Hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, city and state officials are monitoring Sandy's path toward New York.
The City's Office of Emergency Management is working around the clock to track the storm and prepare city services.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Consolidated Edison Chairman, President and CEO Kevin Burke discussed the city's preparations for Sandy as the storm loomed off the coast at a press conference on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that the city is not ordering any evacuations for any parts of the city as of Saturday afternoon.The mayor said that as of Saturday night, all city offices will be open on Monday. Any decision on closing schools will be made Sunday.
Bloomberg suggested that residents who live in low-lying areas should stay with family members in areas out of the flood zones. He said that the city will provide 65 shelters in public schools for people who do not have families to stay with, which will be open as of 9 a.m. Sunday. The locations of those shelters can be found at nyc.gov or by calling 311.
Bloomberg said Sandy is expected to hit south of the city around the Maryland/Delaware area, but said people still need to remain alert.
"Don't get lulled tomorrow when there's not a lot of rain and not a lot of wind," Bloomberg said. "This is a dangerous storm and I think we're going to be OK, but if it were to strengthen unexpectedly or change its expected path, it could do a lot of damage and you could be at risk."
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency.
"It allows us access to federal funding, and allows us more flexibility as a state government," Cuomo said. "Also, we'll have the National Guard on alert. In a situation like this, the National Guard is very helpful to the state in equipment, personnel, etc. So they'll be on the ready."
MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota said decisions on subway and bus service will be made Sunday, but said the agency is prepared to stop all service if necessary.
Depending on Sandy's path and impact, Lhota said the MTA has a contingency plan that would call for reduced bus and subway service as soon as 7 p.m. Sunday. In that event, the system would be completely shutdown by 3 a.m. Monday morning. Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road trains would stop running at 7 p.m. Sunday."Bottom line on all of this is that we're planning for the worst, we're hoping for the best, and decisions on this will be made tomorrow," Lhota said. "I think it's very important that all of the New Yorkers know what is the possibility, with the critical date being 7 p.m. Sunday night."
For the latest, go to mta.info.
Amtrak announced the cancellation of several train services Saturday, including the cancellation of Silver Star Train 92 service from Miami to New York and Silver Meteor Train 98 service and Crescent Train 20 service from Washington D.C. to New York, beginning Sunday.
Consolidated Edison is also warning its customers about possible power outages ahead of Sandy.
Con Ed says extra crews will be on hand to fix any damage to electric, gas, and steam systems.
Officials are also making several safety recommendations.
If you see downed electrical wires, they say, do not go near them or touch them with any object.
If a wire lands on your vehicle while you're in it, stay inside and wait for emergency crews. If your power does go out, turn off all your lights and appliances to avoid overloaded circuits later on.
Also, check to make sure your flashlights and battery-operated radio are working, and have a supply of extra batteries handy.
Customers can report power outages by calling 1-800-75-Con-Ed or by visiting coned.com.
Folks in Rockaway Beach are doing what they can to prepare as another significant storm bears down on them. NY1's Natasha Ghoneim filed the following report.
The storm is churning toward the United States after barreling through the Caribbean, where it's being blamed for more than three dozen deaths. It's expected to join forces with a storm moving in from the west to create heavy rain, flooding and strong winds.
The effects will be felt throughout the southeast over the next few days.
In Suffolk County, Fire Island has been ordered to evacuate by Sunday afternoon.
Residents hoping to do some last-minute shopping before the storm should be prepared for long lines and waits at city stores.
Lines stretched out across the block at a "Trader Joe's" supermarket on the Upper West Side.
Shoppers said they're stocking up on food and basic supplies in case Sandy sticks around.
"I'm from Florida," said one. "I've done this so many times it's unreal. You just have to buy water, batteries, all the basic stuff in case something does happen."
"I don't think there will be too many subways running or buses running so I expect to be home a lot," said a second.
"We're just looking forward to spending three days watching TV, having a good time, watching movies," said a third.
Residents are advised to stock up on supplies and make sure so called "Go Bags" are packed with essentials.
Hospitals are being told to postpone non-essential treatments and surgeries.
All exterior construction work is to stop later Saturday, and residents are being asked to stay out of parks starting Sunday because of concerns about fallings limbs.
Bloomberg said that all events at city parks will end at 2 p.m. Sunday and that all parks will be closed by 5 p.m. Sunday.
The New York City Department of Transportation says commuters should prepare for delays on the Staten Island Ferry as early as Monday morning.
For up-to-the-minute information on traffic and transit disruptions, turn to NY1 Rail and Road 24/7 on channels 104 or 91.
Some airlines are allowing customers to reschedule travel plans without the usual fees and penalties because of the storm.
JetBlue, US Airways and Spirit are offering waivers, while other airlines are monitoring the storm and plan to update passengers later.
Travelers are being advised to check flight status before heading to the airport.