Last train before the storm: Grand Central deserted and subway CLOSED for only second time in history as New York goes into lock down


Mayor Bloomberg ordered mandatory evacuation of low-lying areas

Subway shut down at 7pm on Sunday - the second time in history

This is only the second time entire MTA network has shut down; the first was for last year's Tropical Storm Irene

New Yorkers rushing to stock up on essentials, clearing out stores

By BETH STEBNER and LOUISE BOYLE

Published: 12:17 EDT, 28 October 2012 | Updated: 09:40 EDT, 29 October 2012











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Manhattan was turned into a ghost town this morning after Hurricane Sandy forced the city to shut down its transport system for only the second time in history.

Last night frantic passengers sprinted for the last trains pulling out of Grand Central Station and JetBlack the city's subway and bus networks stopped at 7pm.

Cavernous Grand Central on 42nd Street was eerily deserted as the NYPD patrolled to make sure every passenger had left.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that those living in low-lying areas must evacuate and that all public schools will be closed tomorrow as the storm barrels towards the city.

Scroll down for video and public transportation closures



End of the line: The last few people make their way through Grand Central Station in New York as the subway shut down tonight for only the second time in history





Head for the hills: A sign in Grand Central on Sunday evening as New York braced for Hurricane Sandy









Escape from New York: Passengers run for the last trains leaving Grand Central on Sunday night

Police officers went door-to-door tonight, taking the names of those who had ignored the mandatory evacuation order.

New Yorkers were quick to respond, rushing to snatch up essentials and leaving lines stretching out the doors of grocery stores. Staples like bread and water flew off the shelves as the city's 8million residents prepared for the megastorm.



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The mayor urged residents of New York to stay inside as much as possible starting at sundown tonight, warning of winds reaching more than 80mph and torrential rain.

In addition to low-lying areas of Manhattan, Bloomberg ordered that residents of the Rockaways, a low-lying area of Queens by Jamaica Bay, evacuate.



All aboard? A subway worker looks up and down the platform as the subway shuts down at 7pm on Sunday night





Eerie: A strange stillness came over Grand Central on 42nd Street, usually one of the busiest junctions in New York City



Locking up: Assistant Station Master Cory Harris chains the doors of Grand Central Station as a city-wide transit shutdown came into force tonight

No entry: Caution tape covers the entrance to the Times Square Subway Station



Heading home: A woman tries to find cell signal on the last subway shuttle from Grand Central Station

'If you don't evacuate, you are not only endangering your life, you are also endangering the lives of the first responders who are going in to rescue you,' he said today.

'This is a serious and dangerous storm.'

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo echoed Bloomberg's warnings. 'A situation like this, you don't want to be overly panicked and overly prepared, but you want to be prudent, you want to do what's necessary,' he said.

Cuomo also said the National Guard would be deployed, 200 troops in New York City, and 400 on Long Island.



Risky: NYPD officers speak with a woman as they go door-to-door in a housing project to take note of which residents are ignoring the mandatory evacuation order as Hurricane Sandy approaches



Taking cover: A boarded up Broad Street subway station across the street from the New York Stock Exchange





Heading home: The New York subway system was closing at 7pm tonight - only the second time in history





Stockpile: People try to get through the aisles at Whole Foods Market in midtown Manhattan



Packed: Customers wait in line to buy groceries at the Fairway super market in New York





Gathering: Shoppers stock up on supplies ahead of Hurricane Sandy in New York today



Cleared out: A shopper in Long Beach in Long Island grabs the few remaining water bottles from the shelves at the Waldbaums grocery store



Hydration transportation: A woman drags a basket full of bottled water down 7th Ave in a Duane Reade cart


The New York Stock Exchange closed the trading floor on Monday because it lies within a mandatory evacuation zone but will continue to trade electronically.

In addition, nearly 4,000 flights were canceled for Monday, with 857 cancellations at Newark in New Jersey, followed by 632 at New York's Kennedy Airport and more than 500 cancellations at both New York's LaGuardia and Philadelphia International.

FlightAware said it expects the number of flight cancellations for Monday and Tuesday to 'rise considerably.'











Cyclone: A NASA satellite image taken at 4pm Sunday shows Sandy's devastating path from space

A spokesman for United Airlines parent United Continental Holdings Inc. told the Associated Press that the carrier has suspended an unspecified number of flights to New York and Washington-area airports beginning Sunday evening with plans to resume Tuesday as conditions permit.

JetBlue Airways, which flies out of JFK, said it has canceled more than 1,000 flights from Sunday through Wednesday morning.


Video: Mayor orders evacuations from coastal areas of New York

 




The entire subway, the largest mass-transit system in the country, will shut down at 7pm tonight, with all city-run bus service stopping at 9pm.

The only other time the city has done this was for last year's Tropical Storm Irene.



Now is the time to prepare. Effects of #Sandy will begin in NYC this evening and deteriorate on Monday bit.ly/WRCnd3

— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) October 28, 2012



NYC is ready for #Sandy. Whenever we're faced with a tough situation, New Yorkers always pull together bit.ly/WRCnd3

— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) October 28, 2012


According to the Department of Transportation, the Staten Island Ferry will run with delays until 8pm, and will then be suspended indefinitely.

Throughout the city, there are images of New Yorkers running around to prepare, stocking up on essentials like water, bread, and batteries.

In many stores and markets across the city, those items have already sold out, or have been greatly picked over.

At the Trader Joe's in Union Square, people lined up outside the store, hoping to get in before supplies ran out.

By early afternoon, however, there was little more than empty shelves where bottles of water and bread once were.





Closed: A warning sign about potential service changes due to Hurricane Sandy is seen at the Seventh Avenue subway station





Precaution: Construction workers carry boards of wood to cover air vents that could cause the New York subway system to flood





At the ready: Con Edison trucks queue in Union Square ahead of Hurricane Sandy today, ready for any electrical emergencies



Secure: A man secures plywood over the windows of a hair salon in nearby Ocean City, New Jersey; the plywood features a spray-painted taunt to the storm

The industry-wide shut down applies to Metro North and Long Island Railroad commuter trains, as well as express busses in the transit system.

Update: New York Gov Andrew Cuomo said the National Guard would be deployed, 200 troops in New York City, and 400 on Long Island

Bridges and tunnels will remain open on a case-by-case basis but could be closed, depending on the strength of the storm and the possibility of flooding in the tunnels.

Those in the mandatory evacuation zones were encouraged to take refuge at houses of friends and family.

Those who do not have a place to go can stay at one of 72 centers across the city.

Rainfall is expected to start late Sunday or early Monday in New York. Hurricane Sandy was headed north from the Caribbean to meet a winter storm and a cold front, and experts said the rare hybrid storm that results will cause havoc over 800 miles from the East Coast to the Great Lakes.

With a daily ridership of more than 5million, New York City's subway system is by far the largest in the U.S.

Many New Yorkers do not have cars and depend on subways and buses to get to work, school and simply around town.

At Penn Station, Lori Wolfman, in town for a friend's wedding, waited in a long line to change her tickets.

She and her husband were scheduled to leave at 3 p.m. to go home to Washington, where they recently moved from California.








But when the noon wedding brunch was canceled and the hotel announced plans to evacuate, they were eager to catch an earlier train.

Ominous: Grey clouds hang heavily over the southern tip of Manhattan, already feeling some of Sandy's wrath







Dangerous: A man surfs at Rockaway Beach in Queens today as Hurricane Sandy approaches; the mayor implored people to stay away from the beaches

'We'll get on anything,' she said.

'It says they're all sold out,' said Barry Wolfman, just back from the Amtrak kiosk. 'I don't know if you can just get on an earlier train?'

'No,' Lori replied. 'I think we're going to be here until 3.'

They decided to wait in line just in case, with nothing else to do for about three hours.

'Welcome to the East,' she said.


Warning: New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, center, said there was a mandatory evacuation ordered for some parts of the city





Evacuation: The mayor has ordered everyone in Zone A, in red, to evacuate; those living in that zone are susceptible to the most flooding from the storm





She's coming: A satellite image taken Sunday morning by the National Hurricane Center shows Sandy heading north



ON LOCK DOWN: WHAT CITY OFFICIALS ARE URGING NEW YORKERS TO DO AHEAD OF HURRICANE

New York City's Office of Emergency Management offers advice for what to do in case disaster strikes. 

They encourage residents to construct an emergency supply kit, complete with a gallon of water per person per day for drinking, as well as non-perishable foods, first aid kids, and flashlights.

In case drinking water becomes polluted, they also recommend iodine tablets, and supplies for personal hygiene such as toothbrush, tooth paste, soap, and any medications needed. 

The office urges people to designate two meeting places - one near the home, and the other place in the neighbourhood, like a library or place of worship.

It is also extremely helpful to keep a list of emergency contacts, both in the area, and out-of-town in case those in the city cannot be reached.

Those living around bodies of water have the greatest risk of flooding from Sandy's storm surge and are highly encouraged to evacuate. Those further inland have less of a danger, but are still encouraged to exercise caution.