A hurricane on the East Coast doesn’t usually happen often, but this year it has made its mark.
Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast earlier this week and currently takes the title as the biggest storm of the year.
Covering the Caribbean this past weekend, Fox News reported that the hurricane could be blamed for at least 69 deaths. Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Haiti were some of the islands severely impacted.
Many of the houses on these islands have been washed away or destroyed by rain. Several evacuation warnings were sent out by state governors and city mayors along the East Coast urging people to seek higher ground.
President Barack Obama, issued a warning statement about the hurricane earlier this week emphasizing the importance for citizens to take care of themselves. He also assured citizens that we as a nation, will get through this natural disaster.
Even though the hurricane is on the East Coast, it is still affecting some students of Grambling State University. Kenny Grimes is a sophomore at GSU and a native of Washington, D.C.
“The first thing I thought of was my family, everything is crazy. I hope everything is ok and I hope people make it out safe,” said Grimes.
In anticipation of Hurricane Sandy, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of New York shut down all major bus and subway lines Sunday night.
The New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq exchange were also closed down and scheduled to reopen. New York and New Jersey airports were also closed.
Weather conditions affected a few Student Government Association members who were visiting New York City for the Thurgood Marshall Council Foundation. They were scheduled to return Monday, Oct 29.
Sophomore Class Secretary, Ebony Myers is one of the students who were trapped in the storm. “The TMCF covered our plane ticket and extra stay, we did not expect this to happen but they will make sure we stay safe. They contacted our families to let them know of our situation,” said Myers.
The East Coast has felt the wrath of Hurricane Sandy and there is a significant amount of damage to many areas of the effected states.
The Weather Chanel has reported that winds reached about 80 mph. These strong wind gusts shook states along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean such as Maine, Maryland and New Jersey. Trees have been blown down throughout, as well as power lines due to the high wind.
As of Wednesday afternoon, CNN reported that there is at least 108 deaths from the Caribbean up to Canada.
The infamous Atlantic City of New Jersey has been completely shut down because of water and wind damage to many hotels and casinos. There is no timeframe set when businesses will be able to reopen.
In New York, the city’s subway system will stay offline for several more days as workers try to repair the wreckage of the underground and above ground train tracks. However, the bus service resumed a nearly full schedule on Wednesday and waived the fare for all riders.
Damage caused from the hurricane on the East Coast is estimated between $10 billion and $20 billion according to BBCNews.com.
There is also no telling how the hurricane will affect the upcoming presidential election, since both candidates canceled campaign stops in areas along the East Coast.
Hurricane Sandy has made a severe impact on the lives of citizen’s and the hurricane’s destruction will be felt for months.