Separately, several cities, including Stamford, Conn., and Islip, N.Y., also ordered residents out of flood-prone areas. 
 
 “As conditions continue to deteriorate we’re seeing more people," with rain and increasing winds, she told NBC News. 
 
 Five shelters were open in Atlantic County for those five affected municipalities that are home to some 66,000 people, according to census data, said Linda Gilmore, a county spokeswoman. One of the shelters was already full. 
 
 Delaware Gov. Jack Markell ordered a mandatory evacuation of an estimated 50,000 people in coastal communities. In New Jersey, mandatory evacuations were ordered for Sandy Hook south to Cape May, an area that includes the casinos in Atlantic City and popular beach resorts. 
 
 The city opened 65 shelters in public schools on Sunday morning and said more could be opened. Last year, the mayor called for an evacuation in anticipation of Tropical Storm Irene, which officials called unprecedented. 
 
 “This evacuation is mandatory. It is for your own safety,” Bloomberg said. 
 
 New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered mandatory evacuations (.PDF) of 375,000 people from low-lying areas in New York City, signifying officials' growing concern about the severity of the storm and its impact on the five boroughs. About 45,000 of those were people living in public housing, where the heat, hot water and elevator services will be turned off, Bloomberg said, according to NBCNewYork.com . 
 
 Mandatory evacuations Forecasters said Sandy could make U.S. landfall anywhere between Maryland and southern New England. Some computer models show a likely landfall between Delaware and the New York/New Jersey area, where the storm surge could reach from 6 feet to 11 feet. 
 
 "The combination of an extremely dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters," the National Hurricane Center said in its advisory. 
 
 A late Sunday advisory from the National Hurricane Center said Sandy was about 290 miles east of Cape Hatteras, N.C., and 470 miles south-southeast of New York City. It was moving northeast at 14 mph. 
 
 “Sandy is a large hurricane and large systems pose multiple hazards for more people than … smaller systems of comparable intensity,” National Hurricane Center Director Rick Knabb said Sunday. “The large size of the system is why it is so capable of producing a life threatening storm surge, with that threat being applicable to many areas.” 
 
 In anticipation of widespread damage and vast power outages, states of emergency were declared in nine states from North Carolina to Maine, as well as in Washington, D.C., as Sandy made its way north after killing at least 65 people in the Caribbean. 
 
 Workers on Sunday night began shutting down New York City's subway, bus and commuter railroads , as ordered by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. In New Jersey, bus, rail and light rail services were gradually shut down starting Sunday afternoon. 
 
 "The size of this alone, affecting a heavily populated area, is going to be history making," said Jeff Masters, a hurricane specialist who writes a blog posted on the Weather Underground . 
 
 Sandy could be the largest storm ever to hit the United States, according to NOAA's website . 
 
 "We're looking at impact of greater than 50 to 60 million people," said Louis Uccellini, head of environmental prediction for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 
 
 Forecasters said Sandy has the ingredients to transform into a "super storm" as it merges with an Arctic jet stream, which could make the storm unlike anything seen over the eastern United States in decades. The storm is projected to make landfall late Monday . 
 
 Meanwhile, U.S. stock exchanges said they would not be trading on Monday and possibly Tuesday. In Washington, D.C., federal offices will remain closed Monday, and federal courts in affected areas sent out releases saying they, too, would be shuttered in anticipation of the historic storm. 
 
 A day before the storm was scheduled to make landfall, state and local officials issued mandatory evacuation orders for hundreds of thousands of residents in low-lying areas and began the slow, grinding process of shutting down New York City’s massive transit system. 
 
 Hurricane Sandy lumbered toward the East Coast early Monday, leaving potentially tens of millions of residents with only hours to prepare for its onslaught of punishing wind, torrential rains and, at higher elevations, heavy snow. 
 
 Tips on preparing for Sandy 
 
 Not everyone was heeding the evacuation orders. Peter Mercatanti, 26, who lives on Deauville Beach in Mantoloking, N.J., said Sunday afternoon that he had kayaks ready and had packed wet suits, waterproof book bags, flares, glow sticks, flashlights, propane and food to bear out the storm. 
 
 He had stocked sandbags around his home and put up shelter blinds on all of the windows and the doors. But ocean water was hitting his fence and winds that he estimated to be about 25 to 30 miles an hour could be heard screaming on the beach. 
 
 “I just wanted to be here for it, see it, experience it, and try to take care of my house as much as possible,” Mercatanti, a chief of operations for a gym chain, told NBC News by telephone. 
 
 Though he is "extremely worried," he won't leave the island but will head to a friend's house nearby if need be. 
 
 Peter Mercatanti won't leave his house on Deauville Beach in Mantoloking, N.J., saying he wants to home to experience the storm and try to take care of his house. "I can be sustainable and floating," he said. He took this image around 6 p.m. ET on Sunday. 
 
 "I’ve pretty much kind of prepared for every possible situation," he said. "I can be sustainable and floating." 
 
 The Coast Guard also rescued a surfer near Sea Bright, N.J., where authorities have issued mandatory evacuations. 
 
 "We can't stress enough to stay clear of beaches," said Chief Petty Officer Rodger Krass, the command duty officer in the New York sector, said in a statement. "Now is not the time to head out onto the water to go surfing as sea conditions are extremely dangerous and are continuing to worsen as Hurricane Sandy approaches shore." 
 
 President Barack Obama on Sunday visited the National Response Coordination Center at FEMA Headquarters, where the deployment of federal resources and teams to states up and down the East Coast will be coordinated, the White House said. 
 
 Calling it a "very serious storm event," he said: "This is going to affect a big swath of the country and because it's slow moving, it could be a number of days until people get power back." 
 
 FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said earlier Sunday that the "time for preparing and talking is about over." 
 
 "People need to be acting now particularly as this storm … is becoming a rather substantial risk to storm surge," he added. The hurricane is "going to produce very high potential life threatening storm surge … that may require additional evacuations today." 
 
 Coastal flooding posed a major threat, particularly in low-lying areas like New York City, the global financial nerve center, and Alexandria, Va., across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Flooding also could occur in parts of North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York, the National Hurricane Center said. 
 
 But Fugate warned that "this is not a coastal threat alone" and that the impact will be felt "well inland." 
 
 Share your images of Hurricane Sandy preparations 
 
 Some areas could experience up to a foot of rain, while others, such as West Virginia, Virginia and the area around the North Carolina-Tennessee border, could get from 1 to 3 feet of snow. 
 
 Sandy's winds were not overwhelming for a hurricane -- sustained near 75 mph Sunday afternoon with higher gusts. But its width is exceptional. Hurricane force winds extended up to 175 miles from its center while its lesser tropical storm-force winds reached across 520 miles. 
 
 Officials urged residents to stock up on emergency supplies, but items like lanterns, generators, propane, rain boots and batteries were hard to find at stores throughout the region. Grocery stores also reported runs on bread, bottled water and canned foods. 
 
 Long lines also were reported at gas stations that remained open. 
 
 Sandy also was disrupting travel in the region. More than 6,800 flights have been canceled so far, according to FlightAware.com, a flight tracking website. Rail traffic also was impacted, with Amtrak canceling all of its northeast corridor service in addition to some other lines it operates in the region. 
 
 Some local governments, including New York City and Washington, D.C., announced schools would be closed on Monday and Tuesday. Federal government offices in Washington, D.C., will also be closed Monday and non-emergency employees there as well as in Connecticut and Massachusetts have been told not to come to work. 
 
 The Broadway League said it was calling off all Broadway performances on Sunday and Monday evenings. 
 
 Workers also halted construction on Saturday at the World Trade Center, where efforts to secure the site were ongoing, Cuomo said in a statement. All construction materials have been tied down and nailed to concrete floors, or secured with heavy chains, and more than 1,000 sandbags had been placed around low-lying areas next to Battery Park and the Hudson River. 
 
 "I've directed the Port Authority to ensure that the World Trade Center site and the Memorial are protected from flooding and high winds due to Hurricane Sandy," Cuomo said. "The World Trade Center is being built well above and beyond normal flood protection standards; however we must take every precaution to ensure the site is protected from a potentially historic storm." 
 
 Election issues 
 
 Coming in the hectic run-up to the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 6, the storm presented a challenge to the campaigns of Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney. 
 
 Obama canceled campaign stops in Virginia and Colorado early next week because of the hurricane and was planning to remain at the White House, his spokesman said Saturday. 
 
 Romney rescheduled his campaign events for Virginia on Sunday and headed to Ohio instead. 
 
 Obama said officials did not expect the storm to impact voting, "but we're obviously going to have a look." Meantime, Maryland’s governor also announced that early voting in the state would be canceled Monday, so as not to jeopardize the safety of voters, NBC Washington reported. 
 
 Sandy is set to deliver potential election surprise 
 
 Power outages caused by the storm, expected to affect millions or residents and businesses, could continue through the election, NBC meteorologist Bill Karins warned. Some 3,000 people were without power in Virginia, where it was raining Sunday and up to 200 people were going to be evacuated, said Gov. Robert McDonnell. 
 
 "After the storm hits, expect the cleanup and power outage restoration to continue right up through Election Day," Karins said. "Serious and life-threatening weather conditions are expected from Outer Banks to New England." 
 
 Although Sandy is not forecast to be as strong as other recent storms to hit the Northeast -- such as Hurricane Irene in August 2011, which left $4 billion in damage -- it holds the potential to cause significant damage because it will be moving slowly. 
 
 Some experts predict at least $1 billion in damage in the United States. 
 
 Insurers prepare for impact of Hurricane Sandy ||||| NEW YORK (Reuters) - A wintry storm dropped snow and rain on the Northeast on Wednesday, bringing dangerous winds and knocking out power in a region where hundreds of thousands were still in the dark after Superstorm Sandy. 
 
 The nor'easter storm brought fresh misery to thousands in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut whose homes were destroyed by Sandy when it smashed ashore on October 29, bringing historic flooding and high winds. The storm killed 120 people in the United States and Canada. 
 
 Some 22,000 homes and businesses from the Carolinas to New York lost power on Wednesday, joining the more than 640,000 customers who still lacked electricity from one of the biggest and costliest storms ever to hit the United States. 
 
 New York and New Jersey evacuated the most vulnerable coastal areas ahead of the nor'easter, which was forecast to bring a high tide about 2 feet above normal by early Thursday. 
 
 No major flooding was reported during the storm's first hours, though New York warned residents whose homes had flooded during Sandy to consider moving to friends' homes on higher ground or to city shelters. 
 
 Christine Jones, 73, said she had continued to live without heat or power in her beachside apartment building in coastal Far Rockaway in New York - even though it means climbing the stairs to her 10th floor apartment with a flashlight in hand. 
 
 "They tell us to evacuate," she said, but she and her neighbors do not want to leave. "They're scared they're going to be robbed ... The teen-age boys ... they try to break in." 
 
 In any case, Jones' 1999 Buick was dead after water from the Atlantic Ocean washed over it during Sandy, leaving her with no means to evacuate the narrow peninsula she calls home. 
 
 'WAITING FOR LOCUSTS AND PESTILENCE' 
 
 But authorities warned weary residents not to ignore this storm's dangers. 
 
 "You have to prepare for the storm that's coming in a few hours," New Jersey Governor Chris Christie told residents. "I'm waiting for the locusts and pestilence next," he joked, in a reference to Old Testament plagues. 
 
 The low-pressure weather system brought wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour and could drop 2 inches to 4 inches of snow on New York City, the National Weather Service said. 
 
 Ice pellets hit Long Island and the storm lifted wave heights to nearly 20 feet off Nantucket, Massachusetts, AccuWeather reported. 
 
 School districts in Connecticut sent students home early as a precaution and the New York Stock Exchange removed the giant U.S. flag from its facade to protect it from high winds. 
 
 A mix of rain and snow fell on parts of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, causing airport delays. 
 
 Airlines canceled more than 1,700 flights, with Newark airport facing the most cancellations, according to tracking service FlightAware.com. 
 
 TEN DAYS WITHOUT HEAT 
 
 Cold and snow was particularly bad news to residents who lost heat. 
 
 "It's coming up on 10 days with people being freezing in their homes," said Peter DiPaola, town supervisor of Pelham, north of New York City. 
 
 "I lost all my winter clothing in the flood, so I am wearing three layers of things in order to stay somewhat warm and dry," said Wayne Steinman, a resident of Staten Island, one of the parts of New York City hardest hit by Sandy. "Everything becomes overwhelming." 
 
 Utilities warned that the storm would slow their efforts to restore power to homes and businesses. 
 
 "Up until today we have been making some good restoration progress. We've had some good restoration weather, but today is certainly an exception," said John Miksad, senior vice president of electric operations at New York-area utility Consolidated Edison Inc. "We actually pulled back as a result of the weather today but we will be back out there first thing tomorrow morning." 
 
 New York City authorities said they distributed 1,500 space heaters to residents of coastal Broad Channel and Rockaway, two low-lying neighborhoods that were hard hit by Sandy's storm surge. 
 
 Many gasoline stations remained shut around the region, complicating residents' efforts to flee the new storm. 
 
 New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg closed parks and beaches and temporarily halted outdoor construction ahead of the storm. 
 
 On the devastated New Jersey shore, a summer tourist haven where Sandy's storm surge pushed entire homes across the street, the town of Brick issued a mandatory evacuation order for waterfront neighborhoods ahead of Wednesday's storm. Middletown also ordered evacuations. 
 
 (Additional reporting by Scott DiSavino, Elly Park, Sebastian Rocandio and Michelle Nichols in New York and Karen Jacobs in Atlanta; Writing by Scott Malone, Editing by Philip Barbara and Jim Loney) ||||| A fast-strengthening Hurricane Sandy veered left on a path to the East Coast Monday. All airlines serving Dulles International Airport and Reagan National Airport cancelled service, and major school systems - including D.C. public schools and Montgomery County, Md. schools - cancelled Tuesday classes. 
 
 The nation’s capital shut down rail service for the first time since 2003, and shortly after noon President Barack Obama weighed in. 
 
 "This is gonna be a big storm, this is gonna be a difficult storm," Obama said in a press conference in the White House briefing room. He also praised state and municipal crews for coordinating to meet needs as they arise. 
 
 "Please listen to what your state and local officials are saying," Obama said, striking a cautionary tone. He encouraged people under evacuation orders to take the orders seriously. 
 
 Web Weather Forecast 10/29/12 Mid-Day 
 
 Get the latest forecast from Storm Team 4 Meteorologist Veronica Johnson. (Published Monday, Oct. 29, 2012) 
 
 "Don't pause, don't question," Obama said. "This is a serious storm and could potentially have fatal consequences if people aren't acting quickly." 
 
 In a similar statement, Maryland’s governor warned his state was in the “crosshairs” of what would likely prove to be a deadly storm. 
 
 "There will be people who die and are killed in this storm," Gov. Martin O'Malley said during a morning press conference. 
 
 O'Malley said flooding from the Chesapeake Bay could be worse than expected because of winds pushing water up into the bay and urged Marylanders to stay off the roads for the next 36 hours. 
 
 As of 2 p.m. Monday, Hurricane Sandy was about 200 miles northeast of D.C., with hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 175 miles. 
 
 The center of the storm is expected to hit southern New Jersey around 5 p.m. Monday, with winds of greater than 90 mph. 
 
 Flood Preparations in Alexandria 
 
 Residents in flood-prone Alexandria are sandbagging ahead of Hurricane Sandy. News4's Julie Carey reports. (Published Monday, Oct. 29, 2012) 
 
 Sandy inflicted considerable damage overnight to Ocean’s City’s iconic ocean pier. In mountainous western Maryland, a blizzard warning was issued for sections of Garrett County for Monday night into Tuesday morning. 
 
 Up and down the Eastern seaboard, wind is picking up, icy rain is falling, and rescue workers are responding to accidents on local roadways. 
 
 “Let me be clear: This storm is unique, large, dangerous and unlike anything our region has experienced in a very long time,” D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray said. “We are likely to suffer significant power outages due to fallen trees and other debris, and we may experience significant street flooding. Let me also be clear about this: The District government is ready to meet this challenge.” 
 
 WIDESPREAD CLOSURES 
 
 Officials Shut Down Rehoboth Beach Ahead of Sandy 
 
 News4's Wendy Rieger reports from Rehoboth Beach, Del., where officials shut the town down at 8 p.m. Sunday. (Published Monday, Oct. 29, 2012) 
 
 The federal government has closed nonessential offices to the public in the D.C. region Monday due to Hurricane Sandy. The District is among the local governments closing offices at least for Monday. 
 
 Even the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ exchange in New York City said they would close; it was the first weather-related closure of the NYSE in 27 years. 
 
 Metro canceled service for its rail system, buses and Metro Access until further notice. 
 
 Amtrak has now canceled service on its Northeast Corridor through Tuesday. The Maryland Transit Authority followed suit in announcing that no MARC trains nor commuter buses would run Monday, as did VRE. Fairfax Connector service also will be suspended Monday. 
 
 More than 7,000 flights in and out of the East have been canceled. 
 
 A $15 storm surcharge is in effect for all D.C. taxi rides. 
 
 Well before the storm, President Barack Obama declared an emergency in D.C. and ordered federal aid to help the city's response. Obama also canceled a campaign appearance in Orlando and returned to D.C. 
 
 The emergency declaration authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to allocate resources to alleviate the impacts of Hurricane Sandy at 75 percent emergency funding. 
 
 Even Capital Bikeshare closed temporarily at 1 a.m. Monday. Bikes can be returned, but new rentals won't be allowed until weather conditions allow. 
 
 Among the airlines, Delta, US Airways, United, Virgin and American Airlines announced that they would waive or relax change fees for customers re-booking flights ahead of the storm. United announced Sunday that it had begun canceling some flights to and from all three major regional airports, as well as Richmond, Roanoke and Norfolk. 
 
 Medstar Washington Hospital is open and operational, but ambulatory clinichs and procedure areas will remain closed until noon Tuesday, Oct. 30. 
 
 More cancellations were expected Monday and Tuesday. Passengers are advised to check with their specific airlines to confirm their flight status. 
 
 In Ocean City, police department spokesman Mike Levy said damage to the downton pier happened overnight Sunday, as the storm began to pound the resort town with massive wind and rain. 
 
 The pier is at the southern end of the boardwalk, in an area south of 17th Street that's been under a mandatory evacuation order since Sunday afternoon because of flooding. 
 
 FLOODING, HIGH WINDS EXPECTED: SIGNIFICANT STORM 
 
 Throughout the day Monday, our winds will be steadily increasing to the 30 mph range with gusts of 40-55 mph. As evening begins, the winds will quickly ramp up, blowing steadily out of the northwest at 30-50 mph, with gusts of 50-70 mph. 
 
 Already Monday morning, the Delaware Bay buoy clocked wind gusts of 50 mph. 
 
 The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning for our area in effect until 8 p.m. Tuesday. A flood watch is also in effect until then for most of our area. 
 
 With 5-10 inches of rain expected in much of the D.C. area (3-5 inches further west) and high tides 1-3 feet above normal Monday, flooding is likely in our area, Storm Team 4 meteorologist Doug Kammerer said. 
 
 The full moon is expected to create tidal anomalies of 1-2' along the Tidal Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. 
 
 The strong north and northwesterly winds Monday will cause a "blow-out" tide along the western shore of the Chesapeake and the Tidal Potomac River, said Storm Team 4 meteorologist Kim Martucci. When our winds swing around to the southwest on Tuesday, the water will be pushed back into the Bay and the Tidal Potomac along the south-facing shores. You should expect the highest tides for most of our area with the Tuesday high tide cycle. 
 
 As Sandy's soaking rains move west, local rivers will be quickly rising. Goose Creek, near Leesburg in Loudoun County, will see major flooding similar to a previous flood on May 12, 2008. 
 
 The Monocacy River near Frederick will also rise above flood stage by early Monday evening, and will crest near 32 feet by early Tuesday afternoon. At 30 feet, water reaches the second floor of Gambrill Mill on the Monocacy National Battlefield. It would be the second highest crest on record and compares to the crest with Hurricane Eloise in 1975. 
 
 Likewise, flood warnings are in effect for the Shenandoah River at Millville, the Rappahannock River at Remington, Opequon Creek near Martinsburg, and the Potomac River at Paw Paw. At Paw Paw, the flood stage is 25 feet and the forecast is a crest of 30.8 feet between Tuesday afternoon and late Wednesday night. This would be the worst crest since 1996. 
 
 This storm is undergoing incredible dynamics in the atmosphere. Hurricane Sandy will interact with a very strong, wintertime jetstream. As a hurricane, Sandy thrives off the energy generated by warm ocean water. When she interacts with the cold Jetstream winds, she’ll become “sub-tropical” and her energy will be generated by the huge temperature differences in the atmosphere. No matter what she is called, this storm will affect folks from Maine down to North Carolina. Wide-spread power outages will keep Sandy in the headlines for days to come. 
 
 The combination of storms will even bring a chance of snow to our area -- just flakes near D.C., but snow was reported in West Virginia as of 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. 
 
 Winter storm watches are in effect for Maryland and West Virginia. 
 
 A coastal flood warning for the Potomac River, the Chesapeake Bay and especially the Atlantic Ocean is in effect from midnight Monday to 8 a.m. Wednesday. 
 
 And the storm will take its time leaving. The weather may not start clearing in the mid-Atlantic until the day after Halloween and Nov. 2 in the upper Northeast, Cisco said. 
 
 "It's almost a week-long, five-day, six-day event," said National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecaster Jim Cisco from a NOAA forecast center in College Park, Md. "It's going to be a widespread, serious storm." 
 
 Some have compared the tempest to the so-called Perfect Storm that struck off the coast of New England in 1991, but that one hit a less populated area. Nor is this one like last year's pre-Halloween storm, which was merely an early snowfall. 
 
 POWER OUTAGES SPREAD 
 
 The expected period of extended winds will raise the threat of extended power outages through next week. 
 
 With a rare mix of three big merging weather systems over a densely populated region, experts say there could be at least $1 billion in damage. 
 
 As of 1:30 p.m. Monday, Dominion Virginia had more than 9,700 customers without power, including nearly 4,500 in Northern Vrigina. 
 
 Pepco was reporting a total of 1,677 outages, with the bulk of those -- 1,357-- in Prince George's County, and 287 in the District. 
 
 BGE repored more than 14,900 outages, with 3,000 of those in Anne Arundel and 1,600 in Howard County. 
 
 SMECO reported 1,914 outages across four counties. 
 
 In his White House statement, Obama warned that crews would have their hands tied until the storm dies down -- meaning that it may take several days for power to come back on. 
 
 PREPARATIONS FOR SANDY 
 
 Supplies flew off the shelves of local supermarkets ahead of the storm. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell urged Virginians to "please prepare" for what he predicted would be a "unique, long-lasting storm." 
 
 People along the Delmarva Peninsula, including in Ocean City, packed up in advance of a deadline to evacuate by 8 p.m. Sunday. 
 
 In advance of the storm, the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia declared states of emergency. The executive orders clear the path for faster response. 
 
 At the moment, no mandatory evacuations have been ordered in Virginia or Maryland, though McDonnell noted Saturday that his executive order gave local authorities in Virginia the power to order local evacuations if they saw fit. In Maryland, officials in St. Mary's and Charles Counties declared a local state of emergency Saturday. 
 
 Speaking on a conference call Saturday afternoon, Virginia Gov. McDonnell said that the entire Virginia State Police force had been placed on standby. 
 
 Utilities were preparing as well: Pepco requested to bring in an additional 2,500 linemen, 400 tree trimmers and 200 damage assessors from other utilities. Similarly, Dominion Power in Virginia said that it had requested an extra 2,000 workers from outside the state to assist with potential power outages. 
 
 Pepco called some customers late Friday with a recorded message, saying they were closely watching the storm. “We are preparing and we encourage our customers to prepare as well,” the message said. 
 
 Meanwhile, Maryland utility regulators announced Friday that they'd end a controversial policy that allowed power companies to charge customers for lost sales during the first 24 hours of a major power outage. 
 
 Emergency services from throughout the region said they were gearing up, trying to clear storm drains and calling in personnel to be on standby. The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission began moving in generators and topping off their chemical storage tanks. 
 
 Metro began to place sandbags around Metrorail locations prone to flooding. Metro also said that its workers were checking drainage pumping stations and clearing drainage areas of leaves, while additional support personnel were scheduled to be on duty throughout the storm. 
 
 Meanwhile, some federal agencies activated their emergency systems as well, including the Customs and Border Patrol, which activated field coordinators to communicate if needed. 
 
 Interior story image credits: Josh Birch (@jbirch12), Ocean City pier. Kurt Bradshaw (@kurtb) Inner loop accident near Connecticut Avenue. 
 
 Get the latest weather from NBCWashington.com: 
 
 Download our NEW free weather apps for iPad and iPhone. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for our e-mail newsletters. 
 
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– Officials in the northeast declared states of emergency today as Hurricane Sandy and two nasty weather systems moved ominously toward the region, the Daily News and NBC Washington report. New York, DC, Maryland, and Virginia each declared a state of emergency, and New York City said it may evacuate up to 375,000 people before the hurricane arrives Sunday. Sandy—now churning north as the weakest-category hurricane—will likely converge Tuesday with frigid air from Canada and a wintry storm from the west, creating "a very serious storm that could be historic," a meteorologist tells the AP. Forecasters give the East Coast a 90% chance of being hit with extreme tides, harsh wind, heavy rain, and possibly snow for days starting Sunday morning. "It's going to be a long-lasting event, two to three days of impact for a lot of people," says the National Hurricane Center's top forecaster. He compared it to the "Perfect Storm" that lashed New England's coast in 1991: "The Perfect Storm only did $200 million of damage and I'm thinking a billion" with Hurricane Sandy, he said. "Yeah, it will be worse." Sandy has already killed at least 40 in the Caribbean. You can follow its path here.