Hurricane Sandy Strengthens

FOX NY

Mass transit, schools and financial markets are closed across most of the tristate region as Hurricane Sandy heads north. Wind gusts are intensifying. The Category 1 storm is forecasted to make landfall late Monday night into Tuesday morning and slam into New Jersey.

Sandy strengthened before dawn and stayed on a predicted path toward Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York — putting it on a collision course with two other weather systems that would create a superstorm with the potential for havoc over 800 miles from the East Coast to the Great Lakes. About 2 to 3 feet of snow were even forecast for mountainous parts of West Virginia.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s environmental protection chief, Louis Uccellini, called the projected storm surge “the worst-case scenario” for New York City, Long Island and northern New Jersey.

Meteorologists say the pre-Halloween hybrid weather monster is looking more ominous by the hour for the East Coast. Utilities and local governments are getting ready.

States of emergency were declared in N.Y., N.J. and Conn.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered an evacuation of Zone A of the city, which includes areas likely to flood. Residents can find out their street’s Evacuation Zone.

The mayor also said that public schools would be canceled on Monday.

The decision came after the MTA decided to suspend service on subways and buses.

“Suspending the largest transportation system in North America is a monumental effort,” MTA Chairman and CEO Joseph J. Lhota said in a statement.

When the MTA halted service during Hurricane Irene in August 2011 it was the first such weather-related shutdown in the agency’s history.

In Westchester County, the Bronx River Parkway was shut down from end to end starting at 6 a.m. on Monday.

Gov. Cuomo declared a state of emergency in New York in preparation for the potential impact of the storm. The declaration allows local governments to get help from state resources and also suspends regulations that could slow down the response.

“As we prepare for the possibility of Hurricane Sandy hitting New York State, I am activating all levels of state government to prepare for any potential impacts,” Cuomo said. “We are working with federal and local partners to follow storm developments and organize a coordinated response plan. With unpredictable weather conditions, we are taking the greatest precautions – especially after our experience from last year’s storms. I urge New Yorkers to plan for hurricane conditions and follow news reports to stay updated on the storm’s progress.”

In New Jersey, the Cape May County Emergency Management Office issued mandatory evacuation orders for the county’s barrier islands.

The storm is expected to join up with a wintry storm heading east across the country. Forecasters say the two systems could meet around New Jersey or New York on Tuesday morning.

In all, the storm is linked to 41 deaths across the Caribbean.

Shluchim Batten Down Hatches as Sandy Closes In

Chabad.org

As Hurricane Sandy inches ever closer to the Eastern Seaboard, Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbi Eli and Beila Goodman are among the millions of people stretching from Boston to Washington, D.C., preparing for the arrival of what meteorologists say could be one of the biggest storms on record. Based in Long Beach, N.Y., they spent Sunday closely following news of the tropical system’s large water surge and high winds, as well as the damage said to be on the way. With a mandatory evacuation order issued for their area, they’ve been working quickly to sandbag both their ground floor apartment and their synagogue, as well as to help others doing the same.

The rabbi, who directs Chabad of the Beaches and serves as educational director of the local Bach Jewish Center, said they’re stocked with water and flashlights and will stand at the ready to assist with whatever is needed. They’ll be relocating several blocks from the water to wait out the surf and wind.

“I have a few people ready and on call to help,” stated Goodman, who also spent most of the day reaching out to locals to make sure everyone had plans for the storm.

Topping headlines around the country as it develops, Sandy has cancelled flights, closed offices, and halted New York City’s bustling mass transit system. The National Weather Service warned that Hurricane Sandy is “expected to bring life-threatening storm surge flooding to the Mid-Atlantic Coast … including Long Island Sound and New York Harbor, [and] will bring costal hurricane winds and heavy Appalachian snows.”

It’s a recipe for possible disaster that has led people like Rabbi Yaakov Saacks to “batten down the hatches.” Though several miles from the oceanfront, the co-director of New York’s Lubavitch Chai Center of Dix Hills and his congregants cleared out their yards, verified drains were open, rushed out to buy generators and sandbagged their garages. Many filled up bath tubs with water in case of service interruptions, and cleared store shells of such staples as bread and cereal.

Saacks noted that he’s been fielding calls from concerned parents wondering if the Jewish preschool is still in session – it’s cancelled classes for the duration of the storm – and if he has any “D” batteries.

“Any ones I have, I’ve given out,” he confirmed.

Elsewhere in the Empire State, centers further from danger areas, such as the Chabad Center for Jewish Life in Merrick, informed their members and congregants that their offices would remain open.

“If there is something we can help you with, such as flashlights, food, water, or the like, please contact us,” Rabbi Shimon Kramer said in an email. “If you have elderly neighbors or a neighbor who’s alone, try and take a moment to check up on them. At all times, remember to follow instructions from the local authorities and let’s weather the storm together!”

Meanwhile, Sunday morning, in Livingston, N.J., Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum held a 2,000-person strong walkathon benefitting the local Friendship Circle, which pairs teenage volunteers with children with special needs. Postponed last year because of a snowstorm, the event just squeaked by the churning seas of Sandy.

“It was a beautiful event, and everyone was happy to come out and catch some happiness before the craziness we might go through,” said Grossbaum.

The rabbi recalled how past storms knocked out power in parts of the area for up to a week, a challenge that brought people together.

“We really saw the best of people come out,” he said. “They opened their homes to each other. And whatever we go through in the next couple days, we will go through as a community.”

In Toms River, N.J., Rabbi Moshe Gourarie made arrangements to either borrow a generator or move his two freezers full of food in the event of a power outage.

“We’re hoping that if the electricity goes out, it won’t go out for long,” he said.

He also offered to have people come stay with his family if necessary, and in a Friday email reminded residents that he and his wife are available to help.

“At this point, it’s a waiting game,” he said as the wind began to pick up. “We’ve prepared ourselves: Whatever the officials have told us to do, we’ve done, and now we have to wait and see.”

Rabbi Avrohom Rapoport of Chabad of Atlantic County, about an hour outside of Atlantic City, spent the afternoon preparing his house and synagogue and making calls to the community.

Volunteers moved the Torah scrolls to higher ground and put plastic tape over the windows before the rabbi headed out with his wife and children to stay with fellow Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries further inland.

“The question is what’s going to be needed afterwards, what people will need to recover from the storm,” he said. “I hope to be back as soon as possible. Depending on the damage, I have no idea when to expect to return.”