East Coast braces for '30 year storm' that is getting STRONGER: State of emergency declared as Hurricane Sandy targets New York

• Up to 400,000 New Yorkers could be evacuated as city declares state of emergency, which means state will have access to federal funding
• Subways facing possible shutdown - the second time in history
• Sandy could be 'worst case' superstorm, more powerful than Irene
  
• Could cause up to $1billion worth of damage
• As many as 43 people reported dead across Caribbean as super storm barrels north
  

By Beth Stebner

PUBLISHED: 00:44 EST, 27 October 2012 | UPDATED: 07:52 EST, 27 October 2012

Hurricane Sandy pulled away from the Bahamas on Saturday morning but remains a serious threat to the entire East Coast including New York City as it prepares to barrel along a path that could see it become the worst storm seen this century.

Due to make landfall at Delaware early on Tuesday morning, tropical storm conditions are expected to be felt across the coastal Carolina's on Saturday evening and by Sunday night when it clashes with a nor'easter the weather system could display all the hallmarks of a terrifying perfect storm.

The tempest, which has been dubbed 'Frankenstorm' because of its proximity to Halloween is expected to dump over a foot of rain onto the Atlantic coast, arriving during a full moon when tides are near their highest increasing the likelihood of coastal flooding potential along the Eastern Seaboard.

Scroll Down for Video

This NASA TV frame grab shows Hurricane Sandy from the International Space Station as it barrels up the Atlantic Coast of the United States

Stanley Sicinski looks at storm surf before sunrise in St. Augustine Beach, Florida, as Hurricane Sandy, passes offshore

Essentials: Some New Yorkers are preparing for possibly devastating effects from the approaching storm by stocking up, like they did the year before for Irene

Precaution: Cape May residents board windows along Jackson Street in the New Jersey town

Queuing: Cars line up for gas at the Sam's Club, in Pleasantville, New Jersey, as Hurricane Sandy makes its way up the coast Friday

Wind gusts of up to 75 mph are expected when the storm hits on Tuesday with waves of up to 20 -feet and widespread power outages and on higher ground up to two feet of snow is expected to fall in Virginia and Ohio.

The storm was temporarily downgraded overnight to a tropical storm, but early on Saturday morning it was restored to hurricane strength.

Millions of people along the East Coast are again rushing to buy supplies, filling their gas tanks, and secure their homes ahead of Hurricane Sandy, the rare megastorm that could cause $1billion or more in damages.

The ‘Frankenstorm,’ is barreling toward the most populated corridor of the country, and could force up to 400,000 people to evacuate.

The storm has already left as many as 43 people dead in the Caribbean as it roared through, bringing with it crashing tides, gusting wind, and destructive flood waters.

A surfer rides some of the rare waves driven by Hurricane Sandy at South Beach in Miami yesterday

Moving north from the Caribbean, the storm is expected to make landfall Tuesday morning near the Delaware coast, then hit two winter weather systems as it moves inland, creating a hybrid monster storm.

Experts said the storm would be wider and stronger than last year's Irene, which caused more than $15billion in damage, and could rival the worst East Coast storm on record.

Officials did not mince words, telling people to be prepared for several days without electricity. Jersey Shore beach towns began issuing voluntary evacuations and protecting boardwalks.

Accusweather’s Bernie Rayno told ABC News that despite the frenetic atmosphere surrounding the storm, the hype should be taken seriously.

NOAA wave/surge analysis of #Sandy is now 5.0 on a 6.0 scale. Roughly similar coastal destructiveness as a Cat 4 hurr. aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/Storm_page…

— Eric Holthaus (@WSJweather) October 27, 2012

If Hurricane Sandy slows down & hits on Election Day, early voters will be even more important. Vote now & stay dry.

— Roger Simon (@politicoroger) October 27, 2012

‘A one in 30 year storm, or even in the fact the way this storm is going to be tracking east toward the coastline in New Jersey, it could be a once-in-a-lifetime storm.’

Atlantic City casinos made contingency plans to close, and officials advised residents of flood-prone areas to stay with family or be ready to leave. Airlines said to expect cancellations and waived change fees for passengers who want to reschedule.

'Be forewarned,' said Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. 'Assume that you will be in the midst of flooding conditions, the likes of which you may not have seen at any of the major storms that have occurred over the last 30 years.'

Many storm-seasoned residents had not begun to panic. Along North Carolina's fragile Outer Banks, no evacuations had been ordered and ferries hadn't yet been closed. Plenty of stores remained open and houses still featured Halloween decorations outside, as rain started to roll in.

Downpour: Sandy is expected to drop as much as 13 inches of rain as it makes its way up the Eastern seaboard

State of emergency: New Yorkers living in the red zones face the highest risk of flooding from storm surges

'I'll never evacuate again,' said Lori Hilby, manager of a natural foods market in Duck, N.C., who left her home before Hurricane Irene struck last August. '... Whenever I evacuate, I always end up somewhere and they lose power and my house is fine. So I'm always wishing I was home.'

STORM SURGE: HOW TO PREPARE FOR A NATURAL DISASTER

New York City’s Office of Emergency Management offers advice for what to do in case disaster strikes.

They encourage residents to construct an emergency supply kit, complete with a gallon of water per person per day for drinking, as well as non-perishable foods, first aid kids, and flashlights.

In case drinking water becomes polluted, they also recommend iodine tablets, and supplies for personal hygiene such as toothbrush, tooth paste, soap, and any medications needed. 

The office urges people to designate two meeting places – one near the home, and the other place in the neighbourhood, like a library or place of worship.

It is also extremely helpful to keep a list of emergency contacts, both in the area, and out-of-town in case those in the city cannot be reached.

Those living around bodies of water have the greatest risk of flooding from Sandy’s storm surge and are highly encouraged to evacuate. Those further inland have less of a danger. 

Farther north, residents were making more cautious preparations. Patrick and Heather Peters pulled into their driveway in Bloomsburg, Pa., with a kerosene heater, 12 gallons of water, paper plates, batteries, flashlights and the last lantern on Wal-Mart's shelf. They've also rented a U-Haul in case the forecast gets worse over the weekend.

'I'm not screwing around this time,' said Heather Peters, whose town was devastated last year by flooding following Hurricane Irene.

The storm threatened to hit two weeks before Election Day, while several states were heavily involved in campaigning, canvassing and get-out-the-vote efforts.

 

More...

• Bursting at the seams: Pictures from inside America's overcrowded prison system show the cramped and impersonal lives lived by more than two million inmates
• Inside the world’s narrowest home: Pictures show how it’s a tight squeeze at Warsaw's Keret House
• Are downloadable memories just round the corner?

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and Vice President Joe Biden both canceled weekend campaign events in coastal Virginia Beach, Virginia, though their events in other parts of the states were going on as planned.

In Rhode Island, politicians asked supporters to take down yard signs for fear they might turn into projectiles in the storm.

After Irene left millions without power, utilities were taking no chances and were lining up extra crews and tree-trimmers. Wind threatened to topple power lines, and trees that still have leaves could be weighed down by snow and fall over if the weight becomes too much.

Sandy has killed at least 40 people in the Caribbean, and just left the Bahamas. Residents from Florida to North Carolina will experience peripheral impacts of the hurricane through the weekend.

As it turns back to the north and northwest and merges with colder air from a winter system, West Virginia and further west into eastern Ohio and southern Pennsylvania are expected to get snow.

Forecasters were looking at the Delaware shore as the spot the storm will turn inland, bringing 10 inches of rain and extreme storm surges, said Louis Uccellini, environmental prediction director for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Trajectory: Sandy is expected to dump rain on much of the East Coast as it moves north and west, eventually diluting in the Midwest

Meteorologists expect a natural horror show of high wind, heavy rain, extreme tides and maybe even snow on higher ground beginning early Sunday

Awesome: A NASA/NOAA image from the Suomi NPP satellite which passed over Hurricane Sandy when it made landfall over Cuba and Jamaica

Up to two feet of snow should fall on West Virginia, with lighter snow in parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania. A wide swath of the East, measuring several hundreds of miles, will get persistent gale-force 50 mph winds, with some areas closer to storm landfall getting closer to 70 mph, said James Franklin, forecast chief for the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

'It's going to be a long-lasting event, two to three days of impact for a lot of people,' Franklin told AP. 'Wind damage, widespread power outages, heavy rainfall, inland flooding and somebody is going to get a significant surge event.'

'It's going to be a long-lasting event, two to three days of impact for a lot of people. Wind damage, widespread power outages, heavy rainfall, inland flooding and somebody is going to get a significant surge event.'

Last year's Hurricane Irene was a minimal hurricane that caused widespread damage as it moved north along the coast after making landfall in North Carolina.

With catastrophic inland flooding in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Vermont, federal officials say Irene caused $15.8 billion in damage.

Sandy is 'looking like a very serious storm that could be historic,' said Jeff Masters, meteorology director of the forecasting service Weather Underground. 'Mother Nature is not saying, `Trick or treat.' It's just going to give tricks.'

Some have compared the tempest to the so-called Perfect Storm that struck off the coast of New England in 1991, but that one hit a less populated area.

Yesterday Kim Kardashian stocked up on emergency supplies as Hurricane Sandy passed by Miami, Florida

The reality television star loaded up her car with supplies to prepare for Hurricane Sandy

Signed, sealed, delivered: MTA workers lay down plywood over subway grates at the Staten Island Ferry Terminal to prevent flooding of the subways

Andy Lugo talks on the phone after stocking up on supplies for branches of First Republic Bank in anticipation of disruption from storm elements of Hurricane Sandy on October 26 in New York

Preparation: Sand bags line the front of an arcade on the boardwalk in Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey on Friday

Breakage: Piles of sand were trucked onto the beach in North Wildwood, New Jersey in attempts to slow the waves

Masters said this could be as big, perhaps bigger, than the worst East Coast storm on record, a 1938 New England hurricane that is sometimes known as the Long Island Express, which killed nearly 800 people.

CAMPAIGNS IN CHAOS: HOW SANDY COULD RUIN PRE-ELECTION TRAVEL

Coming in the final weeks before the U.S. presidential election on November 6, the storm could throw last-minute campaign travel plans into chaos.

An aide to Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney said he had canceled a campaign event scheduled for Sunday night in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

President Obama's re-election campaign announced that Vice President Joe Biden had also canceled a trip to Virginia Beach scheduled for Saturday.

The Democratic incumbent was traveling to New Hampshire on Saturday, and on Monday was due to visit Youngstown, Ohio, and Orlando, Florida.

Craig Fugate, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said he and the head of the U.S. National Hurricane Center had briefed the president on preparations for the storm on Friday morning.

'His direction to us again, as always, is to make sure we are prepared to support the states and the governors dependent upon the impacts of the storm,' Fugate told reporters.

If the storm hits farther north than forecast and comes in closer to Long Island - which is still well within the National Hurricane Center's cone of uncertainty for where the storm can come ashore - storm surge in the New York City area could be three to six feet, which might be enough to put water into the New York City subway system, Masters said. Last year Irene missed doing that by only eight inches, he said.

If the storm hits farther south, closer to Washington D.C., those areas could be doused with extreme storm surge and rain.

Meanwhile, a state of emergency was declared in New York Friday in advance of Hurricane Sandy, which is expected to hit the East Coast late on Sunday.

There is a possibility it could shut down airports, cripple mass transit and flood densely populated low-lying areas.

Governor Cuomo said the declaration allows the 62 counties to better prepare for the storm with access to federal funding and the national guard, with the possibility that up to $1billion damage could be caused and up to 400,000 people evacuated.

The city's emergency management situation room has been activated and those in low-lying areas may have to evacuate, including zones like Battery Park City, Coney Island, Manhattan Beach, Far Rockaway and Midland Beach and South Beach in Staten Island.

The National Weather Service is predicting sustained winds of up to 80mph for at least a 24-hour period and said it has the potential to be one of the worst in the city’s history with major flooding.

Experts say the tempest has a 90 per cent chance of making landfall with the potential to wreak havoc with heavy winds, rain, flooding, and downed trees and power lines.

In fact, longtime weatherman Chad Myers, who works for the NOAA, wrote: ‘After 26 years in TV weather and two years with NOAA, Sandy may pose the greatest risk to human life that I have seen.’

Gov Andrew Cuomo has activated the state's emergency crews and urged people to prepare storm kits, which include non-perishable food, water, cash, filled prescriptions, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, first aid kit, flashlights and batteries.

At the ready: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke Friday during a news conference about preparations for Hurricane Sandy in New York

Stormy seas blast the beach front of Ocean Reef Park on Singer Island as Hurricane Sandy swipes Florida

Jean Marie Brennan walks along the jetty at Lighthouse Point Park as Hurricane Sandy passes offshore in Ponce Inlet, Florida today

Gusty: A woman and two young girls shield their faces from the wind-blown sand from the outer bands of Hurricane Sandy at Indian Harbour Beach in Florida on Friday

'We want to take every precaution possible,' he said.

State Division of Homeland Security commissioner Jerome Hauer said: 'They’re saying it’s a worst case. It certainly has a possibility of being one of the worst. We're at a point of time where people need to take precautions now.'

He warned that New York could face even more devastating storm surge flooding than was anticipated during Hurricane Irene last year when large swaths of the city were evacuated.

Officials will decide by Saturday whether evacuations will again be needed this week, according to the New York Daily News.

The MTA, which shut down all buses and subways ahead of Irene’s blast last year, is considering its second subway shutdown in history.

Help: Cubans make line to receive charcoal in the Holguin province, 750km east of Havana; the storm claimed 11 Cuban lives

Rubble: Residents walk through the rubble from homes that were damaged by Hurricane Sandy in Santiago de Cuba on Friday

The transportation authority’s hurricane plan 'calls for an orderly shutdown of service before the arrival of sustained winds of 39 mph or higher' in the elevated portions of the subway system and the agency’s railroad.

Parts of the subway that are below sea level are particularly susceptible to flooding.

Some U.S. airlines are giving travelers a way out if they want to scrap their plans due to Hurricane Sandy.

JetBlue, US Airways and Spirit Airlines are offering waivers to customers who wish to reschedule their flights without paying the typical fee of up to $150. The offers cover passengers flying just about anywhere from Latin America to New Hampshire.

Most other airlines are monitoring the storm and plan to update passengers later Friday. The airlines have only canceled a handful of flights so far, nearly all of them in and out of Florida and the Caribbean.

Local forecaster's in Philadelphia have warned that the storm could directly hit the City of Brotherly Love and residents in South Jersey have begun stocking up on bottled water and batteries to prepare.

In the flood: Two men sit on the rooftop of houses submerged in floodwaters in Santo Domingo

Helping hand: Haitian President Michel Martelly, right, delivers aid to people affected by hurricane Sandy in Port au Prince

Path of destruction: People walk on a street littered with debris after Hurricane Sandy hit Santiago de Cuba