Millions across East Coast brace for ‘Superstorm’ Sandy, while NYC to close transit services

October 28, 2012 - 11:29 am | Category: National

As tens of millions of people in the eastern third of the U.S. prepare for rainfall from Hurricane Sandy, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the New York City will suspend its bus, subway and commuter rail service Sunday evening ahead of the storm.

“You don’t want to be over panicked and overly prepared, but you want to be prudent and do what’s necessary,” Cuomo said, indicating that the transit system will close at 7 p.m. ET.

Cuomo also said that bridges and tunnels in the New York area will be closed on a case by case basis, and 1,100 National Guard troops will be deployed to the area, including 400 on Long Island and 200 in New York City.

The city closed the subways before Hurricane Irene last year, and a Columbia University study predicted that an Irene surge just 1 foot higher would have paralyzed lower Manhattan.