Washington:
Governors whose states lie in the path of Hurricane Sandy on Monday urged skeptical residents to heed their dire warnings and prepare for one of the worst storms to hit the northeastern US in years.
From Connecticut through New Jersey and down into Maryland, the governors warned that the storm would likely kill people, trigger devastating floods and tidal surges, and result in power outages lasting for days.
Sandy crashed ashore late Monday in a populous section of the Mid-Atlantic coast where New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland converge.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie lashed out at the mayor of Atlantic City just before the storm made landfall for not evacuating his seaside town.
"I cannot in good conscience send rescuers in ... nor can I send them in in the dark, given all the various hazards that would occur potentially to them," Christie said at a press conference.
"For those of you who ... decided it was a better idea to wait this out than to evacuate and for those elected officials who decided to ignore my admonition, this is now your responsibility," said Christie.
"We will not be able to come and help you until daylight tomorrow."
Christie urged people to "hunker down and stay safe" in the meantime.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered several bridges in the storm's path closed due to danger from high winds.
"Sandy's fury is still going to come this evening," Cuomo told reporters just ahead of landfall. "That gives a very short window for people who have not yet evacuated before we see the full impact of Sandy's fury."
Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley warned that Sandy is "going to sit on top of Maryland and beat down on Maryland for a good 24 to 36 hours."
The next days, he told reporters at the state's emergency coordination center, "are going to be difficult. There will be people who die and are killed in this storm."
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy told CNN that state officials "anticipate that if current predictions hold that this will be the largest and perhaps most serious event" ever faced in his state, citing the threat of tidal surges in Long Island Sound.
Malloy also signed four executive orders aimed at helping his state quickly recover from the effects of the hurricane.
"Our first priority during this storm is public safety, but we also want to ensure efficient restoration efforts," said Malloy. "Let's be clear, it's going to take a while to get back to normal."
The measures allow out-of-state electrical workers to work in Connecticut and extends deadlines for filing state taxes and tax exemption requests.
The small state of Delaware, squarely in Sandy's path, banned all driving except for emergency vehicles under a law that could see repeat offenders sent to jail.
"We didn't want people driving to work and then driving back in dangerous conditions or getting stuck," said Delaware Governor Jack Markell.
In Virginia, Governor Bob McDonnell encouraged citizens "to check in on neighbors, friends and family, particularly the elderly, as this storm unfolds. We need to look out for each other."
Dire warnings also came from inland West Virginia, where moisture from Sandy colliding with an incoming cold front and prompted blizzard warnings in at least 14 counties in the Appalachian mountain state.
"We cannot be certain of the impact this storm will have on our state," said Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, who declared a state of emergency. "For this reason, we are preparing for all scenarios."
Maryland's O'Malley said that while the potential for loss of life was his "biggest concern right now." Sandy's slow approach gave state officials several days to prepare for the storm's arrival.
"The more responsibly citizens act, the fewer people will die," he wrote.
From Connecticut through New Jersey and down into Maryland, the governors warned that the storm would likely kill people, trigger devastating floods and tidal surges, and result in power outages lasting for days.
Sandy crashed ashore late Monday in a populous section of the Mid-Atlantic coast where New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland converge.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie lashed out at the mayor of Atlantic City just before the storm made landfall for not evacuating his seaside town.
"I cannot in good conscience send rescuers in ... nor can I send them in in the dark, given all the various hazards that would occur potentially to them," Christie said at a press conference.
"For those of you who ... decided it was a better idea to wait this out than to evacuate and for those elected officials who decided to ignore my admonition, this is now your responsibility," said Christie.
"We will not be able to come and help you until daylight tomorrow."
Christie urged people to "hunker down and stay safe" in the meantime.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered several bridges in the storm's path closed due to danger from high winds.
"Sandy's fury is still going to come this evening," Cuomo told reporters just ahead of landfall. "That gives a very short window for people who have not yet evacuated before we see the full impact of Sandy's fury."
Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley warned that Sandy is "going to sit on top of Maryland and beat down on Maryland for a good 24 to 36 hours."
The next days, he told reporters at the state's emergency coordination center, "are going to be difficult. There will be people who die and are killed in this storm."
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy told CNN that state officials "anticipate that if current predictions hold that this will be the largest and perhaps most serious event" ever faced in his state, citing the threat of tidal surges in Long Island Sound.
Malloy also signed four executive orders aimed at helping his state quickly recover from the effects of the hurricane.
"Our first priority during this storm is public safety, but we also want to ensure efficient restoration efforts," said Malloy. "Let's be clear, it's going to take a while to get back to normal."
The measures allow out-of-state electrical workers to work in Connecticut and extends deadlines for filing state taxes and tax exemption requests.
The small state of Delaware, squarely in Sandy's path, banned all driving except for emergency vehicles under a law that could see repeat offenders sent to jail.
"We didn't want people driving to work and then driving back in dangerous conditions or getting stuck," said Delaware Governor Jack Markell.
In Virginia, Governor Bob McDonnell encouraged citizens "to check in on neighbors, friends and family, particularly the elderly, as this storm unfolds. We need to look out for each other."
Dire warnings also came from inland West Virginia, where moisture from Sandy colliding with an incoming cold front and prompted blizzard warnings in at least 14 counties in the Appalachian mountain state.
"We cannot be certain of the impact this storm will have on our state," said Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, who declared a state of emergency. "For this reason, we are preparing for all scenarios."
Maryland's O'Malley said that while the potential for loss of life was his "biggest concern right now." Sandy's slow approach gave state officials several days to prepare for the storm's arrival.
"The more responsibly citizens act, the fewer people will die," he wrote.
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