Hurricane Sandy coverage

UPDATE: The Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and Holland Tunnel will be closed as of 2pm today. Governor Cuomo has also issued speed restrictions on crossings. Motorists are urged to check www.mta.infowww.panynj.govwww.thruway.ny.gov and www.511ny.org for updates regarding Port Authority, MTA and Thruway Authority crossings.

The Department of Homeland Security has issued a Hurricane hotline for inquiries regarding citizen preparedness assistance: 1 – 888-769-7243 or 1-518-485-1159.

President Obama granted Governor Cuomo request for a Federal Emergency Declaration.

Hurricane Sandy is fast approaching the east coast.

Although the storm is expected to make landfall Monday afternoon, the MTA has announced that all bus and train service will stop at 7pm on Sunday, October 28.

Mayor Bloomberg has issued evacuation of those living in Zone A, which includes Coney Island and Brighton Beach. Shelters are open as of Sunday at 9am. Find your nearest shelter at http://on.nyc.gov/S4yGuF

NYC Schools will be closed tomorrow, as well.

School Chancellor Dennis Walcott said that administrative offices will be open. All after-school activities and Public Schools Athletic League events will also be cancelled. We are asking that school staff and employees assigned to a shelter site to report to their posts. A determination about whether schools will open on Tuesday will be made tomorrow, so please continue to monitor the news and nyc.gov for updates to the City’s preparations and response.

Many local schools are closed. CUNY has cancelled all Monday classes at all locations.

Airline carriers are expected to cancel all incoming and outgoing flights from area airports sometime this evening.

Closer to home, the Merchants of Third Avenue has postponed Monday night’s event until Monday, November 5. The Owl’s Head Haunted Walk and Fairy Forest will be postponed until Saturday, November 3.

Ridgeites are preparing for the storm. Hundreds of shoppers packed into Associated Supermarket on Third Avenue near 79th Street to stock up on last minute items.

I have never seen it like this. It’s absolutely crazy, nuts, said Barbara Walkiewicz, who has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years. She was stocking up on food for herself and her pet bird.

Regis Wong was also stocking up on some essentials. It was like this for Hurricane Irene and during the blizzard (of 2010), he said.

Shoppers waited patiently in lines that almost spanned across the store.

It was cashier Nora’s day off, but she was called in to work. I have been really busy, she said.

Dr. Steven Ganz, who owns the Optical Center on Fifth Avenue, said on Sunday that his alarm company informed him that his system kept going off. It gets set off from vibrations, he explained. I don’t know what I am going to do.

Keep checking this page for updates and please send us any storm photos you have