Gov. Christie orders evacuations from Sandy Hook down to Cape May, including the Atlantic City casinos, as Hurricane Sandy approaches New Jersey.
As Hurricane Sandy, downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm with hurricane winds for a brief period, hits the southeastern coast of the U.S, the entire East Coast region is preparing for what could potentially be a devastating weather event.
The storm, which has killed several dozen people in the Caribbean, is expected to be a "storm of historic proportions" for the Mid-Atlantic region, including the New Jersey shore, New York City, Delaware, Pennsylvania and possibly Ohio.
In New Jersey, a state of emergency has been declared with barrier islands — from Sandy Hook south to Cape May — ordered to be evacuated by 4pm Sunday, Oct. 28.
The casinos in Atlantic City have also been ordered by Gov. Chris Christie to be evacuated by 4pm Sunday.
READ: Latest on Hurricane Sandy and New Jersey, updated 9:30pm, Oct. 28
Christie declared the state of emergency Saturday morning warning that the storm could severely affect the Garden State, with conditions related to Sandy expected to be felt late Sunday and then be in "full force by Monday,"
"It's likely that Hurricane Sandy will make landfall late on Monday evening, bringing with it accumulated rain, high winds and shore erosion," Christie stated in a press conference.
"We should not underestimate the impact of this storm," he added.
Christie encouraged state residents to be prepared and not cynical about what the media has dubbed the "Frankenstorm," a hurricane that is expected to make last year's Irene tropical storm look like a drizzle.
By 7pm, (EST) Saturday evening, local reports indicated that Sandy would strike the Atlantic City region between 4am Monday morning and later that day, with its weather effects lasting through Tuesday. Power outtages, flooding, fallen trees and other storm-related damages are already being prepared for throughout the region.
A story on the NBC News site on Saturday afternoon included the tag line:
"People in the high impact zone from Virginia to Southern New England have one day left to make preparations," with NBC meteorologist Bill Karins calling for "serious and life-threatening weather conditions," as Hurricane Sandy headed north.
According to the article, "The National Hurricane Center briefly downgraded Sandy to a tropical storm early Saturday, but said hurricane-strength winds had been detected just a few hours later."
Karins predicts "considerable damage" due to storm surges, fresh-water flooding and strong winds Monday afternoon and evening.
"Serious and life-threatening weather conditions are expected from Outer Banks to New England," Karins said.
Sandy could effect the upcoming Presidential Election Nov. 6, with power outages and clean-up efforts due to Sandy expected to take from days to weeks in some areas.
Transportation in the U.S. Northeast will also be effected by Sandy with flights canceled, delayed and other modes of transportation shut down during the storm.
According to the report, Sandy has left the following deaths and damage in the Caribbean prior to moving north:
Caribbean deaths, damage
Sandy exited the Bahamas on Friday, having weakened from a Category 2 to a Category 1 hurricane overnight.
The number of deaths blamed on Sandy's torrential rains and heavy winds in the Caribbean was put at 41.
Haiti: Sandy triggered flash floods and landslides that killed 26. The dead included a family of five in Grand-Goave, west of the capital Port-au-Prince, killed in a landslide that destroyed their home, authorities said.
Cuba: 11 deaths were reported, among them a 4-month-old baby, NBC News' Mary Murray reported from Havana. Most were killed by falling trees or in building collapses in Santiago de Cuba province and neighboring Guantanamo province. Hundreds of homes were destroyed or damaged.
Dominican Republic: Two deaths were reported but details were not available.
Bahamas: A death was reported and some islands saw extensive damage. "It was way stronger than we expected," said Joel Friese, general manager of the Stella Maris Resort on Long Island, Bahamas. "There are lots of downed trees and partial-to-heavy roof damage on some of the buildings." Several islands also saw power outages.
Jamaica: A man was crushed by a boulder and many areas were flooded or saw wind damage on the eastern side of the island.
READ: Latest on Hurricane Sandy and New Jersey, updated 9:30pm, Oct. 28
READ: NEW JERSEY - PREPARE FOR 7-10 DAYS WITHOUT POWER
READ: HOW TO PREPARE FOR SANDY
The inaugural Marine Mammal Stranding Center 5K Run for the Animals and One-Mile Beach Walk with Pets is scheduled for Saturday, May 4.
Hockey All-Stars Scott Hartnell of the Philadelphia Flyers and Brad Richards of the New York Rangers, in partnership with Caesars Atlantic City today announced Operation Hat Trick, a charity hockey game that will take place at Boardwalk Hall on Saturday, Nov. 24 at 7pm.
Not heeding pending-storm evacuation orders is never a wise move, but it can afford a better appreciation for what workers are up against when making barrier islands safe for return.
"I could almost guarantee that the ones who wanted the mayors to let them return home would also be the ones to protest if they had been put in danger by returning too soon. "
Obama: "I want to thank all the first responders who have been involved in this process -- the linesmen, the firefighters, the folks who were in here shuttling out people who were supposed to 'get the hell out' and didn’t."
Obama: "You had a 15-year-old young man whose mother was disabled, and he was making sure that she was okay, and taking on extraordinary responsibilities for himself but also for his mom."
The latest Sandy storm coverage for the Atlantic City, New Jersey area.
Gov. Christie gives Sunday evening press conference urging residents of the Garden State to heed advice of officials and stay at home Monday unless they have already evacuated.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he is trying to mitigate any damages in the state due to Hurricane Sandy, which has been blamed for the deaths of at least 58 people in the Caribbean as of Sunday afternoon.
According to the report, "Each New Jersey power company gave out a slightly different power outage estimate, but the longest outages during Hurricane Irene were seven or eight days, said Greg Reinerk, a spokesman for the state Board of Public Utilities
Atlantic County under state of emergency effective 6am, Oct. 27. Residents urged to relocate.
“July and August are the two best months of the year and to lose [last weekend], you can never really get it back. It’s not something that you can recoup. So it’s just gone. And that hurts a lot, but it’s not something we are not going to overcome.”
The latest reports indicate that the Isaac is "much weaker than Katrina," but that thousands in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi have been forced to evacuate as the tropical storm moves in.
Nothing like this had ever been attempted in this market — or most other markets, I suspect.
New Jersey Transit is suffering from several flooded stations and numerous debris its train tracks due to the residual effects of Hurricane Irene. As a result, it has suspended some of its services until further notice.
At 10am, CNN reported that at least 21 deaths have been caused by the storm.
At least 19 deaths over the past 24 hours, from Florida up to Connecticut, have been blamed on Irene-related incidents, according to national officials.
While Hurricane Irene has everybody signing the wrong words to the 1982 Dexy's Midnight Runners No. 1 hit "Come on Eileen," the following songs have likely come to mind for many in the path of the big storm.
See live photo feed, live Atlantic City Web cam and latest updates on Hurricane Irene and the Jersey shore region.
ust after noon on Friday, it was reported that all Atlantic City casinos will shut down Friday, Aug. 26, due to Hurricane Irene and the mandatory evacuations.
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