WASHINGTON // America began counting the cost yesterday of the freak "Frankenstorm" that killed at least 38 people, left more than eight million without power and paralysed the east coast.
President Obama declared major disaster areas in New York and New Jersey, which bore the brunt of the devastation. A wall of water more than four metres high surged through lower Manhattan, flooded the New York subway and caused an explosion at a power substation. The resulting power cut forced the evacuation of NYU Tisch hospital, and some of the 260 patients had to be carried down 15 flights of stairs.
Water cascaded into the construction pit at the World Trade Centre, and the New York Stock Exchange was closed for a second day. It will reopen today.
The mayor, Michael Bloomberg, said it could be days before power is fully restored and the subway system could be out for up to five days. "Make no mistake about it, this was a devastating storm, maybe the worst we've ever experienced," he said.
Chris Christie, the New Jersey governor, said the storm had brought absolute devastation. "There are no words to describe what's been New Jersey's experience over the last 24 hours," he said. "The cost … is incalculable at this point."
The storm will have caused $20 billion (Dh74bn) in property damage and up to $30bn more in lost business, one of the costliest US natural disasters on record, according to IHS Global Insight, a forecasting company.
And just one week from election day, the US presidential campaign has effectively been suspended as both candidates cancelled campaign rallies and promised to put politics aside. Sandy will have an uncertain effect on an election race that remains tied, and poses unforeseen challenges and opportunities to both candidates.
Mr Obama and challenger Mitt Romney are treading carefully in their response to the crisis and both campaigns have urged supporters to donate to the Red Cross.
The president called the storm "heartbreaking for the nation" yesterday and warned that there were still risks of flooding and downed power lines.
He said he had told government officials coordinating the response that there was "no excuse for inaction".
Ten states and the District of Columbia were declared disaster areas, but New York and New Jersey were hardest hit.
A construction crane that collapsed in the high winds on Monday still dangled precariously 74 floors above the streets of midtown Manhattan, and hundreds of people were evacuated as a precaution. And on Staten Island, a tanker ship wound up beached on the shore.
Most major tunnels and bridges in New York were closed, as were schools, Broadway theatres and the three main airports, LaGuardia, Kennedy and Newark.
In New Jersey, the storm cut off barrier islands, swept houses from their foundations and washed amusement pier rides into the ocean. It also wrecked several boardwalks up and down the coast, tearing away a section of Atlantic City's famous promenade.
At least 7.3 million homes and businesses were without power up and down the coast after the storm tore down power lines and flooded electricity networks.
The deaths include 17 in New York, two in Maryland, two in Connecticut, four in New Jersey, five in Pennsylvania, one in West Virginia and one from HMS Bounty, which sank off the coast of North Carolina early on Monday.
The captain of the replica ship, which was built for the 1962 Marlon Brando movie, Mutiny on the Bounty, is also still missing after the crew was forced to abandon ship. Fourteen crew members were rescued.
A woman in Canada also died when she was hit by flying debris and more than 100,000 Canadians were still without power yesterday.
It will take days for power to be restored to many areas affected by the storm and even longer before the full extent of the damage can be assessed. According to IHA Global Insight, as much as half the damaged property may have been uninsured.
Although weakening as it goes, the storm will continue to bring heavy rain and flooding, said Daniel Brown of the National Hurricane Centre in Miami.
In a measure of the storm's immense size and power, waves on southern Lake Michigan rose to more than six metres. High winds spinning off the edges clobbered the Cleveland area, uprooting trees, cutting power to hundreds of thousands, closing schools and flooding major roads along Lake Erie.
In Portland, Maine, gusts scared away several cruise ships and prompted officials to close the port.
The storm also brought blizzard conditions to parts of West Virginia and neighbouring Appalachian states, with up to a metre of snow expected in some places. A snowstorm in western Maryland caused a pileup of tractor-trailers that blocked part of Interstate 68 on slippery Big Savage Mountain.
"It's like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs up here," said Bill Wiltson, a Maryland State Police dispatcher.
okarmi@thenational.ae
* Additional reporting by the Associated Press
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Abu Dhabi race card
5pm Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
5.30pm Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
6pm Abu Dhabi Championship Listed | Dh180,000 | 1,600m
6.30pm Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
7pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,400m
7.30pm Handicap (TB) |Dh100,000 | 2,400m
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The First Monday in May
Director: Andrew Rossi
Starring: Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld, John Paul Gaultier, Rihanna
Three stars
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The biog
Fast facts on Neil Armstrong’s personal life:
- Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930, in Wapakoneta, Ohio
- He earned his private pilot’s license when he was 16 – he could fly before he could drive
- There was tragedy in his married life: Neil and Janet Armstrong’s daughter Karen died at the age of two in 1962 after suffering a brain tumour. She was the couple’s only daughter. Their two sons, Rick and Mark, consulted on the film
- After Armstrong departed Nasa, he bought a farm in the town of Lebanon, Ohio, in 1971 – its airstrip allowed him to tap back into his love of flying
- In 1994, Janet divorced Neil after 38 years of marriage. Two years earlier, Neil met Carol Knight, who became his second wife in 1994
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
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The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
Five expert hiking tips
- Always check the weather forecast before setting off
- Make sure you have plenty of water
- Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
- Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
- Take your litter home with you