NYC to evacuate some areas, close mass transit
- Gov. Andrew Cuomo sets in motion shutdown of mass transit
- Supermarkets running low on storm supplies
- City-run hospitals postpone elective surgery
NEW YORK — Evacuation orders were issued Sunday for more than 375,000 people in low-lying areas of the city, and plans were in place to shut down mass transit as Hurricane Sandy continued its unrelenting approach.
The orders came as long lines sprang up in supermarkets already running low on supplies of bottled water and other storm supplies.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a mandatory evacuation of low-lying coastal areas in the city's five boroughs. He also said city schools would be closed on Monday, the expected height of the storm.
City-run hospitals also will postpone elective surgeries, he said.
"Now is the time to take these kinds of sensible precautions," said Bloomberg, flanked by Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, Office of Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Bruno and other city officials.
The New York Stock Exchange announced plans to suspend physical trading floor operations on Monday, but electronic trading will continue.
If Sandy hits near New York City, as one weather model predicts, the storm surge will be capable of overtopping the flood walls in Manhattan, which are only 5 feet above mean sea level, according to Weather Underground meteorologist Jeff Masters.
Storm surge is the massive mound of water that builds up and is pushed ashore as a hurricane moves over the ocean. Sandy's storm surge has the potential to flood New York City's subway system, and landfall along the Mid-Atlantic coast "would likely be a billion-dollar disaster," Masters said.
He also noted that the full moon will occur Monday, which means astronomical tides will be at their peak for the month, increasing potential storm surge flooding.
The mandatory evacuation starts Sunday at 7 p.m. New York City police officers will go through the affected areas with bullhorns, warning residents to leave and stay with relatives or friends elsewhere, or go to one of 72 city-run shelters opened for the storm. The city ordered a similar procedure last year for Hurricane Irene.
Bloomberg said those who ignore the evacuation order would not be arrested. "But I would argue they're being selfish," because city emergency personnel could be forced to rescue them during the storm, the mayor said. New Yorkers trying to determine whether they reside in the evacuation area can get information from www.nyc.gov or by calling 311, Bloomberg said.
Many New York City offices will be open on Monday to provide essential services, he said.
Meanwhile, Gov. Andrew Cuomo set in motion a shutdown of the mass transit system serving New York City and the surrounding suburbs. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will shut down subways, buses and commuter rail service at 7 p.m. Sunday, Cuomo said.
"The transportation system is the lifeblood of the New York City region, and suspending all service is not a step I take lightly," said Cuomo in an official announcement. "But keeping New Yorkers safe is the first priority, and the best way to do that is to make sure they are out of harm's way before gale-force winds can start wreaking havoc on trains and buses."
MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota said subway service would be curtailed starting at 7 p.m. Sunday. Bus service would follow within the following two hours. Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad trains would start their final runs by 7 p.m.
The MTA Hurricane Plan is designed to secure equipment and protect employees in advance of major storms. The process must begin hours in advance of the storm's arrival, as thousands of rail cars, subway cars and buses must be pulled from service and stored safely.
The Coast Guard closed New York Harbor and has diverted arriving ships elsewhere, Bloomberg said. Additionally, all Staten Island Ferry service will end by 8:30 p.m., he said. East River Ferry service is also being suspended.