(New York-NY) — The pulsating city of New York was slowed down to a major halt last night by what has been deemed as one of the biggest storms in U.S. history, Hurricane Sandy. What we are now seeing now is a ghost town compared to the usual hustle and bustle throughout the streets of the Big Apple with public areas still remaining virtually empty.
As officials look to pick up the pieces from the massive storm that hit the North East, we can expect airports, public transportation and schools to still be shutdown or just operating minimally until the aftermath resulting in power outages, flooding and fire damage has been fully repaired.
With over 750,000 New Yorkers waiting for their power to be restored, reports are saying that it could take up to three days. As for the subway, MTA officials are stating that service may not be back up and running for four days due to the depth of water that needs to be pumped out of the city’s underground tunnels.
When will NYC begin functioning normally?
Mayor Bloomberg has taken to his Twitter account and other social media channels to assure New Yorkers that the water in the city is safe to drink, that the 76 shelters within NYC will remain open for those who have been displaced from their homes and who are awaiting a safe return, and that the public schools will stay closed through October 31st.
Bloomberg is also assuring New Yorkers that everything possible is being done to start restoring the city, stating that the city’s biggest challenges now would be restoring their power grid and getting their transit system up and running again.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has been doing its best to help the mayor and the entire city of New York with this goal of restoring the city’s transit systems. Originally all seven MTA bridges were shut down from the storm, but the MTA revealed that on Tuesday at noon five of the bridges and been fully inspected and reopened.
Repairs are also being made to the Metro North Railroad system, which was severely damaged due to Sandy. The city’s bus service will also be providing very limited services beginning Tuesday at 5:00 PM for those that need them. Although the buses will not be able to travel everywhere in the city, the MTA is offering these services fare-free for those who need them.
As for the streets of Manhattan apartments, the prestigious high rise called One57 had a dangerous scare from a dangling construction crane positioned more than 1,000 feet above ground. Having snapped from pre-storm gusts that reached more than 90 mph, several buildings in the area including One57 were evacuated to ensure resident safety. Although there was great structural damage to the area, no injuries from the crane were reported, and the surrounding streets have been closed off until further notice.
Through it all, Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Cuomo have been keeping New Yorkers updated on the city’s restoration via social media – posting the latest news on repairs and service announcements. During the storm, residents of New York City have managed to assure their loved ones throughout the country and around the world of their safety and whereabouts thanks to the power of smartphones and social media.
—Email richard@brokerpulse.com
