All New York transport halted ahead of megastorm

With Hurricane Sandy approaching, the Long Island Railroad announced the suspension of their service at 7pm on Sunday night, October 28, 2012 in Hicksville, New York. Sandy, which has already claimed over 50 lives in the Caribbean is predicted to bring heavy winds and floodwaters as the mid-atlantic region prepares for the damage. AFP

NEW YORK – All New York subways, buses and regional trains came to a halt late Sunday ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Sandy, officials said.

Authorities ordered the transport suspension because of the feared flooding and wind damage from the hurricane which is expected to hit the coast in the northeast United States late Monday.

Thousands of flights in and out of east coast airports have also been cancelled and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs five airports in the New York region, said it expected airlines to halt all flights on Sunday night.

The transportation suspension was expected to last at least through Monday and Tuesday with major disruption continuing on Wednesday.

New York mayor Michael Bloomberg told people to stay at home through the storm and city streets were noticeably empty on Sunday night.