1:39 p.m., Oct. 30, 2012 — New York and New Jersey residents are now eligible for disaster help and resources. Go to DisasterAssistance.gov for more information.
Some Bridges Reopen, But MTA Has No Timetable
1:51 p.m., Oct. 30, 2012 — Even parts of New York that haven’t lost power remain paralyzed by Hurricane Sandy. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is unsure as to when subway services will resume—or what parts can be quickly repaired. The Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges that connect Manhattan to Brooklyn have reportedly reopened, but for a city whose residents rely so heavily on public transportation, even a partly inoperable subway system could have far-reaching economic impact in the coming days and weeks.
“Those portions of the system that can be up and running, I want them up and running as quickly as possible,” MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota said in an interview on Tuesday with WNYC radio. Lhota stressed that no timetable had yet been set, so any estimate would be nothing more than a “wild guess.”
– Claire Suddath
Mayor Bloomberg: ‘People Just Don’t Understand How Strong Nature Is’
12:38 p.m., Oct. 30, 2012 — Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke to New Yorkers Tuesday morning, announcing that city schools would be closed Wednesday and saying it might take up to five days to get subways running. Runways at the city’s airports are flooded, many in the region are without power, and 6,100 residents are staying in emergency shelters. “We expected an unprecedented storm,” the mayor said. “That’s what we got.”
As the mayor’s star sign-language interpreter, Lydia Callis, translated, the mayor provided additional updates:
—Public transportation is closed until further notice, with no timeline set for its restoration. Limited bus service may be restored, “perhaps this afternoon.”
—Roads may be clear and free of water as soon as Wednesday.
—A few hospitals are closed, including New York Downtown Hospital, the only hospital in lower Manhattan. NYU Langone and Coney Island hospitals have been evacuated. Bellevue Hospital Center is running on backup power.
—The collapsing crane on West 57th Street is currently stable but cannot be fully secured until the winds die down.
—The 311 emergency lines are currently experiencing long wait times. The 911 lines had delays up to 5 minutes at some points but is now operating more smoothly.
—There have been more than 4,000 tree-service requests. The mayor advises people to continue to stay out of parks. “I think people don’t understand just how strong nature is,” Bloomberg said.
—Emily Biuso
Artists Find Inspiration in Hurricane’s Fury
12:31 p.m., Oct. 30, 2012 — As most of the East Coast hid from Hurricane Sandy, Gil Corral and his wife went out onto Fortune’s Rocks Beach in Biddeford Pool, Maine, to take this photo. Corral, an artist, has photographed the character, which he calls “El Chicharron” (or “pork rind”), in snowstorms and other severe weather. “It does definitely inspire creative thought, these events,” he says. “I’m just trying to bring some relief. Everyone was freaking out.”
Corral did the shoot Sunday evening, before the hurricane made landfall. “We’re in Maine, so Sandy didn’t really hit directly,” he says, “but the seas were stormy, winds were high, lots of rain.” Corral is using the photo to make refrigerator magnets, which he’s already selling on Etsy.com for $5 each.
In Baltimore, artist Jamie Shelman has produced this Sandy-inspired ink drawing. “In this instance, I found it funny that society in general always has the same response to the fears related to a weather event,” she says in an e-mail. “My drawing is a comical response to those societal responses ( i.e., empty the shelves of toilet paper, white bread, and milk!) And also lashing yourself to what you perceive as an immovable object—in this case a tree—is a comical and not good idea.” Shelman says she’ll make 40 prints of the drawing.
John Ballou, an artist in Rochester, N.Y., says, “Sometimes the best way to break through the horrific loss is with a little bit of humor after the waters have receded.” He’s made 20 rubber-stamp cards that read: “Frankenstorm Survivor.”
—Venessa Wong
New York Airports Shuttered
11:30 a.m., Oct. 30, 2012 — Air travelers looking to fly to or from the U.S. Northeast are largely out of luck today, and Wednesday may not be much better. Federal authorities and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey closed New York’s three main airports, John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty, and LaGuardia, on Monday over concerns about flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy. It’s not clear yet when traffic may resume. Here’s an FAA map of the airports’ current status; a black dot means an airport is closed.
Since Sandy began its northward march from the Caribbean, airlines have scrubbed more than 16,200 flights, according to flight tracker FlightStats. More are likely as aircraft will need to be repositioned.
—Justin Bachman
