NYC Hurricane Sandy Mandatory Evacuations Issued: Zone A Evacuates by 7 p.m.; 72 Shelters Open - Complete Map

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According to the National Hurricane Center's latest public advisory issued on Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012 at 11 a.m. EDT, Hurricane Sandy is about 250 miles Southeast of Cape Hatteras in North Carolina and 572 miles of New York City with maximum sustained winds of 75 MPH and moving north east at 14 MPH.

The Center said Sandy is expected to bring life-threatening storm surge flooding to the mid-Atlantic coast including Long Island and New York Harbor and winds are expected to be near hurricane force at landfall.

New York

In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will begin the orderly suspension of all subway, bus and commuter railroad service at 7 p.m. on Sunday to "protect customers, employees and equipment from the approach of Hurricane Sandy."

"The transportation system is the lifeblood of the New York City region, and suspending all service is not a step I take lightly," Governor Cuomo said. "But keeping New Yorkers safe is the first priority, and the best way to do that is to make sure they are out of harm's way before gale-force winds can start wreaking havoc on trains and buses."

PATH service suspended at 12:01 Monday indefinitely due to Hurricane Sandy.

Flood Zone A was ordered to evacuate by 7 p.m.

Seventy two shelters in NYC have been open and more people are being evacuated from NYC neighborhoods than the entire population of Orlando, FLorida.

On Long Island, both Suffolk and Nassau Counties declared State of Emergency and ordered the evacuation of Fire Island.

The NYC metropolitan area is expected to see changes in weather patterns starting Sunday as rain and wind increase throughout the day. On Monday and Tuesday, the region may experience sustained winds between 40 to 50 mph and rainfall could reach 3 to 6 inches according to AMNY.

New York City public schools will be closed tomorrow.

New Jersey

In New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie announced, "preparations have officially begun for the potential shutdown of NJ TRANSIT bus, rail, light rail and Access Link service, effective Monday, October 29." Christie also used his official Twitter account to inform New Jersey residents of the latest Hurricane Sandy updates affecting that state. A state of emergency has been issued.

Massachusetts

In the New England commonwealth of Massachusetts, Governor Deval Patrick announced that a State of Emergency has been declared and that a request to the White House for a 'Pre-Landfall Emergency Declaration' had been submitted on Saturday.

Washington D.C.

In the Washington D.C. area, Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray all issued State of Emergencies on Friday.

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