More than 50 million people from the mid-Atlantic to New England braced Saturday for a potentially massive storm, as Hurricane Sandy churned northward on a collision course with another storm system that is sweeping in from the west.Clouds gather over New York late Saturday. At 2 a.m. Eastern Sunday, Hurricane Sandy was 360 miles southeast of Charleston, S.C. and dumping heavy rain along the coast of the Carolinas.Media reports quoted Louis Uccellini, head of environmental prediction for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, as saying, “We’re looking at impact of greater than 50 to 60 million people.” As Hurricane Sandy barreled north from the Caribbean—where it left nearly five dozen dead—to meet two other powerful winter storms, experts said it didn’t matter how strong the storm was when it hit land: The rare hybrid storm that follows will cause havoc over 800 miles from the East Coast to the Great Lakes.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks to the media during a news conference to update New Yorkers on preparations for the storm, expected to impact New Jersey and New York late Sunday into Monday.
In New York City, officials announced contingency plans to begin shutting down the subways and regional rail lines starting at 7 p.m. Sunday, a decision they will make only if it looks like storm surges will be severe. They also announced plans to close the bridges if there were sustained winds over 60 miles per hour.
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