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**UPDATE - Oct. 28 (Sun) 11:53 a.m.EDT - The latest official evacuation announcements in the city of New York City can be read by clicking here.**
From NYC Mayor's Office (Twitter - @NYCMayorsOffice):
- MANDATORY EVACUATION of "Zone A" flood zones issued in NYC. Evacuation to take place by 7 p.m. EDT this Sunday. Areas include Coney Island and Red Hook in Brooklyn, Rockaway in Queens, river and harborside areas of lower Manhattan, and large segments of Staten Island.
- Reminder: all @NYCParks are closing at 5 PM today. The wind is picking up now.
- @NYGovCuomo: Gov announces suspension of MTA service, including LIRR, bus & rail commuter trains, MTA-North, final trains 7 p.m.
- Last subway trains at 7 PM, last MTA buses at 9 PM tonight.
- For the latest information on NYC's preparations follow @NYCMayorsOffice or visit https://on.nyc.gov/TKXm0s to sign up for updates
The impending arrival of Hurricane Sandy has residents on the East Coast preparing for what experts are calling an "unprecedented" storm that could leave millions on the eastern seaboard without power for days or even weeks.
"This storm will affect millions and cost billions," AccuWeather forecaster Marshall Moss told the Daily News on Saturday.
"This is really going to be a huge storm and something unprecedented in meteorological terms," he added.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is considering a total shutdown of buses and subways in New York City if the predictions for what meteorologists are calling a "Franken-storm" that has become this particular hurricane, Reuters reports. This step was only taken once before in New York City-when Hurricane Irene hit the city in 2011, costing $51.8 million in damages, as the New York Times reported in August.
New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo Friday declared a state of emergency for New York, with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie doing the same for his state. And the MTA cancelled Sunday's 1 p.m. Metro-North train on the new haven line to the New York Jets game in East Rutherford, N.J.
The five-day weather forecast from the National Weather Service in New York City predicts a chance of showers for tonight, mostly cloudy with a low of 54 degrees Fahrenheit. All through Sunday, particularly after 11 a.m. showers will remain likely, with a northeast wind reaching 16 to 21 miles per hour (mph), and gusts high as 38 mph. On Monday, rain could be heavy at times with winds ranging from the mid 20s to the mid 30s and gusts could be high as 46 mph. That trend is expected to continue through Tuesday until Wednesday, where rain will only be likely, with mostly cloudy skies.
For an official address list of evacuation zones in all five boroughs of New York City, please follow the city's link here.