A New Yorker blogs on waiting for Superstorm Sandy

New York: I am sitting on the 50th floor of a high rise in New York City. The winds are ferocious and have a language of their own. The rain is relentless. And it is likely to last 48 hours. We have done the best New Yorkers can do. Like others, we have stocked up on groceries, bought flashlights, candles and filled the bath tub with water. The line at Whole Foods took over an hour and shelves were quickly turning empty. Surrounded by glass windows, we even considered putting up a mattress to block a potential window break. But others have it far worse.

Over 375,000 people have been evacuated from downtown Manhattan. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) has shut down for the first time since 9/11. And the first weather related shutdown since 1985's Hurricane Gloria. The Nasdaq, and the NYMEX are shut too and so are the bond markets.

The subways are shut for the second time in history. Flights at all three New York airports are grounded. I could go on, but you get the idea. 'Frankenstorm', as Hurricane Sandy is called, coming just days ahead of Halloween, could be the biggest storm ever in the United States. And though it has winds of Category 1, it has the pressure of Category 3.

New York City is expected to be in the eye of the storm. And so are President Barack Obama and his Republican rival Mitt Romney. While the economic fallout of the storm might run into billions of dollars, the election fallout could be even greater. Weather might be the eighth swing state to make the final vote.

For Mr Obama, getting the early voters i.e. minority/low income/youth, largely democratic supporters, could be a problem. The last leg of the campaign trail where Mr Obama usually scores over Mr Romney with his ability to energise crowds could suffer. More importantly, if this turns out be a disaster or poorly managed, it will reflect on his administration.

For Mr Romney, who needs every extra vote to break the dead heat, campaigning could suffer. Florida and Virginia are both a tie and in the storm's realm. Virginia could get over 60 inches of snow.

But in the middle of the natural disaster, Mr Obama could also gain politically. The media coverage of the hurricane will give the US President a platform which was otherwise not available post the presidential debates. If he uses it wisely, a voice of authority from the position of power could change minds. It is also no secret that popular media on a whole is very liberal. So a chance to occupy liberal minds could be the election strategy even Axelrod did not anticipate. But if things don't go his way, Mr Romney could gain immensely. The first presidential debate was the pivot point but this could spur the Republicans in the final lap. Either way, the answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind.