Sandy Death Toll Hits 26; State-By-State Updates

With a lion's share of casualties in New York
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 30, 2012 11:40 AM CDT
Sandy Death Toll Hits 26; State-By-State Updates
Michael Brown, left, and Enos Jones, with Ocean City, fill a truck with debris as they clean the boardwalk after the effects of Hurricane Sandy, Oct. 30, 2012, in Ocean City, Md.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The East Coast is picking up the pieces and searching for bodies in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, even as states further inland brace for impact. The total US death toll is up to at least 26, according to CNN, including at least 10 in New York City alone, and more than 7.6 million are without power. Here's a state-by-state breakdown of what we know right now, based on the AP and other sources:

  • In New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the storm was "maybe the worst we have ever experienced," saying that at least 10 have died, and that 23 serious fires are burning in the city—including a Queens blaze that has consumed more than 80 homes. He said the subway would take 2 to 5 days to reopen "if you had to guess," but the East River bridges have already been reopened, the Guardian reports. Gov. Andrew Cuomo blamed a "design flaw" in the subway system: "We did not anticipate water coming over the Hudson River."

  • In New Jersey, more than 2.4 million are without power, and at least 3 are dead. "I think the losses are going to be almost incalculable," Chris Christie said today, the Star-Ledger reports. Rescuers are looking for residents who ignored orders to evacuate Atlantic City—Christie said he was angry at Mayor Lorenzo Langford for telling them that they could stay.
  • More than 250,000 have already lost power in Ohio, as the storm bears down on the Cleveland region. All flights through Cleveland Hopkins International Airport have been canceled, the Plain-Dealer reports.
  • Illinois is still awaiting its taste of Sandy; Chicago officials are urging residents to stay away from the lakefront, where waves are already at 17 to 20 feet, and expected to rise in the coming hours, the Chicago Tribune reports.
  • Kentucky, too, has a storm warning in effect with gusts expected to hit 50mph.
  • Two people have died in Connecticut, including one firefighter who was crushed by a falling tree. More than 615,000 are without power.
  • More than 200 bridges and roads have been closed in Pennsylvania, and a staggering 1.2 million are without power.
Check back for updates, and for more states, see the AP. (More Hurricane Sandy stories.)

Get breaking news in your inbox.
What you need to know, as soon as we know it.
Sign up
Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X