Hurricane Sandy left a trail of destruction in its wake on Tuesday, October 30, as it moved inland after battering the US northeast coastline.
October 30, 2012

Hurricane Sandy left a trail of destruction in its wake on Tuesday, October 30, as it moved inland after battering the US northeast coastline. This video shows the devastation in Seaside Heights, in New Jersey, as a National Guard helicopter flies overhead searching for displaced residents on Tuesday.

The official death toll in the U.S. from the superstorm Sandy climbed to 33 by Tuesday, with most of the fatalities being attributed to falling trees. Outside the U.S., one person was killed in Canada and 67 in the Caribbean, including 51 in Haiti. The storm weakened as it made its way west through the U.S., but still dropped three to four inches of snow in West Virginia, where one storm chaser called it a “nor’easter on steroids.” Wind and rain also damaged the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. As of 5 a.m. Tuesday, the storm was centered about 90 miles west of Philadelphia, with winds of about 65 miles per hour.

14th St. NYC Con Ed Coal Plant (Or the substation, conflicting reports) explodes.

In a press conference in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that the storm’s destruction will be felt for quite some time, and it might be the worst the worst the city’s ever experienced. He said that the death toll in the city is at 10, but the number is expected to rise. The main priorities are getting the subway system up and running and restoring power, which may take three to four days. Bridges are being cleared and reopened. Con Ed says there has been “unprecedented damage” and there are approximately 750,000 New Yorkers without power.

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Long line of ambulances outside the NYU Medical Center. Via @bananarams.

New York City’s transit chief called Hurricane Sandy the most “devastating” event to the city’s subway system ever while the rest of the city reeled from the storm early Tuesday morning. As of Monday night, seven subway tunnels under the East River had flooded, as did the Queens Midtown Tunnel, and Metropolitan Transit Authority chairman Joseph Lhota said there is “no firm timeline” for when the system would be back up and running, even as nearly every bridge and tunnel out of Manhattan was closed down. A backup electrical system failed New York University Medical Center, one of the city’s best hospitals, forcing the evacuation all 215 patients in the strong wind gusts. Meanwhile, a six-alarm fire at Breezy Point in southern Queens had destroyed 50 houses, with 198 firefighters fighting the blaze.

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The New York City skyline with power out compared to a normal shot. Via the AP.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Tuesday that the devastation to the state’s historic coast is “unthinkable” in the wake of the deadly “Frankenstorm”—and that it would be “completely unsafe” for anyone to return home immediately. A roller coaster in Seaside Heights (source NBC4) was literally thrown into the water. “It is beyond anything I would ever see,” a somber Christie told reporters. Christie said he didn’t give “a lick” about Election Day, saying “I’ve got bigger fish to fry.” Christie also praised President Obama, saying “he assured me we would have an expedited process with FEMA.” Sandy made landfall near Atlantic City, and the city’s historic boardwalk was swept away with water.

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The New Jersey boardwalk is just…gone. Via 6ABC Action News.

Sandy may have ravaged New York City, but she isn’t done yet. The hurricane is heading west through the south of Pennsylvania and western New York state, with furious 65mph winds and rain. After flooding Georgia and Maine Tuesday morning, the storm has brought upon a blizzard warning and three feet of snow expected in West Virginia. The storm is no longer expected to head to the Northeast and New England. As it moves inland there will be less rain, but wind speeds will likely remain high. After hitting the U.S., Sandy is expected to go to southern Ontario on Wednesday.

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An ambulance was stuck in more than a foot of snow off of Highway 33 West, near Belington, W.Va., on Tuesday. Via Robert Ray/AP

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A large oak tree in #WashCrossing PA; uprooted by #sandy, Via Reuters.

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