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Video: Sandy makes landfall in New Jersey Source: cntv.cn

Sandy paralyzes US East Coast Superstorm Sandy slammed the East Coast of the US with heavy rain and raging winds on October 30, leaving millions trapped in blackouts, disrupting transportation and forcing the stock markets to close. Superstorm Sandy floods NYC streets, causes massive blackouts Hurricane-turned-superstorm Sandy Monday flooded streets, leaving many parts of the New York City in the darkness, affecting airports, subways, and even hospitals.  Obama warns Americans of "big and powerful" Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Impacts

About 50 million people in an area stretching from the state of Virginia to Massachusetts were expected to feel the effects of Sandy.

Flooded Streets Hurricane-turned-superstorm Sandy flooded streets, leaving many parts of the New York City in the darkness.
Electricity supply  The city's utility supplier Consolidated Edison said it shut electricity supply in certain Manhanttan neighborhoods to protect underwater systems from flood damage, while the outage in the east side was caused by flooding and probable loss of a transmission feeder.
Landfall Post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy, a former hurricane, has made landfall along the coast of southern New Jersey state as of 8 pm EDT on October 29.
Economic losses The enormous hurricane Sandy has not only caused Wall Street to shut down its main stock and bond markets, but also affected the oil prices in the US. The total economic losses to be caused by the hurricane are expected to amount to between 10 to 20 billion US dollars.
Flights Emirates Airline from Dubai and Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi decided to cancel direct flights to New York city for October 30 and October 31. Hurricane Sandy will likely cause financial headaches for US airlines that canceled more than 7,000 flights to and from the Northeast corridor on October 28.
Gold price Gold futures on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange fell slightly October 29, as a higher dollar due to the advance of Hurricane Sandy put pressure on the precious metal.
Stocks New York Stock Exchange would close its physical trading floor and its New York building on October 29 due to hurricane Sandy.
Presidential election President Barack Obama planned to travel to Florida on October 28 for a campaign stop as Hurricane Sandy. And Republican nominee Mitt Romney has also canceled appearances in Virginia to head for Ohio before the hurricane's arrival.

Political Effect?

Only eight days ahead of Election Day, he said campaign was not top priority now and he was not worried about the impact of the storm on his re-election bid.

Obama canceled a planned campaign event with former US President Bill Clinton in Florida October 29 morning and returned to Washington to monitor preparations for the approaching Hurricane Sandy.
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Media comments

 AFP
The storm's immediate political impact was unpredictable, but it was expected to bring dire conditions to Virginia and also could impact other swing states including Ohio and New Hampshire, and depress early voting elsewhere. 

 Zheng Hao, contributor to news website ifeng.com
Obama can take this opportunity to impress voters in swing states by exhibiting his capacity as a leader during a large-scale disaster. Such storms have revealed how unprepared US leadership can be when it comes to disaster relief.

 caixun.com
Although Sandy has captured the attention of media and viewers, it will not divert voters from focusing on such pressing election issues as the economy, the military and foreign policy.

Sandy will only influence the vote in swing states, which will not have a dramatic impact on overall candidate support.

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View Points

Global Times
More research would not only help governments prepare but also keep the public informed.

If this work is developed further, it can greatly reduce the impact of natural disasters on the public, both physically and emotionally.

Though natural disasters cannot be avoided completely, with more research we can evaluate and predict costs and losses more accurately.

Xinhua Daily Telegraph
We must learn from previous experience and utilize our technology in hand.

Technology to predict natural disasters is more accurate than ever before, but society needs to make better use of it.

China Affected

Manufacture Flash lights, sand bags and many other items have also become hot items. "We dispatched 3,700 power generator units for household use on Monday alone," said Leng Wenqiang, general manager of the sales department at the Chongqing RATO Power Co. in Southwest China. Leng expected the dispatch volume for early November to increase by 30 percent month-on-month. Ordinarily the company dispatches 15,000 to 20,000 units a month to its US clients.
Flights Flights from Shanghai to New York by China Eastern Airlines have been canceled.
Fuel Prices  Fuel prices had been expected to fall in November, after an extended plunge in international oil prices, however this price reduction may be disrupted by the arrival of Sandy.
Tourism Twenty-five tourists from Shanghai were stranded in Washington DC on October 30 when the post-tropical storm Sandy hit the east coast of the US, according to the local tourism administration.

Other Countries

Cuba defers military drills due to hurricane
Cuba has postponed a nationwide military drill after the destructive Hurricane Sandy caused 11 deaths and millions of dollars in damage in the island country.

Sandy kills 6 in Haiti, 11 in Cuba, causes losses in Dominican Republic
Hurricane Sandy on October 25 claimed 6 lives in Haiti and 11 lives in Cuba, in addition to causing material losses in the Dominican Republic and Cuba

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