dislocated by the storm, Cordano said he expects to see available housing units quickly filled. "The question being asked going forward is, ‘Did this building flood during the hurricane?' And that will be answered by, ‘yes,' in many cases," Cordano said. Of the roughly 140 properties listed in Hoboken, an estimated 56 percent were flooded or otherwise damaged in the storm, Prime Real Estate Group Co-Chief Executive Officer Jesse Halliburton said. "There is definitely going to be a time period when consumer confidence is going to be lower and less likely to make a quick decision," Halliburton said. "It's crossed my mind that property prices could drop," Halliburton said. Robin Shapiro of Robin Shapiro Realty said the sand drift against her own home in the Rockaways was 3-feet-high the day after the hurricane. After digging out, Shapiro said she fielded calls from real estate flippers looking for cheap deals, but Shapiro, who still lost two deals in contract after the storm, did not foresee prices would significantly decline. "There are only so many oceanfront properties," she said. Jonathan Miller, president of the real estate appraisal firm Miller Samuel, agreed buyers will continue to idolize beachfront properties, but a sobering effect on the market, should there be one, would most likely come from lenders and insurers. "It's going to come down to cost and access to credit. Lenders right now are essentially afraid of their own shadow. They are looking for reasons not to lend," said Miller. "Even if a home has flood insurance, lenders may be wary and look for a reason to not issue a mortgage." (Reporting by Robin Respaut; Editing by Jackie Frank) ==================

Tower Crane Collapsed during Sandy landing

Published on Nov 1, 2012 by ReutersTV Peter Amato, the former president of the New York City chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers, explains why the crane collapse occurred and the looming difficulties in resolving the situation, even though the threat of a falling crane is minimal. (November 1st, 2012) A giant crane is dangling precariously over the edge of a $1.5 billion luxury high-rise building in midtown Manhattan, prompting the evacuation of nearby residents and the cancellation of all concerts at Carnegie Hall. The crane toppled during high winds on Monday as Sandy barreled its way through New York City. ============ Hurricane Sandy was a tropical cyclone of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season that severely affected portions of the Caribbean, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States in late October, with lesser impacts in the Southeastern and Midwestern states and eastern Canada. In diameter, it was the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, with winds spanning 1,100 miles (1,800 km).[3][4] The eighteenth tropical cyclone and named storm and tenth hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, Sandy is estimated in early calculations to have caused damage of at least $20 billion (2012 USD).[5] Preliminary estimates of losses that include business interruption surpass $50 billion (2012 USD), which, if confirmed, would make it the second-costliest Atlantic hurricane in history,[6] behind only Hurricane Katrina. Sandy developed from a tropical wave in the western Caribbean Sea on October 22. It became a tropical depression, quickly strengthened, and was upgraded to a tropical storm six hours later. Sandy moved slowly northward toward the Greater Antilles and gradually intensified. On October 24, Sandy was upgraded to a hurricane, shortly before making landfall in Jamaica. Farther north, Sandy re-entered water and made its second landfall in Cuba during the early morning of October 25 as a Category 2 hurricane. During the late evening of October 25, Sandy weakened to Category 1 strength; in the early hours of October 26, it headed north through the Bahamas.[7] Sandy began to show some characteristics of both tropical and extratropical cyclones on October 26.[8] Sandy briefly weakened to a tropical storm in the early morning hours of October 27, then restrengthened to a Category 1 hurricane later that morning. Just before 8 a.m. EDT on October 29, Sandy turned to the north-northwest and started to make its expected approach towards the U.S. coast. At 7 p.m. EDT that evening, Sandy was declared a post-tropical cyclone, while still maintaining Category 1 strength.[9] Sandy made its final landfall 5 miles (8.0 km) southwest of Atlantic City, New Jersey at about 8 p.m. EDT on October 29. Missing New York by almost 100 miles.[10] In the United States, Hurricane Sandy affected at least 24 states, from Florida to New England, with tropical storm force winds stretching far inland and mountain snows in West Virginia. The cyclone brought a destructive storm surge to New York City on the evening of October 29, flooding numerous streets, tunnels and subway lines in Lower Manhattan, Staten Island, Coney Island, the Rockaways and other areas of the city and cutting off electricity to parts of the city and its suburbs, especially Zone A areas near waterways which were issued evacuation orders.[11] Severe damage occurred in New Jersey, especially in the communities along the Jersey Shore.[12] Contents [hide] 1 Meteorological history 2 Preparations 2.1 Caribbean 2.2 Bermuda 2.3 United States 2.3.1 Florida2.3.2 North Carolina2.3.3 Virginia2.3.4 Washington, D.C.2.3.5 Maryland2.3.6 Delaware2.3.7 New Jersey2.3.8 Pennsylvania2.3.9 New York 2.3.9.1 New York City2.3.10 New England2.3.11 Appalachia and the Midwest 2.3.11.1 Great Lakes region2.3.11.2 Appalachian Mountains region 2.4 Canada 3 Impact 3.1 Caribbean 3.2 Bahamas 3.3 United States 3.3.1 Southeast 3.3.1.1 Florida3.3.1.2 North Carolina3.3.1.3 Virginia3.3.2 Mid-Atlantic 3.3.2.1 Washington, D.C.3.3.2.2 Maryland3.3.2.3 Delaware3.3.2.4 New Jersey3.3.2.5 Pennsylvania3.3.2.6 New York3.3.3 New England3.3.4 Appalachia 3.3.4.1 West Virginia3.3.5 Other Areas 3.3.5.1 Ohio3.3.5.2 Michigan3.3.5.3 Kentucky 3.4 Bermuda 3.5 Canada 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Meteorological historyMain article: Meteorological history of Hurricane Sandy Storm pathHurricane Sandy developed at 1500 UTC on October 22, when the National Hurricane Center (NHC) initiated advisories on Tropical Depression Eighteen to the south of Kingston, Jamaica. The system developed from an area of low pressure and had organized convection.[13] It moved slowly at first due to a ridge to the north. Low wind shear and warm waters allowed for strengthening,[13] and the system became Tropical Storm Sandy late on October 22.[14] Early on October 24, an eye began developing, and it was moving steadily northward due to an approaching trough.[15] Later that day, the NHC upgraded Sandy to hurricane status about 65 mi (105 km) south of Kingston, Jamaica.[16] At about 1900 UTC that day, Sandy made landfall near Kingston with winds of about 80 mph (130 km/h).[17] Just offshore Cuba, Sandy rapidly intensified to winds of 110 mph (175 km/h),[18] and at that intensity it made landfall just west of Santiago de Cuba at 0525 UTC on October 25.[19] After Sandy exited Cuba, the structure became disorganized,[20] and it turned to the north-northwest over the Bahamas.[21] By October 27, Sandy was no longer fully tropical, and despite strong shear, it maintained convection due to influence from an approaching trough; the same trough turned the hurricane to the northeast.[22] After briefly weakening to a tropical storm,[23] Sandy re-intensified into a hurricane,[24] and on October 28 an eye began redeveloping.[25] The storm moved around an upper-level low over the eastern United States and also to the southwest of a ridge over Atlantic Canada, turning it to the northwest.[26] Sandy reached a secondary peak of 90 mph (150 km/h) on October 29, around which time it had a wind diameter of over 1,000 nautical miles (1,150 mi, 1,850 km).[27] The convection diminished while the hurricane accelerated toward the New Jersey coast,[28] and the hurricane was no longer tropical by 2300 UTC on October 29.[29] An hour later, Sandy made landfall about 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Atlantic City,[30] with winds of 90 mph (150 km/h).[31] The remnants weakened over Pennsylvania, degenerating into a remnant trough on October 31.[32] In the case of Hurricane Sandy two important factors contributing to the size and strength of the storm were unusually warm ocean surface temperatures and an increase in blocking patterns, both of which are expected to occur more frequently due to global warming.[33][34] Mark Fischetti of Scientific American proposed a more explicit link, arguing that the melting of Arctic ice caused a negative North Atlantic Oscillation, which fueled the expansion of Sandy by pushing the jet stream south.[35] Regarding the losses by this storm or other large storms, it is stated by Roger Pielke Jr., a climate-policy researcher at the University of Colorado, Boulder, “We cannot yet attribute increasing dollar losses to human-caused climate change. Maybe we will one day, but not at present.” [36] PreparationsCaribbeanAfter the storm became a tropical cyclone on October 22, the Government of Jamaica issued a tropical storm watch for the entire island.[37] Early on October 23, the watch was replaced with a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch was issued.[38] At 3 p.m. UTC, the hurricane watch was upgraded to a hurricane warning, while the tropical storm warning was discontinued.[39] Shortly after Jamaica issued its first watch on October 22, the Government of Haiti issued a tropical storm watch for Haiti.[40] By late October 23, it was modified to a tropical storm warning.[41] The Government of Cuba posted a hurricane watch for the Cuban Provinces of Camagüey, Granma, Guantánamo, Holguín, Las Tunas, and Santiago de Cuba at 1500 UTC on October 23.[39] Only three hours later, the hurricane watch was switched to a hurricane warning.[42] The Government of the Bahamas, at 1500 UTC on October 23, issued a tropical storm watch for several Bahamian islands, including the Acklins, Cat Island, Crooked Island, Exuma, Inagua, Long Cay, Long Island, Mayaguana, Ragged Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador Island.[39] Later that day, another tropical storm watch was issued for Abaco Islands, Andros Island, the Berry Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama, and New Providence.[42] By early on October 24, the tropical storm watch for Cat Island, Exuma, Long Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador was upgraded to a tropical storm warning.[43] BermudaAt 11:15 a.m. EDT (1515 UTC) on October 26, the Bermuda Weather Service issued a tropical storm watch for Bermuda, reflecting the enormous size of the storm and the anticipated wide-reaching impacts.[44] United States White House conference with FEMA and Department of Homeland Security in preparation for arrival of the hurricane.Much of the East Coast of the United States in the Mid-Atlantic and New England states had a good chance of receiving gale-force winds, flooding, heavy rain and possibly snow early in the week of October 28 from an unusual hybrid of Hurricane Sandy and a winter storm producing a Fujiwhara effect.[45] Government weather forecasters said there was a 90% chance (the chance having increased from 60% on October 24), that the East Coast would be impacted by the storm. Some media outlets began referring to the expected combination of the tropical system and storm front under the nickname "Frankenstorm."[46] As coverage continued, many outlets began eschewing this term in favor of "superstorm",[47] with CNN in particular declaring an embargo on the use of the term "Frankenstorm" in its reporting, citing sensitivity concerns.[48] Utilities and governments along the East Coast attempted to head off long-term power failures as a result of Sandy. Power companies from the Southeast to New England alerted independent contractors to be ready to assist to fix storm damaged equipment quickly and are asking employees to cancel vacations and work longer hours. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University, using a computer model built on power outage data from previous hurricanes, conservatively forecast that 10 million customers along the Eastern Seaboard would lose power from Sandy.[49] In New Jersey, where the storm was expected to come ashore, Jersey Central Power & Light told employees to be prepared for extended shifts.[50] Through regional offices in Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) monitored Sandy and closely coordinated with state and tribal emergency management partners in Florida and the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and New England states.[51] President Obama signed emergency declarations on October 28 for several states expected to be impacted by Sandy, allowing them to request federal aid and make additional preparations in advance of the storm.[52] Amtrak canceled some services through October 29 in preparation for the storm.[53] Flight cancellations and alerts for travel on the U.S. East Coast were put in place in the Mid-Atlantic and the New England areas.[54] Over 5,000 commercial airline flights scheduled for October 28 and October 29 were cancelled by the afternoon of October 28.[55] The National Guard and U.S. Air Force put as many as 45,000 personnel in at least seven states were put on alert for possible duty in response to the preparations and aftermath of Sandy.[56] FloridaSandy brought tropical-storm force winds and rain to South Florida from October 25–27,[57][58] causing schools to close in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.[59] Schools on the Treasure Coast also announced closures for October 26, in anticipation of Sandy.[60] Storm surge from Sandy also caused flooding and beach erosion along coastal areas in the South Florida.[61] North CarolinaOn October 26, North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue declared a state of emergency for 38 eastern counties in anticipation of Hurricane Sandy, taking effect October 27.[62] By Monday, October 29, the state of emergency was extended to 24 counties in western North Carolina, with up to a foot of snow attributed to Sandy anticipated in higher elevations. The National Park Service closed at least five sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway.[63] VirginiaThe U.S. Navy sent more than twenty seven ships and forces to sea from Norfolk Naval Base, for their protection.[64] Governor McDonnell authorized the National Guard to activate 630 personnel ahead of the storm.[65] Republican Party presidential candidate Mitt Romney cancelled campaign appearances scheduled for October 28 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and New Hampshire October 30 because of Sandy. Vice President Joe Biden cancelled his appearance on October 27 in Virginia Beach and an October 29 campaign event in New Hampshire.[66] President Barack Obama cancelled a campaign stop with former President Bill Clinton in Virginia scheduled for October 29, as well as a trip to Colorado Springs, Colorado, the next day because of the impending storm, and said he will remain in Washington D.C.[67] As of the morning of November 2, 6,100 customers remain without power, down from more than 180,000.[68] Washington, D.C.On October 26, Washington, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray declared a state of emergency.[69] That same day the governors of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia also declared states of emergency in preparation of the approaching storm.[64] The United States Office of Personnel Management announced federal offices in the Washington, D.C. area would be closed to the public on October 29–30.[70] In addition, Washington D.C. Metro service, both rail and bus, was canceled on October 29 due to expected high winds, the likelihood of widespread power outages, and the closing of the federal government.[71] President Obama declared a state of emergency for the District of Columbia.[72] The Smithsonian Institution closed for the day of October 29.[73] MarylandOn October 27, Smith Island residents were evacuated with the assistance of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, Dorchester County opened two shelters for those in flood prone areas, and Ocean City initiated Phase I of their Emergency Operations Plan.[74][75][76] Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. has been putting workers on standby and making plans to bring in crews from other states.[50] On October 28, President Obama declared an emergency in Maryland and signed an order authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency to aid in disaster relief efforts.[77] Also, numerous areas were ordered to be evacuated including part of Ocean City, Worcester County, Wicomico County, and Somerset County.[78][79] As of October 27, 2012, there are serious possibilities that more than a hundred million tons of dirty sediment mixed with tree limbs and debris floating behind Conowingo Dam may be eventually poured into the Chesapeake Bay, posing a potential environmental threat.[80] The Maryland Transit Administration canceled all service for October 29 and October 30. The cancellations applied to buses, light rail, Amtrak and MARC train service.[81] On October 29, six shelters opened in Baltimore and early voting was cancelled for the day.[73] Maryland Insurance Commissioner Therese M. Goldsmith activated an emergency regulation requiring pharmacies to refill prescriptions regardless of their last refill date.[82] On October 29, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge over the Chesapeake Bay and the Millard E. Tydings Memorial Bridge and Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge over the Susquehanna River were closed to traffic in the midday hours.[83] DelawareOn October 28, Governor Markell declared a state of emergency, with coastal areas of Sussex County evacuated. Delaware Route 1 through Delaware Seashore State Park was closed due to flooding.[84] Delaware roads will be closed to the public after 5 a.m., except for emergency and essential personnel.[85] Tolls on I-95 and Delaware Route 1 in the state have been waived.[86] New Jersey Airmen of the New Jersey National Guard's 108th Wing are processed before being sent to assist at various emergency shelters.In Cape May County, New Jersey, officials advised residents on barrier islands to evacuate on October 26, becoming a mandatory evacuation on October 28. There was also a voluntary evacuation for Mantoloking, Bay Head, Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, Harvey Cedars, Long Beach, Ship Bottom, and Stafford in Ocean County.[87][88][89] Jersey Central Power & Light informed employees to be prepared for extended shifts. Most schools, colleges and universities were closed October 29, and at least 509 out of 580 school districts were closed October 30.[50][90] Governor Chris Christie issued mandatory evacuations for all barrier islands from Sandy Hook to Cape May, along with the closure of all Atlantic City casinos. Tolls were suspended on the northbound Garden State Parkway and the westbound Atlantic City Expressway starting at 6 a.m. on October 28.[91] President Obama signed an emergency declaration for New Jersey. The declaration allows the state to request federal funding and other assistance for actions taken prior to Sandy's landfall.[92] On October 28, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer ordered an evacuation of all basement and street level residential units, due to possible flooding.[93] On October 29, a mandatory evacuation was put in effect for all residents in Logan Township.[94] On October 29, Sandy made landfall near Atlantic City.[95] PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia Mayor Michael Nutter asked residents in low-lying areas and neighborhoods prone to flooding to leave their homes by 2 p.m. EDT October 28 and move to safer ground.[96] The Philadelphia International Airport suspended all flight operations for October 29.[97] On October 29, Philadelphia shut down its mass transit system.[73] On October 28, Harrisburg Mayor Linda D. Thompson declared a state of disaster emergency for the city to go into effect at 5 a.m. October 29. Electric utilities in the state are bringing in crews and equipment from other states like New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma, to assist with restoration efforts.[98] New York Avenue C in Manhattan's East Village was flooded shortly before a massive explosion at the Consolidated Edison power substation on the street took out power to the neighborhood[99]On October 28, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for every county in the state. He also asked for a pre-disaster declaration to better access federal assistance.[100] Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano ordered voluntary evacuations of the South Shore storm surge area, which includes the area south of Sunrise Highway and north of Route 25A and in elevations 15 feet above sea level or less on the North Shore.[101] Shelters were opened at Nassau Community College, Levittown Memorial High School, Locust Valley High School and SUNY Old Westbury. In Suffolk County, mandatory evacuations were ordered for residents of Fire Island and in surge zone areas in Babylon, Islip, Brookhaven, Riverhead, Southampton and Southold. Shelters were opened at Hampton Bays High School, Sachem East High School, and the Brentwood High School Sonderling Building.[102] Most schools closed in Nassau and Suffolk counties on October 29, including Nassau Community College, Molloy College, Hofstra University and Adelphi University.[103] On October 28, President Obama signed an emergency declaration for the state of New York.[104] The Metro-North Railroad and the Long Island Rail Road suspended service beginning 7 p.m. October 27, which has not been fully restored as of November 2.[105] The Tappan Zee Bridge was closed October 29 at 4 p.m. EDT due to wind conditions.[106] New York City Portions of the FDR Drive remained flooded on the Tuesday morning after the stormOn October 26 Mayor Michael Bloomberg originally told reporters that the city had begun taking precautions but that at that time there was no call for mandatory evacuations and no plans to suspend the city's mass transit or cancel school. But on October 28 Governor Cuomo ordered the MTA including the subway closed, and in a press conference immediately after Cuomo's announcement, Mayor Bloomberg ordered public schools closed on October 29.[107] He also ordered mandatory evacuations for Zone A, which comprises Lower Manhattan, the Coney Island-Brighton Beach-Red Hook areas of Brooklyn, the entire Rockaways peninsula, most of Staten Island, and the City Island/Throg's Neck areas of the Bronx. All these areas are near coastlines or waterways.[108] On October 28, officials activated the city's coastal emergency plan, with subway closings and the evacuation of residents in areas hit during Hurricane Irene in August 2011. More than 76 evacuation shelters were open around the city.[100] The MTA announced that all subway, bus and commuter rail service would be suspended, beginning at 7 p.m. EDT on October 28.[109] Bus service had largely been restored by October 31, with subway service only partially restored by November 2. All PATH train service and stations were shutdown at 12:01 a.m., October 29.[107] 200 National Guard troops were deployed in the city. All bus carriers at the Port Authority Bus Terminal closed at 3 a.m., October 29.[110] U.S. stock trading was suspended for October 29–30.[111] All state courts were closed on October 29, except for arraignments and emergency applications. NYU Langone Medical Center cancelled all surgeries and medical procedures, except for emergency procedures.[110] Additionally, one of NYU Langone Medical Center's backup generators failed on October 29, 2012, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of patients, including those from the hospital's various intensive care units.[112] Major carriers canceled all flights into and out of JFK, LaGuardia and Newark-Liberty airports. Broadway theaters cancelled all October 28 evening and October 29 performances.[105] Grand Central Terminal, Central Park and Battery Park were closed on October 29. The Holland Tunnel and the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel closed at 2 p.m. EDT on October 29. The Tappan Zee Bridge was closed later on that day.[113][114] All NYC schools were closed for the week of the hurricane. After many complaints, Mayor Bloomberg announced late afternoon November 2nd, the New York City Marathon has been cancelled. The event was to take place on Sunday, November 4th. Marathon officials say that they don't plan to reschedule.[115] New England Flooding in Marblehead, Massachusetts, caused by Hurricane Sandy on October 29.Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy partially activated the state's Emergency Operations Center on October 26[116] and signed a Declaration of Emergency the next day.[117] On October 28, President Obama approved Connecticut's request for an emergency declaration, and hundreds of National Guard personnel were deployed.[118] On October 29, Governor Malloy ordered road closures for all state highways.[119] Numerous mandatory and partial evacuations were issued in cities across Connecticut.[120] Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick ordered state offices to be closed October 29 and recommended schools and private businesses close. On October 28, President Obama issued a Pre-Landfall Emergency Declaration for Massachusetts. Several shelters were opened, and many schools were closed.[121][122] On October 28, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, New Hampshire Governor John Lynch, and Maine's Governor Paul LePage all declared states of emergency.[73][123][124] Appalachia and the MidwestGreat Lakes regionThe National Weather Service issued a storm warning for Lake Huron on October 29 that called for wave heights of 26 feet, and possibly as high as 38 feet. Lake Michigan waves were expected to reach 19 feet, with a potential of 33 feet on October 30.[125] Flood warnings were issued in Chicago on October 29, where wave heights were expected to reach 18 to 23 feet along the Cook County shoreline and 25 feet in northwest Indiana.[126] Gale warnings were issued for Lake Michigan and Green Bay in Wisconsin until the morning of October 31, and waves of 33 feet in Milwaukee and 20 feet in Sheboygan were predicted for October 30.[127] The actual waves reached about 20 feet but were less damaging than expected.[128][129] The village of Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin urged a voluntary evacuation of its lakefront area, though few residents signed up, and little flooding actually occurred.[129][127] Michigan was impacted by a winter storm system coming in from the west, mixing with cold air streams from the Arctic and colliding with Hurricane Sandy.[125] The forecasts slowed shipping traffic on the Great Lakes, as some vessels sought shelter away from the peak winds, while those more prepared for extreme weather (especially salties, or sea-going vessels) continued toward their destinations on the lakes.[130][131] 120,000 people were without power in southeast Michigan the morning of the October 30, with winds gusting to 50 mph.[132][133] Detroit-based DTE Energy says it has released 100 contract line workers to assist utilities along the eastern U.S. with storm response. Also CMS Energy Corp.'s Consumers Energy unit says the storm has also affected 1,200 of its 1.8 million Michigan customers.[134] Consumers Energy says it has released more than a dozen employees and 120 contract employees to assist in the eastern U.S.[135] Due to the widespread power outages, numerous schools had to close due to not having power, most being located in St. Clair County and areas along Lake Huron north of Metro Detroit. Wave heights on Lake Huron were reported to have reached 23 feet on the south side of the lake. Heights of 24 to 35 feet have been predicted.[134] Appalachian Mountains regionSnow was reported in some parts of eastern Ohio and south of Cleveland. Snow and icy roads also were reported south of Columbus.[136] As far as the state's western edge, areas were under a wind advisory.[137] All departing flights at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport were canceled until October 30 at 3 pm.[138] Gusts at Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport were reported at 68 miles per hour (109 km/h).[139] Hundreds of school districts cancelled or delayed school across the state with at least 250,000 homes and businesses without power.[136] Damage was reported across the state including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame which lost parts of its siding.[139] Several roads in Cleveland were closed including Interstate 90 westbound due to waves from Lake Erie crashing on the road.[140][141] West Virginia Governor Tomblin declared a state of emergency ahead of storm on October 29.[142] Up to 2 to 3 feet (0.6-0.9m) of snow forecast for mountainous areas of the state.[143] CanadaThe Canadian Hurricane Centre issued its first preliminary statement on Hurricane Sandy on October 25 from Southern Ontario to the Canadian Maritimes,[144] with the potential for rain and snow.[145] On October 29, Environment Canada issued severe wind warnings for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Valley corridor, from Southwestern Ontario as far as Quebec City.[146] On October 30, Environment Canada issued storm surge warnings along the mouth of the St. Lawrence River.[147] Rainfall warnings were issued for the Charlevoix region in Quebec, as well as for Charlotte County, New Brunswick, Yarmouth County, Shelburne County, and Queens County in Nova Scotia, as 50 to 70 millimetres of rain can be expected.[148][149][150] Freezing rain warnings were issued for parts of Northern Ontario.[151] Two people died in Ontario. A woman was hit by a sign, and a hydro worker was electrocuted. Thousands in Toronto and other parts of Ontario lost power.[152] ImpactCasualties and damages by country Country Fatalities Missing Damage (in USD) Sources United States 102 1 $50 billion (estimated) [153][154] [155] Haiti 54 21 Unknown [156][157] Cuba 11 0 $80 million [153][158] Bahamas 2 0 $300 million (estimated) [153][159] Canada 2 0 Unknown [160][161] Dominican Republic 2 0 Unknown [153] Jamaica 1 0 $55.23 million (estimated) [153][162] Bermuda 0 0 Unknown [153] Total 174 23 >$50 billion (estimated) At least 174 people have been confirmed killed across the United States, the Caribbean, Canada, and the Bahamas, as a result of the storm.[153][156][160][163][164] A hiker stranded on the Appalachian Trail was rescued on November 2.[165] CaribbeanMain article: Effects of Hurricane Sandy in the Greater Antilles Sandy was the first hurricane to directly hit Jamaica since Hurricane Gilbert, 24 years prior. Trees and power lines were snapped and shanty houses were heavily damaged, both from the winds and flooding rains. More than 100 fishermen were stranded in outlying Pedro Cays off Jamaica's southern coast.[166] Stones falling from a hillside crushed one man to death as he tried to get into his house in a rural village near Kingston.[167] The country's sole electricity provider, the Jamaica Public Service Company, reported that 70 percent of its customers were without power. More than 1,000 people went to shelters. Jamaican authorities closed the island's international airports, and police ordered 48-hour curfews in major towns to keep people off the streets and deter looting.[168] Most buildings in the eastern portion of the island lost their roofs.[169] Damage totaled $55.23 million throughout the country.[162] In Haiti, which was still recovering from both the 2010 earthquake and the ongoing cholera outbreak, at least 52 people have died,[170] and an estimated 200,000 were left homeless as of late Monday October 29, as a result of four days of ongoing rain from Hurricane Sandy.[171] Heavy damage occurred in Port-Salut after rivers overflowed their banks.[172] In the capital of Port-au-Prince, streets were flooded by the heavy rains, and it was reported that "the whole south of the country is underwater".[173] Most of the tents and buildings in the city's sprawling refugee camps and the Cité Soleil neighborhood were flooded or leaking, a repeat of what happened earlier in the year during the passage of Hurricane Isaac.[169] Crops were also wiped out by the storm and the country would be making an appeal for emergency aid.[174] In the neighboring Dominican Republic, two people were killed and 30,000 people evacuated.[153] An employee of CNN estimated 70% of the streets in Santo Domingo were flooded.[175] One person was killed in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico after being swept away by a swollen river.[153] Hurricane Sandy damage in Guantanamo BayAt least 55,000 people were evacuated before Hurricane Sandy's arrival.[176] While moving ashore, the storm produced waves up to 29 feet (9 meters) and a 6 foot (2 meter) storm surge that caused extensive coastal flooding.[177] There was widespread damage, particularly to Santiago de Cuba where 132,733 homes were damaged, of which 15,322 were destroyed and 43,426 lost their roof.[158] Electricity and water services were knocked out, and most of the trees in the city were damaged. Total losses throughout Santiago de Cuba province reached CUP2.1 billion (US$80 million).[158] Sandy killed 11 people in the country – nine in Santiago de Cuba Province and two in Guantánamo Province; most of the victims were trapped in destroyed houses.[178][179] This makes Sandy the deadliest hurricane to hit Cuba since 2005, when Hurricane Dennis killed 16 people.[180] BahamasA NOAA automated station at Settlement Point on Grand Bahama Island reported sustained winds of 49 mph (74 km/h) and a wind gust of 63 mph (102 km/h).[181] One person died from falling off his roof while attempting to fix a window shutter in the Lyford Cay area on New Providence. Another died in the Queen's Cove area on Grand Bahama Island where he drowned after the sea surge trapped him in his apartment.[153] Portions of the Bahamas lost power or cellular service, including an islandwide power outage on Bimini. Five homes were severely damaged near Williams's Town.[182] United States Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New JerseyOver twenty states were in one way or another affected by Sandy in the United States. The hurricane caused billions of dollars in damage in the United States, destroyed thousands of homes, left millions without electric service, and killed dozens. Due to flooding and other storm-related problems, Amtrak cancelled all Acela Express, Northeast Regional, Keystone Service and Shuttle services on October 29 and 30.[183][184] More than 13,000 flights were canceled across the U.S. on October 29, and more than 3,500 were called off October 30.[185] From October 27 through early November 1, airlines cancelled a total of 19,729 flights, according to FlightAware.[186] As of early morning on November 1, just over 4.8 million customers remained without power in 15 states and the District of Columbia, according to a CNN tally. The states with the most customers without power are New Jersey with 1,983,694 customers; New York with 1,514,147; Pennsylvania with 526,934; and Connecticut with 352,286.[187] The storm underlines the fragility of the aging American infrastructure, with an electricity network that is ranked lower than that of considerably poorer nations like Slovenia or Portugal.[188] Storm damage is projected to reach $50 billion, meaning it could be one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.[189][190] The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq reopened on October 31 after a two-day closure for storm.[191] More than 1,500 FEMA personnel are along the East Coast working to support disaster preparedness and response operations, including search and rescue, situational awareness, communications and logistical support. In addition, 28 teams comprised of 294 FEMA Corps members are pre-staged to support Sandy responders. Three federal urban search and rescue task forces are positioned in the Mid-Atlantic and ready to deploy as needed.[192] On November 2, the American Red Cross announced they have 4,000 disaster workers across storm damaged areas, with thousands more en route from other states. Nearly 7,000 people spent the night in emergency shelters across the region.[193] SoutheastFloridaHigh winds and waves washed sand onto coastal roads in southeastern Florida. The storm left power outages across the region, which left many traffic lights out of order.[194] The Coast Guard rescued two sea men in Volusia County off New Smyrna Beach on the morning of October 26.[195] Brevard and Volusia Counties schools cancelled all extracurricular activities for October 26, including football.[196] In east-central Florida, damage was minor, though the storm left about 1,000 people without power.[197] Airlines at Miami International Airport canceled more than 20 flights to or from Jamaica or the Bahamas, while some airlines flying from Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport cancelled a total of 13 flights to the islands.[64] The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is looking for two juvenile panthers after a tree knocked over by Sandy's winds broke the enclosure housing the two cats at the White Oak Conservation Center in Yulee.[198] North Carolina The Bounty, a 180-foot sailing ship, is shown submerged in the Atlantic Ocean during Hurricane Sandy approximately 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, N.C., Monday, October 29, 2012.On October 28, Governor Bev Perdue declared a state of emergency in 24 western counties due to snow and strong winds.[199] North Carolina was spared from major damage through the late evening hours of October 28, though winds, rain, and inland snow could affect the state through October 30. Ocracoke and Highway 12 on Hatteras Island were flooded with up to 2 feet (0.6 m) of water, closing part of the highway, while 20 people on a fishing trip were stranded on Portsmouth Island.[200] On October 29, the Coast Guard responded to a distress call from the Bounty, which was built for the 1962 movie Mutiny on the Bounty. It was taking on water about 90 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras. Sixteen people were on board.[201] The Coast Guard said the 16 people abandoned ship and got into two lifeboats, wearing survival suits and life jackets.[202] The ship sank after the crew got off. As of mid-morning on October 29, the Coast Guard rescued 14. Another crew member was found hours later but was unresponsive and died later on. Only the captain remains missing.[189][203] On November 1, the Coast Guard suspended its search for Robin Walbridge the captain of the Bounty. The search lasted more than 90 hours, covering approximately 12,000 square nautical miles in the Atlantic Ocean.[155] VirginiaOn October 29, snow was falling in parts of the state.[143] Gov McDonnell announced on October 30 that Virginia had been "spared a significant event," but cited concerns about rivers cresting as flood waters go into the major arteries. Virginia was awarded a federal disaster declaration, with Gov McDonnell saying he was "delighted" that President Barack Obama and FEMA were on it immediately. At Sandy's peak, 200,000 customers were without power, and in Northern Virginia where most of the outages occurred 92,000 customers were still without power on October 30; the local utility intended to restore full service by 1 November.[204] Mid-AtlanticWashington, D.C.Main article: Effects of Hurricane Sandy in Maryland and Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court did not convene on Tuesday, October 30.[205] The United States Government Office of Personnel Management closed federal offices in the Washington D.C. area to the public on October 30 as well.Schools were closed for a second day as well. [206] MARC train and Virginia Railway Express are not running October 30, but on that day Metro rail and bus service will begin at 2 p.m., with all lines operating on a Sunday schedule until the system closes.[207] MarylandMain article: Effects of Hurricane Sandy in Maryland and Washington, D.C. At least 100 feet of a fishing pier at the beach resort of Ocean City was destroyed. Governor Martin O'Malley said the pier is "half-gone."[208] Due to high winds, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge was closed, and subsequently opened. The Millard E. Tydings Memorial Bridge on I-95 across the Susquehanna River was closed; it was unclear whether this is the first time the Tydings Bridge has been closed.[209] Due to flooding, the Mayor of the City of Salisbury instituted a Civil Emergency and instituted a curfew beginning at 7pm on October 29 through 10am October 30.[210] I-68 in far western Maryland and northern West Virginia closed due to impassable roads from heavy snow. Multiple vehicles are stranded on the interstate and the National Guard was sent out to help.[211] Workers in Howard County, Maryland tried to stop a sewage overflow caused by a power outage October 30. Raw sewage spilled at a rate of 2 million gallons per hour. It was unclear how much sewage had flowed into the Little Patuxent River.[212] The Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which had been closed because of Sandy's high winds, reopened the morning of October 30.[207] As of the morning of November 2, 28,600 are without power, down from 365,700.[213] DelawareRainfall at Rehoboth Beach totaled 6.53 inches inches by early afternoon, with nearly 7 inches at Indian River Inlet and more than 4 inches in Dover and Bear. At 4 p.m., Delmarva Power reported on its website that more than 13,900 customers in Delaware and Maryland's Eastern Shore had lost electric service as high winds brought down trees and power lines. About 3,500 of those are in New Castle County, 2,900 in Sussex and more than a hundred in Kent County. The Delaware Electric Cooperative reported more than 1,800 customers out in Kent and Sussex, with the longest outage nearly 6 hours. The Delaware Memorial Bridge speed limit was reduced to 25 mph and the two outer lanes in each direction were closed. Officials plan to close the span entirely if sustained winds exceed 50 mph. President Obama declared Delaware a federal disaster area, providing money and agencies for disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. Delaware Route 1 is now closed by flooding from Dewey Beach to Fenwick Island. Water a foot or two deep is reported in Dewey. A wind gust of 64 mph was measured at Lewes just before 2:30 p.m.[214] On November 2nd, the main coastal highway remains closed and about 400 customs have no power down from 45,000.[215] New JerseyMain article: Effects of Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey Flooding and damage along Albany Avenue in Atlantic CityA 50-foot piece of the Atlantic City Boardwalk washed away. Half the city of Hoboken flooded; the city of 50,000 had to evacuate two of its fire stations and the city's Mayor asked for National Guard help.[189] In the early morning of October 30, authorities in Bergen County, New Jersey, evacuated residents after a berm overflowed and flooded several communities. Police Chief of Staff Jeanne Baratta said there were up to five feet of water in the streets of Moonachie and Little Ferry. The state Office of Emergency Management said rescues were undertaken in Carlstadt.[216] Baratta said the three towns had been "devastated" by the flood of water.[217] At least 14 people in the state were killed.[218] PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said the city will have no mass transit operations on any lines October 30.[192] All major highways in and around the city of Philadelphia were closed on October 29 during the hurricane, including Interstate 95, the Blue Route portion of Interstate 476, the Vine Street Expressway, Schuylkill Expressway (I-76), and U.S. Route 1.[219] The highways reopened at 4 a.m. on October 30.[219] The Delaware River Port Authority also closed its major crossings over the Delaware River between Pennsylvania and New Jersey due to high winds, including the Commodore Barry Bridge, the Walt Whitman Bridge, the Ben Franklin Bridge and the Betsy Ross Bridge.[219] More than 1.2 million were reportedly left without power as a result of the storm. As of the morning of November 2nd, 372,000 customer are without power, down from 1.2 million.[220] On November 2, Pennsylvania reported 13 deaths believed to be related to Sandy according to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.[221] New YorkMain article: Effects of Hurricane Sandy in New York Governor Cuomo has called up another 1,000 National Guard members to help in the state. One of the units at Indian Point nuclear power plant (Unit #3) was shut down around 10:45 p.m. October 29, because of external electrical grid issues according to plant operator Entergy.[222] Storm impacts in Upstate New York were much more limited than in New York City; there was some flooding and a few downed trees, but many fewer than during the Western and Northern NY Ice Storm of March 3–4, 1991.[223] Rochester area utilities reported slightly fewer than 19,000 customers without power, in seven counties.[224] Large portions of the Manhattan borough of New York City were without electricityMayor Bloomberg announced New York City public schools will be closed Tuesday, October 30 and Wednesday, October 31.[225] CUNY and NYU have cancelled all classes and campus activities for October 30.[226] The New York Stock Exchange was closed for trading for two days, the first weather closure of the exchange since 1985.[227] It was also the first two-day weather closure since the Great Blizzard of 1888.[228] The East River, shown from Manhattan's East River Park, had already swollen to its bank by 11 a.m. on October 29.The East River overflowed its banks, flooding large sections of Lower Manhattan. Battery Park had a water surge of 13.88 ft.[229] Seven subway tunnels under the East River were flooded as of October 30.[230] The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said early on October 30, that the destruction caused by the storm was the worst disaster in the 108 year history of the New York City subway system.[231] Sea water flooded the Ground Zero construction site.[232] New EnglandMain article: Effects of Hurricane Sandy in New England Destroyed billboard in Kenmore Square in Boston, MassachusettsWind gusts to 83 mph were recorded on outer Cape Cod and Buzzards Bay.[233] Over 385,000 customers were without power in Massachusetts, and roads and buildings were flooded.[234] Over 100,000 customers lost power in Rhode Island.[235] Most of the damage was along the coastline, where some communities were flooded.[236] Mount Washington, New Hampshire saw the strongest measured wind gust from the storm at 140 mph.[237] Over 200,000 customers lost power in the state.[238][239][240] AppalachiaWest VirginiaSandy's rain became snow in the Appalachian mountains when a dip in the polar jet stream sent a blast of Arctic air through the region. This would normally cause a Nor'easter, prompting some to dub Sandy a "nor'eastercane" or "Frankenstorm." [241] There were 1–3 feet of snowfall in 28 of the state's 52 counties with the highest snowfall reports from Sandy so far being 28 inches (as of 11 PM on October 30) at Davis, West Virginia and at Flat Top, West Virginia, 36 inches in Richwood, WV and 32 inches at Snowshoe.[242][243] On October 30, President Obama approved a state of emergency declaration for the state.[244] On Wednesday morning, there were still 36 roads closed due to downed trees, powerlines, and snow in the road.[243] More than 200,000 customers lost power during the blizzard conditions.[245] A statement from the power company supplying the hardest hit region indicated that most West Virginians would have power restored by early the week after the storm, but it would be longer for customers in remote areas due to difficult terrain and heavy snow.[246] John Rose, Sr., the Republican candidate for the state's 47th district in the state legislature, was killed in the aftermath of the storm by a falling tree limb broken off by the heavy snowfall.[247] There were six confirmed deaths as of the morning of November 1, including Rose. It is still difficult to assess the damage in the remote areas, accessible only by impassable back roads, that lost power and communications, but there are reports of collapsed buildings in several counties due to the sheer weight of the wet, heavy snow.[248] The governor asked President Obama for a federal disaster declaration after nearly 3 feet of snow. As of the morning of November 2, 104,000 customers remain without power, down from about 271,000.[249] Other AreasOhioOn October 30, at least 247,000 in northeast Ohio were without power, mostly in the Cleveland area. Many schools were closed or delayed as the hurricane brought high winds and the season's first snow to some parts of the state overnight.[250] As of November 2, scores of residents still remain in Red Cross shelters and many schools remain closed as power outages exist around Cleveland and 89,000 customers remain without power in mostly the northeast part of the state, down from more than 250,000.[251] MichiganDTE Energy said that more than 120,000 customers lost power, and Consumers Energy reported the same for 1,200 of its customers. The National Weather Service said that waves up to 23 feet high were reported on southern Lake Huron.[252] As of the morning of November 2nd, 5,000 customers are without power, down from 154,000.[253] KentuckyThe greatest area impacted was the Eastern region of the state where more than a foot of snow fell as Sandy merged with an Arctic front.[254] BermudaOwing to the sheer size of the storm, Sandy also impacted Bermuda with high winds and heavy rains. On October 28, an F1 tornado touched down in Sandys Parish, damaging homes and businesses.[255] During a three-day span, the storm produced 0.98 in (25 mm) of rain at the L.F. Wade International Airport. The strongest winds were recorded on October 29: sustained winds reached 37 mph (60 km/h) and gusts peaked at 58 mph (93 km/h).[256] CanadaMain article: Effects of Hurricane Sandy in Canada The remnants of Sandy produced high winds along Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, where gusts were measured at 105 km/h (63 mph). A 121 km/h (72 mph) gust was measured on top of the Bluewater Bridge.[257] One woman was killed after being hit by a piece of flying debris in Toronto.[160] At least 145,000 customers across Ontario lost power as of the morning of October 30,[258] and a Bluewater Power worker was electrocuted in Sarnia while working to restore power.[259] Around 49,000 homes and businesses lost power in Quebec during the storm, with nearly 40,000 of those in the Laurentides region of the province, as well as more than 4,000 customers in the Eastern Townships and 1,700 customers in Montreal.[260] Hundreds of flights were canceled.[261] Around 14,000 customers in Nova Scotia lost power during the height of the storm.[262] ========== FACTBOX-NY Harbor oil terminals, refineries crippled by Sandy Mon, 12 Nov 2012 21:37 GMT Source: reuters // Reuters Nov 12 (Reuters) - New York Harbor operations struggled to return to normal on Monday, with some signs of progress in restoring normal flows through the biggest and most important oil-trading hub in the country. As fuel shortages and long queues continued to plague the New York City and Long Island areas, the city on Friday began to ration gasoline for the first time since the 1970's, following a similar move by New Jersey. Hess Corp said on Thursday it had completed post-Sandy assessments at its 70,000 barrel per day (bpd) Port Reading, New Jersey, refinery, but was unable to set a time frame for restarting the plant due to repairs needed by the local power authority. Public Services Enterprise Group said on Monday power had been restored to the substation feeding the plant. The 238,000 barrel-per-day plant owned by Phillips 66 in Bayway, New Jersey, will likely be shut for another two to three weeks as repairs are carried out, primarily on electrical equipment damaged by saltwater. Some 28 percent of gas stations in the New York metropolitan area did not have gasoline available for sale on Friday, the same as the day before, according to the Department of Energy's data arm. KEY DEVELOPMENTS ON MONDAY: * New Jersey power company PSEG said it restored powered to an electrical substation that supplies electricity to Hess Corp.'s Port Reading, New Jersey plant. * Phillips 66 said it had no new timeframe for the restart of the Bayway refinery, and said flaring at the plant on Sunday was related to preparation for resuming operations. * New Jersey government says it will end gasoline rationing on Tuesday at 6 a.m. (1100 GMT). KEY DEVELOPMENTS ON SUNDAY: * Kinder Morgan said all of its facilities were moving product inbound and outbound with limited marine operations restored at its Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and Staten Island, New York, terminals. KEY DEVELOPMENTS ON FRIDAY: * COLONIAL PIPELINE said that although its system returned to "maximum rates," the situation in New Jersey had "not returned to normal" due to infrastructure problems that could lead to additional slowdowns or shutdowns. It said problems included damage to customer facilities, road closures and power supply problems. KEY DEVELOPMENTS ON THURSDAY: * HESS CORP said it still does not have a time frame for restarting its 70,000 bpd refinery in Port Reading after completing an assessment of refinery equipment, which is now on standby. "The local power authority ... advised that repairs will be needed to a local substation before sufficient power is available to support the refinery's start-up process," it said. "A timeframe for the refinery's restart will be determined once the full power requirement can be met." A brief power outage on Thursday forced it to stop marine and rack loading at Port Reading. The company said marine and rack operations at its Bayonne, New Jersey, terminal were still suspended on Thursday. Marine operations at its Newark, New Jersey, terminal also remained suspended. All other Hess terminals continued to operate. * New York City Mayor MICHAEL BLOOMBERG on Thursday ordered the rationing of gasoline sold in the city. * BLOOMBERG also waived the requirement that buildings and homes in New York City utilize heating oil with sulfur content of less than 0.15 parts per million, effective through Dec. 7. * MOTIVA ENTERPRISES restarted rack operations from its terminal in Sewaren, New Jersey. * BUCKEYE PIPELINE said a terminal had a temporary power outage at Inwood, but continued operations on standby generators. Power has since been restored, the company said. KEY DEVELOPMENTS ON WEDNESDAY: * A NOR'EASTER blew into areas affected by Hurricane Sandy and dropped record snow in New York and New Jersey, complicating the energy network's recovery. * COMMERCIAL STOCKPILES of gasoline in the U.S. central Atlantic, which covers four states, including New York and New Jersey, slipped by only 310,000 barrels last week, government data showed. KEY DEVELOPMENTS ON TUESDAY: * MERCINI LADY, a 47,000-tonne clean oil tanker, was heading out of New York harbor after discharging off the southwestern shore of Manhattan, shipping data showed. BP had chartered the Liberian-flagged tanker to carry fuel from Texas to Montreal, but it was later diverted to the New York harbor after the U.S. government authorized waivers to the Jones Act, allowing non-U.S. vessels to transit between U.S. ports. * KINDER MORGAN, which had resumed limited operations at its Carteret and Perth Amboy terminals in New Jersey on Monday, said about 238 barrels (some 10,000 gallons) of biodiesel leaked from its Carteret terminal into nearby Rum Creek and reached the Arthur Kill waterway. It said the spill was contained within a day of the storm. It has resumed limited marine operations at Carteret and hopes to do so soon for Perth Amboy and Staten Island. EAST COAST REFINERIES: COMPANY PLANT CAPACITY STATUS (bpd) PBF Energy Delaware City, 190,000 Operations normal. Delaware PBF Energy Paulsboro, New 180,000 Operations normal. Jersey Hess Corp Port Reading, New 70,000 On standby. Unable to resume operations until local utility Jersey completes repairs to substation, Hess said on Nov. 8. No time frame for resuming full operations. PSEG says has restored power to substation. Philadelphia Philadelphia, 330,000 Company said on Nov. 2 it would be back to normal schedules Energy Solutions Pennsylvania that weekend after delays in crude deliveries. Monroe Energy Trainer, 185,000 All units running normally after turnaround, full rates seen Pennsylvania within several days. Phillips 66 Linden, New Jersey 238,000 Shut down. Phillips 66 said on Nov. 5 it is likely to be two-three weeks to restart. Imperial Oil Ltd Sarnia, Ontario 121,000 Returning to normal service as of Oct. 31 after power outage. NEW YORK HARBOR OIL TERMINALS STILL SHUT BY SANDY: COMPANY CITY STATE CAPACITY (bbls) Update Date Hess Bayonne NJ 11/6/2012 Hess Newark* NJ 11/6/2012 Motiva Newark NJ 1,113,000 10/31/2012 Phillips 66 Tremley Point** NJ 11/3/2012 Motiva Brooklyn NY 10/31/2012 Motiva Long Island NY 222,000 10/31/2012 * Rack operations normal. Hess owns 20 terminals with an aggregate storage capacity of 21 million barrels in its East Coast marketing areas. ** Phillips 66 said it expected the Tremley Point terminal to resume limited operations by the end of November. TERMINALS WITH REDUCED OPERATIONS: Colonial Pipeline Linden NJ Open, commercial power 11/4/2012 back, serving 8 terminals IMTT Bayonne NJ 16,000,000 Half of the facilities are 11/5/2012 fully operational Motiva Bridgeport CT 1,290,000 Open with reduced 11/4/2012 operations Hess Groton CT 812,185 Process of restarting 11/3/2012 Hess Edgewater, NJ Resumed as of Weds 11/8/2012 Hess Woodbridge, NJ Resumed as of Weds 11/8/2012 Hess Pennsauken NJ Process of restarting 11/3/2012 Kinder Morgan Carteret, NJ 7,833,080 Generator power, limited 11/5/2012 operations/shipments; marine ops resumed Kinder Morgan Perth Amboy, NJ 3,543,388 Limited marine ops restored 11/11/2012 Kinder Morgan Staten Island, NY 2,959,700 Limited marine ops restored 11/11/2012 NuStar Energy Linden, NJ 4.1 mln bbls Restored "limited" pipeline 11/05/2012 and barge deliveries TERMINALS REPORTED OPEN BY COMPANIES COMPANY LOCATION STATE CAPACITY UPDATE AS OF Kinder Morgan Philadelphia PA 11,878,462 11/4/2012 Magellan Midstream Wilmington DE 2,842,000 11/4/2012 Magellan Midstream New Haven CT 4,000,000 11/4/2012 Motiva New Haven CT 1,600,000 11/4/2012 Motiva Baltimore MD 1,100,000 11/4/2012 Motiva Fairfax VA 360,000 11/4/2012 Motiva Richmond VA 210,000 11/4/2012 Motiva Providence RI 1,458,000 11/4/2012 Motiva Sewaren NJ 5,000,000 11/8/2012 NuStar Energy Paulsboro NJ 90,800 11/4/2012 NuStar Energy Virginia Beach VA 40,000 11/4/2012 NuStar Energy Dumfries VA 11/4/2012 NuStar Energy Piney Point MD 5,403,000 11/4/2012 NuStar Energy Andrews AFB MD 11/4/2012 NuStar Energy Baltimore MD 832,000 11/4/2012 Phillips 66 Riverhead NY 11/4/2012 Hess Brooklyn NY 11/4/2012 BP Carteret NJ 1,445,000 11/4/2012 Hess Perth Amboy NJ 11/6/2012 Hess Roseton NY 11/6/2012 TERMINALS REPORTED OPEN BY DOE: Global Partners Inwood NY 11/4/12 Global Partners Newburgh NY 11/4/12 Global Partners Oyster Bay NY 11/4/12 Castle Port Morris Bronx NY 846,000 11/4/12 Gulf Oil New Haven CT 11/4/12 Northville Industries Port Jefferson NY 11/4/12 Schildwachter Oil Bronx NY 11/4/12 Buckeye Terminals, LLC Linden + NY 4,000,000 11/4/12 Inwood Carbo Industries, Inc. Inwood, Long NY 5,900,000 11/4/12 Island OTHER TERMINALS IN NEW YORK HARBOR AREA: COMPANY LOCATION CAPACITY STATUS Center Point Terminal Company New Jersey, NY Harbor 1,018,300 Unknown CITGO Petroleum Corp. Linden, NJ 3,669,250 Unknown Getty Terminals Corp. New Jersey, NY Harbor 1,018,300 Unknown Getty Terminals Corp. Bronx, NY 23,000 Unknown Gulf Oil, Limited Partnership Linden, NJ 568,374 Unknown Lorco Petroleum Services New Jersey, NY Harbor 476,190 Unknown Metro Terminals Corp. Brooklyn, NY 207,000 Unknown Sprague Energy Corporation Long Island, NY 80,263 Unknown Sunoco Logistics Partners, LP New Jersey, NY Harbor 505,457 Unknown (Reporting by Erwin Seba, Selam Gebrekidan, Joshua Schneyer, Janet McGurty, Edward McAllister and Jonathan Spicer in New York; Editing by Phil Berlowitz, Gary Hill and Sofina Mirza-Reid) ================ Exclusive: New Jersey railway put trains in Sandy flood zone despite warnings Sat, Nov 17 21:08 PM EST 1 of 5 By Janet Roberts and Ryan McNeill and Robin Respaut NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Jersey Transit's struggle to recover from Superstorm Sandy is being compounded by a pre-storm decision to park much of its equipment in two rail yards that forecasters predicted would flood, a move that resulted in damage to one-third of its locomotives and a quarter of its passenger cars. That damage is likely to cost tens of millions of dollars and take many months to repair, a Reuters examination has found. The Garden State's commuter railway parked critical equipment - including much of its newest and most expensive stock - at its low-lying main rail yard in Kearny just before the hurricane. It did so even though forecasters had released maps showing the wetland-surrounded area likely would be under water when Sandy's expected record storm surge hit. Other equipment was parked at its Hoboken terminal and rail yard, where flooding also was predicted and which has flooded before. Among the damaged equipment: nine dual-powered locomotive engines and 84 multi-level rail cars purchased over the past six years at a cost of about $385 million. "If there's a predicted 13-foot or 10-foot storm surge, you don't leave your equipment in a low-lying area," said David Schanoes, a railroad consultant and former deputy chief of field operations for Metro North Railroad, a sister railway serving New York State. "It's just basic railroading. You don't leave your equipment where it can be damaged." After Reuters made numerous inquiries to state and local officials this week about the decision to store equipment in the yards, an unidentified senior transportation official told the New York Post that NJ Transit had launched an internal probe, the Post reported on Saturday. NJ Transit Chairman James S. Simpson, the state's transportation commissioner, told Reuters on Saturday he knew of no such investigation. NJ Transit spokesman John Durso said the agency had not launched a probe but would examine its response to the storm, as "is standard procedure following any major incident." The Post said it stood by its story. As of Friday, almost three weeks after the storm, the agency was still struggling to restore full service for its 136,000 daily rail commuters, running just 37 trains into New York Penn Station during the morning rush hour, rather than its usual 63. More service will be restored on Monday. The disruptions have caused long delays and crowded trains for Jersey residents who work in the biggest U.S. city. James Weinstein, NJ Transit's executive director, said he did not expect the loss of equipment to have a significant effect on service in the coming weeks and months. Sandy was a storm of rare ferocity, and some damage was inevitable. High winds and a crushing storm surge damaged every conceivable element of the rail system. The massive, slow-moving storm, which came ashore near Atlantic City, sent boats crashing into a key rail bridge and gigantic trees toppling onto wires and tracks. A rush of seawater washed out miles of coastline track and a switch that directs some of NJ Transit's most heavily traveled rail lines into New York City. Floodwaters zapped the computer system that guides trains and alerts passengers; damaged a substation that powers much of the agency's main artery into the city; coursed into one of the two tunnels that funnel its trains under the Hudson River; and left a major hub in Hoboken under nine feet of water and five feet of mud. Still, some of the damage could have been avoided with better planning, railroad experts say. YARD IN A SWAMPY CROOK Most of the avoidable damage came at NJ Transit's Meadows Maintenance Complex, a sprawling 78-acre network of tracks and buildings in an industrial area of Kearny that is surrounded by wetlands. The complex is the primary maintenance center for the agency's locomotives and rail cars, with both outdoor and indoor equipment storage; repair, servicing, cleaning, inspection and training facilities; and the agency's rail operations center, which houses computers involved in the movement of trains and communication with passengers. The yard sits in the swampy crook where the Passaic and Hackensack rivers come together. Elevation maps show that it lies between 0 and 19 feet above sea level. The National Hurricane Center was predicting a storm surge of 6 to 11 feet along the New Jersey and New York coast on top of an unusual tide that already had the rivers running high. Forecasts were that the storm would make landfall on Monday, October 29, somewhere along the New Jersey or New York coast. On Friday, October 26, executives from the New York City subway system and all of the region's commuter rail systems - NJ Transit, Long Island Rail Road and Metro North Railroad - decided they would halt all service Sunday night. NJ Transit's last trains left their originating stations at 11 p.m. on Sunday, and workers spent the next 12 hours securing equipment, said Weinstein. At NJ Transit's emergency command center, reports streamed in from the governor's command center in Trenton, county emergency management officials and the National Weather Service, which provided frequent updates on the storm's progress. Monitoring those reports and advising the agency on what to expect from the storm was NJ Transit Police Capt. Robert Noble, who is well-versed and trained in monitoring storms, Weinstein said. Noble said he monitored weather reports for all of the agency's bus lots and rail yards statewide. Flooding was predicted for virtually every corner of the system, he said. "Based upon the information we had at that hour, the complex was not the highest-threat location that we had," he said. Yet a Reuters review of information disseminated before the storm found detailed maps issued by the National Hurricane Center and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, all warning that both the rail hub in Hoboken and the Meadows complex in Kearny would flood. Asked if NJ Transit executives saw those maps and factored the predictions into their decision-making, Weinstein said the agency considered the storm surge predictions but also relied on history and experience. FORECASTS PROVED HIGHLY ACCURATE The agency has been operating its Meadows complex since the 1980s, and it had never flooded, not even during Hurricane Floyd, which caused record flooding in New Jersey in 1999, said Kevin O'Connor, vice president and general manager of rail operations. Several former NJ Transit employees who worked there for decades said they could not recall any time it had flooded. A map of the storm surge from Hurricane Irene in August 2011, prepared by the FEMA, shows water came within about 400 yards of the rail complex. O'Connor said employees had trouble getting to the complex during that storm because surrounding roads had flooded, but the water never encroached on the rail yard. "Our experience and all of the information we had led us to conclude that our equipment was in the safest possible place," Weinstein said. "There was no reason for us to think that the kind of flooding that we actually experienced would happen there." But this time, the weather forecasters proved right, and history proved wrong. Maps of the forecasters' predictions, compared with those of the actual storm surge, show the computer models were remarkably accurate. Tides added another 4.5 feet of water to the storm surge in the area, said Philip Orton, research scientist in physical oceanography and specialist in storm surges at Stevens Institute of Technology. Given the value of the equipment stored at the Meadows yard during the storm, it is hard to imagine why NJ Transit executives gambled that history would repeat itself, said Alain Kornhauser, director of the Transportation Research Center at Princeton University. Weinstein said he could not yet put a dollar amount on the damage. A Reuters review of Board of Directors meeting minutes and news accounts describing equipment purchases found the damaged locomotives and passenger cars worth about $900 million. Kornhauser was especially critical that nine new dual-motor engines, which together cost more than $107 million, had been left in an area predicted to flood. Even if the risk of flooding had been infinitesimal, he said, the agency's newest, most expensive equipment should have been moved to higher ground. "What do you do with your personal valuable assets when you hear a hurricane is coming?" he said. "You put them in your pocket and get out of there, don't you? You don't need to be a rocket scientist for that one, do you?" NJ Transit's sister railroads in New York did move their rolling stock to higher ground on the Sunday night before the storm. After consulting "slosh maps," which predicted which areas would flood, Long Island Rail Road moved hundreds of train engines and cars from its huge Westside Yard just west of Penn Station in New York City and other low-lying yards scattered across its system, said Joe Calderone, the railroad's vice president of public affairs. Much of the equipment was moved to a large rail yard at Jamaica, Queens. What wouldn't fit in yards deemed safe from flooding was parked on the main line and other high-elevation tracks. No LIRR locomotives or rail cars were damaged, Calderone said. None of New York City's subway cars were damaged during Sandy. The yards at Coney Island, the largest yard in the system, and the Rockaways were emptied before the storm, with equipment moved to other yards or parked on lines not vulnerable to flooding, spokesman Kevin Ortiz said. Metro North was so concerned about the potential storm surge on the Hudson River that it asked National Weather Service forecasters to run computer models to predict whether certain yards would flood. Railroad executives then used those predictions to decide where to move equipment, said Howard Permut, the railroad's president. "We had direct conversations with some of the forecasters themselves," he said. "They ran a bunch of models for that." Some stock was exposed nevertheless. North of New York City, in Croton-on-Hudson, the storm surge from the Hudson River flooded Metro North's Harmon rail yard. There, workers had moved equipment to the northernmost point of the yard in an effort to keep it dry, said spokeswoman Marjorie Anders. Still, two locomotives and 11 passenger cars were damaged, she said. SALTWATER, 5 FEET DEEP NJ Transit's Meadows yard was particularly vulnerable. The National Hurricane Center's models from 7 a.m. on the Saturday before the storm predicted water would lap at its edge. By 7 p.m. Sunday, some models predicted most of the yard would flood. That night, NJ Transit began moving rail cars and locomotives there. By 11 a.m. Monday, scores of locomotives and hundreds of rail cars awaited the storm in the Meadows yard. NJ Transit has 203 locomotives and 1,162 rail cars, and 62 locomotives and 261 rail cars were damaged. That amounts to 24 percent of the fleet. All but 15 percent or 20 percent of the damaged stock was flooded at the Meadows yard, said Durso, the NJT spokesman. The rest were in Hoboken, which also saw severe flooding. Durso said he could not provide specific counts of damaged equipment by location. Weinstein and O'Connor were at the Meadows complex on Monday afternoon during the storm, Weinstein said, and they remained confident in their decision. "There was no reason for anybody to believe that the flooding was going to be anything close to what we experienced," he said. By late Monday night and early Tuesday morning, it became clear they had miscalculated. Water had surrounded the maintenance buildings by 10 p.m., Durso said. By 2 a.m., water had come inside, and employees called O'Connor to tell him about it. The water was as deep as five feet in some of the complex's maintenance areas, Weinstein said. Out in the yard, it was deep enough to submerge automobiles. Salt water rose above the wheel wells of the locomotives and rail cars, engulfing brakes, electrical systems, heating and air-conditioning units, batteries and traction motors that help power the cars and soaking insulation panels and seat cushions. Some of the equipment, Weinstein said, had already been taken out of service for repairs before the storm. Some of the repair work is already under way. He said he could not yet estimate the cost or time to repair the equipment. Metro North expects to spend more than $100,000 repairing each of its damaged rail cars, Anders said. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority spent about $1.5 million repairing one locomotive and 12 passenger cars that flooded during Hurricane Irene, said Ron Hopkins, SEPTA's assistant general manager for operations. The work took more than a year. Should NJ Transit's costs be similar, they would face a repair bill of more than $32 million. Weinstein said all of his attention to date has been on restoring service, and he has not had time to reflect on lessons learned. But both he and Governor Chris Christie say there will be a review of the agency's response to the storm. "You can prepare for a worst-case scenario, but the standard of preparedness was definitely raised by this storm," said Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak. "As we did post-Hurricane Irene, we will be evaluating how we did and where we can improve, and make changes for the future. But, again, this was a hit of historic proportions." (Additional reporting by Melanie Hicken; research by Lisa Schwartz; Editing by Maurice Tamman and Michael Williams) =================