DUE TO THE LIVE NATURE OF THIS ONE NEWS SPECIAL, WE APOLOGISE FOR THE LACK OF CAPTIONS FOR SOME ITEMS. YOU ARE WITH A ONE NEWS SPECIAL This is not a time to be stupid. It is the time to try and save yourself and your family. YOU ARE WITH A ONE NEWS SPECIAL KEEPING YOU ACROSS DEVELOPMENTS IN THE UNITED STATES, WHERE AN UNPRECEDENTED AND DEADLY SUPERSTORM IS BATTERING A HUGE PART OF THE EASTERN SEABOARD. THIS IS A SATELLITE IMAGE OF THE STORM SYSTEM. WE'LL EXPLAIN SOON WHY THIS RELATIVELY SMALL HURRICANE HAS MORPHED INTO WHAT THEY ARE CALLING A PERFECT STORM. IT'S 11.30 AT NIGHT NOW ON THE EAST COAST, AND THE THREAT IS FAR FROM OVER, DESPITE REPORTS THE STORM HAS PEAKED IN SOME AREAS. THERE ARE ALSO REPORTS UP TO 10 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED IN THE STATES SO FAR. AND SANDY'S DESTRUCTIVE FORCE CAN BE CLEARLY SEEN IN MANHATTAN, WHERE WINDS RIPPED OFF THE FACADE OF THIS APARTMENT BLOCK AT 8TH AVENUE. ROOMS ARE LEFT OPEN TO THE ELEMENTS BUT NO ONE'S BEEN REPORTED INJURED IN THE FOUR-STOREY BUILDING. SOME RESIDENTS CLAIM THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THE BUILDING IN ANOTHER STORM 20 YEARS AGO. LET'S GET STRAIGHT TO NEW YORK NOW, WHERE ONE NEWS CORRESPONDENT JACK TAME IS WEATHERING THE SUPERSTORM. JACK, THE SITUATION THERE IS EXTREMELY SERIOUS. CAN YOU GO THROUGH THE MAIN EFFECTS SO FAR, PLEASE? At this very moment, we have as many as 3 million Americans without power. The worst of it may have passed some areas, bbut there are still plenty of rain along the eastern seaboard. It touched down in Atlantic City, and immediately caused extensive damage there. Slowly the storm front has made its way inland. Almost half of Manhattan appears to be out of power at the moment. In the lower part of Manhattan authorities are expecting storm surges. The flooding has been so bad that is down on the subway systems. We can hear sirens all around the city. Some people have been told to evacuate, others have been told to batten down the hatches. It's a very bizarre thing to walk on the streets. On the East Side, though streets are just empty. Authorities have closed schools. For the most part, people seem to be following mornings. But there are some adrenalin junkies out on the street. Some people are going looking at the flooding, but the vast majority are heeding warnings. But the worst of it may or may not have passed through New York. We're not sure. Authorities are warning of wind gusts of up to 140 km an hour. There are all sorts of problems for the emergency services to try and clean up. Is it seen as fortuitous that the worst is happening in the middle of the night? It's good that people are not tempted to go out and look at the damage. Bbut it is also hard for the emergency services. The power authorities made a conscious decision to cut off power to around 6000 customers. That was after storm surges at Battery Park. There were expecting storm surges from the East River and the Hudson River to be around 3 m. They say they picked higher than that. But there are a whole lot more than 6 � thousand people without power this evening. But there is as many as 3 million is the number we have. what were New Yorkers planning? Did people expect to wake up in the morning and go to work? No one is sure how they'll be in the morning. Authorities have closed down schools tomorrow, and we expect businesses to be closed. They have been urging people to go out and buy flashlights, canned foods and water. This is all to get them through a few days without power or if your property is damaged. People are taking those warnings on board and staying indoors. We will not know until morning how bad the damage is in New York City and other areas. Wwe know in New Jersey that the damage is extensive with houses being washed away. Sandy has not quite gone away just yet, but it may be a few hours before we know how bad the storm has been. THANKS, JACK TAME, US CORRESPONDENT, LIVE FROM NEW YORK. SANDY HIT THE LAND ON THE SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY COAST, GATHERING POWER AND DOUBLING WIND SPEED UP TO 144KM/H AS SHE CAME TOWARD THE COAST. ABC'S SAM CHAMPION HAS THIS FROM THE US EAST COAST. The East Coast is being pummelled by the power of a record-breaking super storm. 90 mi/h winds driving rain, record-breaking high tides. as the storm made landfall in southern New Jersey, Waters lapping at the doors and seafoam piled high on the boardwalk. A crane buckling and high winds and raising concerns other construction sites. The government doubled troops deployed. This house swept into pieces. WITH ME IN THE STUDIO UNTIL 6 THIS EVENING IS TIM WILSON, OUR FORMER NEW YORK BASED CORRESPONDENT. TIM, SOCIAL MEDIA IS ALL OVER THIS EVENT. WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? There is a high penetration of smart phones in New York City. People are taking pictures and posting them on Twitter. Some people are ahead of the news outlets by monitoring police scanners and staying on Twitter. I have some images here that I would like to bring up. This is the type of flooding we saw in 1938. And this is ground zero with water pouring in. This is New York City. There seemed to be a bit of light beer. All of that darkness would be lit up. It's phenomenal to see it in such darkness. This is water pouring into the Hoboken station. The Hudson River is pouring into a subway station. Police vans trying to ford streets. we are hearing reports of a lot of these things some of these images, it is the first time or see the likes of them. Is it fearful or supportive? New Yorkers were shown to be tough. But when you pull away the support systems, like the delis, Domino's... If you look at those streets, in Auckland we are accustomed to seeing an empty street at 3am, but in New York they never empty. Are people posting to help? I have come across Mayor Bloomberg telling people to stop calling 911. 911 is for the cops. There is another number for them. "only call us if there is a real emergency, like a guy coming in with a gun." TO WASHINGTON NOW, FORMER TVNZ REPORTER BEN TORNQUIST IS THERE COVERING THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION FOR THE BBC. HE'S WITH US ON THE PHONE. What have you been told in Washington? The storm has been at its worst over the last few hours. There has been wind and rain and lightning. The temperatures dropping. There They could be snow or sleet. People are being told to stay indoors. It is a leafy city, and there is a threat from trees falling. All the government offices were closed today. Schools, restaurants. They will be shut again tomorrow. Washington's most famous resident has returned back to the White House. Many would see this as an opportunity for both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. In an election race that is coming down to the wire, and then you get this huge distraction. Obama began today in Florida that flew back on Air Force One. He has to be the president, and is a lot riding on this. He needs to ensure the emergency response runs effectively, especially after hurricane Katrina. Mitt Romney has also suspended some of his campaign events today. He has announced he will be at a campaign event tomorrow in Ohio. It has been billed as a storm relief event. He needs to look like a confident man. Most Americans aren't that interested in the election race. All eyes are on the eastern seaboard. THAT'S BEN TORNQUIST IN WASHINGTON. METSERVICE AMBASSADOR DAN CORBETT IS IN OUR WELLINGTON STUDIO. HE'LL ALSO BE WITH ME FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON. DAN, YOU'VE WORKED AS A HURRICANE FORECASTER IN THE US. TELL US WHY THIS IS BEING CALLED THE PERFECT STORM. There has been lots of different pieces that have come together to create this perfect storm. The wind field for this storm is some thousand miles wide. It started several days ago in the Western Caribbean and moved across. It then moved across the Gulf stream. It's very warm there. Hurricanes gain their fuel from the warm water. Normally when you have these things, you get the wins from one in counteracting with the other. But in this case it had the actual hurricane moving in and meeting the storm and the storm has sucked it in and gave it more energy. We have seen the storm surge, and the storm will take several days just to wind down. WHERE IS THE STORM HEADING NEXT? It's strange talk about the centre of the storm. The centre did have some of the strongest winds and that piece moved across New Jersey a few hours ago. The wind field around it all the way out to Rhode Island and down to the Carolinas you are still seeing strong winds in that area. there is a massive area of rain. Imagine a big Hoover. It picks up the moisture in drops it. there is an area of high pressure sitting over the eastern part of Canada and think of that as a big bully blocking the perfect storm from moving away quickly. That is why you'll see a flooding risk. You will see what's left of this big storm slowly winding down just sitting there in the north-eastern US. THANKS, DAN CORBETT, LIVE FROM WELLINGTON. YOU ARE WITH THIS ONE NEWS STORM SPECIAL. YOU ARE WITH THIS ONE NEWS STORM SPECIAL. WE'LL TAKE A BREAK NOW, BUT BACK SOON WITH OUR CONTINUING COVERAGE WELCOME BACK. YOU ARE WITH A ONE NEWS SPECIAL ON THE SUPERSTORM HITTING AMERICA'S EAST COAST. HERE'S SOME OF THE MAIN POINTS TO BE AWARE OF. THE STORM HAS BROUGHT TRANSPORT SYSTEMS TO A HALT. THOUSANDS OF FLIGHTS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED. THERE'RE REPORTS OF FLOODING AT SOME LOWER MANHATTAN SUBWAY STATIONS. MORE THAN A MILLION PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FORCED FROM THEIR HOMES. UP TO THREE MILLION PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR POWER SUPPLY. NY HOSPITAL'S GENERATORS FAILED. HOSPITAL BEING EVACUATED. TO THE DAY'S OTHER NEWS. AMBULANCE STAFF, PARAMEDICS AND POLICE HAVE BEEN GIVING EVIDENCE TODAY AT THE TRIAL OF THE MAN ACCUSED OF MURDERING AUCKLAND TODDLER JJ LAWRENCE. IT'S ALLEGED THE BOYFRIEND OF JJ'S MOTHER, JOEL LOFFLEY (29), STRUCK THE TODDLER WITH SUCH FORCE, SEVERAL OF HIS VITAL ORGANS SPLIT COMPLETELY IN HALF. THE JURY WERE TOLD BY PARAMEDICS THE CHILD HAD PROBABLY BEEN DEAD FOR AN HOUR WHEN THEY ARRIVED AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO REVIVE HIM. THE TRIAL IS EXPECTED TO LAST SEVERAL WEEKS. A CORONER'S INQUEST HAS TODAY HEARD OF THE FRUSTRATION AT POOR COMMUNICATION AND A LACK OF RESOURCES AS FRANTIC EFFORTS WERE MADE TO RESCUE THOSE TRAPPED IN THE COLLAPSED CTV BUILDING. 115 PEOPLE DIED WHEN IT PANCAKED IN LAST FEBRUARY'S EARTHQUAKE. TODAY ONE OF THE FIRST POLICEMEN ON THE SCENE TOLD OF HOW IT TOOK THE FIRE SERVICE AROUND 40 MINUTES TO ARRIVE AT THE SITE. THE COURT HEARD HE INITIALLY BELIEVED MORE PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SAVED IF THE FIRE SERVICE HAD ARRIVED ON THE SCENE EARLIER. TO BE SITTING THERE WATCHING A FIRE BUILD, NOT BEING ABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, 'COURSE I WAS FRUSTRATED. IT'S ONLY NATURAL. SERGEANT BROOKLAND'S RESCUE EFFORTS WERE PRAISED AT THE HEARING, INCLUDING BY A MAN WHO LOST HIS WIFE IN THE BUILDING COLLAPSE. THE ROYAL COMMISSION REPORT ON THE PIKE RIVER MINING DISASTER, WHICH CLAIMED 29 LIVES, WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE GOVERNMENT TODAY. THE ROYAL COMMISSION BEGAN ITS HEARING INTO THE 2010 EXPLOSIONS ON THE WEST COAST IN JULY LAST YEAR AND FINISHED THIS APRIL. GOVERNMENT MINISTERS WILL CONSIDER THE REPORT'S FINDINGS BEFORE RELEASING IT TO THE FAMILIES OF THOSE WHO DIED. THE FINDINGS ARE EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC EARLY NEXT WEEK. THERE'S A CALL FROM A PANEL OF EXPERTS TO CREATE A LORD MAYOR OF THE WELLINGTON REGION. THE PANEL, HEADED BY SIR GEOFFREY PALMER, HAS STOPPED SHORT OF RECOMMENDING A SUPERCITY. INSTEAD, IT WANTS A BEEFED-UP REGIONAL COUNCIL WITH OVERSIGHT OVER THE AREA'S ASSETS, BUDGET AND BUREAUCRATS. THE PANEL SAYS THERE SHOULD STILL BE FIVE LOCAL COUNCILS IN CHARGE OF THINGS LIKE POOLS AND PARKS. THEY WOULD BE THE EXISTING WELLINGTON CITY, KAPITI, PORIRUA, UPPER AND LOWER HUTT COUNCILS, AS WELL AS A MERGED AREA COUNCIL FOR THE WAIRARAPA. THE PANEL WAS SET UP BY THE WELLINGTON REGIONAL COUNCIL, WITH SUPPORT OF PORIRUA CITY. BACK TO THE SUPERSTORM NOW, AND LET'S HAVE A LOOK AT WHY THEY'RE CALLING THIS HURRICANE A 'FRANKENSTORM'. IT'S BECAUSE THREE WEATHER SYTEMS ARE COMBINING IN A HIGHLY UNUSUAL WAY. FIRST SANDY'S BEING BLOCKED BY A HIGH-PRESSURE SYSTEM IN THE NORTH. THAT SYSTEM HAS ALTERED ITS PATH AND TURNED IT IN TOWARDS THE COAST. THERE IT'S COLLIDING WITH A MASS OF COLD AIR COMING DOWN FROM THE ARCTIC. THIS IS BOOSTING THE STORM, LIFTING SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS TO 120KM/H. AND ALONG THE COAST, STORM SURGES BECAUSE THE TIDE'S UNUSUALLY HIGH. SO EXCEPTIONAL CONDITIONS MAKING A SMALLISH HURRICANE INTO A RECORD-BREAKING MONSTER. PENNED IN BY FLOODWATERS THIS REPORT JUST IN Storm surges have been battering the southern tip of the island. We were with the New York governor as he watched the water surge at the height of the storm. What is your major concern? Where it stops, and what damage it does the meantime. Earlier this evening, the city closed all tunnels and bridges out of the city. They have shut down the historic Brooklyn Bridge. We are on an island, so we are effectively cut off as the storm hits. Public transport, normally moving 7 million people a day, have stopped. The power of the water is just unbelievable. I'm a New Yorker, and I've never seen anything like this before. Our satellite truck became stranded, and we had to make our way through the floodwaters any way we could. Lady Liberty's torch has been extinguished as power outages spread across town. Deep in the heart of the evacuation zone, we ran across stubborn holdouts trying to ride out the storm. Happy hurricane! What's the plan? we are on the third floor, and we have plenty of provisions, so... Tuna, peanut butter and jelly... They say it is a once-in-a-lifetime storm. It's bad for a lot of reasons, but it makes humanity stop and had to do nothing. What played into your decision to stay here and said of evacuating? You are in a mandatory evacuation site. We are prepared. I think half the battle is being prepared. You guys have been through a lot here.� Blackout, flooding, reconstruction after 9/11 What is your biggest fear? We have two cranes just outside the building that could crash down. He's right to be concerned ` a crane collapsed in the central city. Power lost. they say it will be a long couple of days. MONITORING THE STORM BACK HERE IS THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE. IT'S ADVISING KIWI TRAVELLERS TO KEEP FAMILY AND FRIENDS BACK HOME UPDATED. WITH MORE, LET'S CROSS TO DANIEL FAITAUA IN THE WELLINGTON NEWSROOM. 629 kiwis are registered across the states affected by the storm. Others who haven't registered are encouraged to do so with the NZ Embassy or contact families. NZ Business council is concerned about disruption to trade. THE BIGGEST DISRUPTION TO BUSINESS IS GOING TO BE ON SUPPLY CHAINS. WILL THE DELIVERY OF PRODUCTS BE AFFECTED IN ANY WAY? THAT WILL ALL DEPEND ON WHETHER THE TRANSPORT NETWORKS WILL BE AFFECTED OVER A LONG TERM. IF IT'S SIMPLY OVER IN A FEW DAYS, NO LASTING DAMAGE WILL BE DONE. THE LONGER IT TAKES, THE HARDER IT WILL BE FOR SUPPLY CHAINS TO GET UP AND RUNNING. You have to remember the US market is the third biggest export destination for NZ. Exporters say they are not concerned, but they are monitoring it. What advice for people looking at heading to eastern US? The marathon this weekend. I spoke with house of travel, one of our biggest travel agents. They are advising people stay on their transit locations en route to New York. They have been busy changing itineraries for travellers since Sunday. Air NZ say it's business as usual. they fly into the West, rather than the East. THE LAST WEEK OF CAMPAIGNING FOR THE US PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES HAS, OF COURSE, BEEN SEVERELY INTERRUPTED, THE STORM BLOWING PLANS OFF COURSE. THE BBC'S MARK MARDELL IS IN FLORIDA, WHERE BARACK OBAMA HAD BEEN DUE TO MAKE A SPEECH. Barack Obama seemed to be looking forward to the rally when he arrived in Florida last night. But by the morning he was back in Washington; his campaigning cancelled. Eight days away from polling, this is a critical political moment. I'm not worried at this point about the election. I am worried about impacts on families and the economy. The president abandoned this rally in Florida, but went on without him. Bill Clinton explained his absence. He called me and said he had to go back. The storm is worse than we thought and heading further south than we thought. Keep your fingers crossed for your fellow Americans. vote for the man with the plan. Vote for Barack Obama. The big business of national campaigning will be frozen for a while. Romney went ahead with one more campaign in Ohio, but is frozen others out of sensitivity. People enduring difficult times. Our hearts and prayers go to them. Huge amounts of money have been spent on campaign ads for this last week. Many will not get to see them because of power cuts BACK TO TIM WILSON. AND AS WE SAW THERE, THIS SUPERSTORM WILL BE PIVOTAL FOR THE ELECTION, WON'T IT? They and their advisers will be very aware that this could be a game changer. I usually get appeals for money from the Obama campaign. Today I just got a comment on how serious the storm was encouraging to go to Red Cross What Obama has to do is be presidential while campaigning by stealth. Romney has to continue campaigning but in presidential and authoritative way You don't want to be seen to be profiting from it. But who will benefit the most from this? Obama has the most to gain. he'll be front and centre. US is a democratic monarchy. He is better as a president than a campaigner. This could play to his strengths. Will this be the focus for everyone across the United States? Will it sway undecided voters? This election is about a few crucial swing states, one of which is Ohio. Romney has been working hard in Ohio. America has conversations through TV and social media. It is an electronically connected country. How the two candidates perform could change the outcome of this election. He will want to avoid the mistakes made by Bush over Katrina. He needs to console and support YOU ARE WITH A ONE NEWS SPECIAL. I'LL BE WITH YOU UNTIL THE NEWS HOUR AT 6. AHEAD, WE'LL GET YOU LIVE TO THE JERSEY SHORE, NEAR THE STRIKE POINT, AS THE SUPERSTORM SANDY TAKES HER TOLL. YOU ARE WITH A ONE NEWS SPECIAL. I'M WITH YOU UNTIL 6, WHEN THE NEWS HOUR TAKES OVER. WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SUPERSTORM HITTING HUGE PARTS OF AMERICA'S EASTERN SEABOARD. IT MADE LANDFALL JUST A COUPLE OF HOURS AGO. ITS EYE IS HEADING INLAND FROM THE SOUTH COAST OF NEW JERSEY, TRACKING INTO PENNSYLVANIA BEFORE IT'S EXPECTED TO SWING NORTH INTO UPSTATE NEW YORK. BUT THE ACCOMPANYING HIGH WINDS, HEAVY RAIN AND STORM SURGE ARE HITTING COASTAL STATES IN A WIDE SWATHE FROM DELAWARE AND MARYLAND IN THE SOUTH TO CONNECTICUT AND MASSACHUSETTS IN THE NORTH. HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS HAVE BEEN BLOWING THROUGH THE EAST COAST FOR HOURS SINCE BEFORE SANDY MADE LANDFALL. TERRY MORAN OF THE ABC LOOKS AT HOW THE DAY UNFOLDED. The ocean is now sloshing into the city. In New Jersey, gigantic waves engulfed the coastline. In Atlantic City, 15 foot waves crashed over the sea wall. In North Carolina, the enormous served for roads and beaches all along the coast. Millions of Americans hunkered down under the fury of the storm. An incredible helicopter rescue at sea. The Coast Guard helped 14 people from the waters from the ship the Bounty. One crewmember confirmed dead, another still missing. In Cape May, Sandy battered the homes and flooded the streets, turning the cake into an island. Here is the most densely populated area of the country. Obama took up the mantle of presidencey once again to urge Americans to see all the ominous warnings. When they tell you what they can wait, you need to evacuate. Do not delay or pause. By afternoon, Sandy spawned snowstorms in West Virginia and flood warnings as far west as Chicago. The sheer scale of the storm is staggering. from space tonight, the gigantic storm seems to have earned its Halloween moniker Frankenstorm. ONE OF NEW YORK'S BIGGEST HOSPITALS HAS JUST LOST IT'S BACKUP POWER. AT THE NYU LANGONE MEDICAL CENTRE, A GENERATOR HAS FAILED, LEAVING THE HOSPITAL WITHOUT POWER. AMBULANCES ARE LINING UP OUTSIDE TO TRY AND RESCUE STRANDED PATIENTS, INCLUDING CHILDREN. IT'S NOT YET KNOWN IF THE POWERCUT HAS CAUSED ANY FATALIES AT THE HOSPITAL. The images we saw people being brought out to waiting ambulances. It could be a much more chaotic scene then we saw at the front of the hospital. If you want hurricanes, you go to Florida. When you live in New York City, you expect different disturbances. But this is a very different storm because of its magnitude. what is noticeable is that you are accustomed to there being food in the supermarkets and for there to be watered in the taps. Some footage from YouTube This is a street scene in the lower East side of New York right now. This is much further up Manhattan Island than what we saw earlier in Battery Park. This level of penetration by floodwaters has not be seen in New York for a long time. The last time was 1938. They're facing weeks of repair time to get things back up and running. METSERVICE AMBASSADOR DAN CORBETT IS BACK WITH US. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE STORM SURGE. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THIS IS? if you had a big bath tub of water and you had one fan at the end, it would start to blow the water from one side to the other. This is the dangerous side of the storm. With that counter clockwise flow, it was those strong winds piling that water and pushing it right towards Long Island It is like a funnel. It just spreads its way in. It is coupled with the full moon in a high tide which happened at about 10 PM local time there. There's also the problem with the Long Island Sound that has the strong easterly winds. THANKS, DAN CORBETT, LIVE FROM WELLINGTON. WE'RE TAKING A SHORT BREAK, BUT STAY WITH US, BECAUSE WE'RE BRINGING YOU THE LATEST ON SANDY'S DEVASTATION RIGHT UP UNTIL THE NEWS HOUR AT 6. SHORTLY WE'LL HEAR FROM A KIWI IN NEW YORK ABOUT LIFE IN THE EYE OF THE STORM. BACK SOON. WELCOME BACK. YOU ARE WITH A ONE NEWS SPECIAL ON THE SUPER STORM HITTING AMERICA'S EAST COAST. I'M HERE WITH YOU UNTIL 6. THERE ARE REPORTS THE STORM HAS KILLED 11 PEOPLE IN US SO FAR. THE STORM HAS BROUGHT TRANSPORT SYSTEMS TO A HALT. THOUSANDS OF FLIGHTS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED. THERE'RE REPORTS OF FLOODING AT SOME LOWER MANHATTAN SUBWAY STATIONS. MORE THAN 1 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE BEEN FORCED FROM THEIR HOMES. UP TO 3 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR POWER SUPPLY. AND GENERATORS HAVE FAILED AT ONE OF NEW YORK'S HOSPITALS. PATIENTS ARE NOW BEING EVACUATED. ATLANTIC CITY HAS BEEN HARD HIT BY SANDY. A LANDMARK BOARDWALK HAS BEEN DESTROYED AND DESPITE THE EYE OF THE STORM PASSING, THE WINDS ARE NOT ABATING AND STILL GUSTING UP TO 106 KM/H. ABC'S GINGER ZEE IS IN ATLANTIC CITY THE SUPER STORM IS A SUPER DISASTER IN ATLANTIC CITY. Sections of the city underwater. Street after street, the water just doesn't stop. The city's famous Boardwalk underwater. A roof ripped from the top of this building. Oh my gosh! this is all ocean. The tide is coming up. We drove around, looking for a way to get back. Absolutely everywhere. Debris all over the streets. Electricity is out. Some people decided to try their luck and ride out the storm. hoping for the best. The governor announced no rescue services in the city until tomorrow morning. I cannot send them in in the dark, given all the various hazards. As day turned to night, the storm passed ferociously. Eerily calm in the eye of the storm. BACK TO TIM WILSON. Interesting things on social media Apparently a shark swimming through the streets in New Jersey. I'm not convinced. We will see all sorts of things coming through on social media some of it will be real; some of it false. NZER PAUL STENHOUSE IS HOLED UP AT HIS HOME IN BROOKLYN, STREETS AWAY FROM THE SEABOARD, WHERE THEY'RE WAITING TO HEAR IF THEY'LL NEED TO EVACUATE. The subway closure was well documented. Everyone knew it was going to be finishing at seven. But if I had to be evacuated, I do not know what will happen. I assume someone will come pass for the loudhailer. I don't have a TV. The only way I'm getting information is through the Internet on my laptop. I really am relying on somebody to walk along. The events of this morning were basically like a bad storm at home. The wind gusts were strong, but didn't feel anything I hadn't felt in Auckland before. I live in zone B, which means there would be flooding in a category 4 storm. THERE'S PLENTY MORE STILL TO COME ON THIS ONE NEWS SPECIAL. AFTER THE BREAK, WE'RE GOING TO CATCH UP WITH A KIWI RUNNER WHO'S IN NEW YORK EXPECTING TO RUN THE MARATHON. YOU ARE HERE WITH A ONE NEWS SPECIAL ON THE SUPERSTORM STRIKING THE US. I AM WITH YOU UNTIL 6. LET'S CROSS BACK TO OUR US CORRESPONDENT, JACK TAME. 12:30 IN THE MORNING. NEW YORK IS LOOKING RATHER DIFFERENT TO AN AVERAGE MONDAY NIGHT. Most of the streets below 40th Street are without power. 3.6 million people are currently in the dark. We can hear sirens. There are trees down all over the place. There is flooding in lower Manhattan. We heard a little bit earlier from Paul Stenhouse in Brooklyn that he did not know exactly what would happen if he needed to evacuate. What you know of emergency services and what they've been telling people? The people at the lower parts of Manhattan were at the greatest risk and were told to evacuate. They were to expect a storm surge of around 3 m. In the end they say was higher than that. Perhaps 4 m. That's why they have seen the flooding in the lower parts of Manhattan and in the subway. the authorities have set up various emergency shelters and were told to act early. The mayor told them that they were risking their lives and the lives of rescuers if they stayed there. For people in New York there is no finite detail as to how long the storm might continue. People are just being told to stay indoors and hopefully all will blow over by the morning. THANKS JACK TAME, US CORRESPONDENT, LIVE FROM NEW YORK. WE CAN CROSS TO THE JERSEY SHORE TO CAOE MAY, CLOSE TO WHERE THE STORM FIRST MADE LANDFALL EARLIER IN THE DAY. THERE THE ABC'S TJ WINNICK IS STANDING BY. Our lights just weed out right before you came to us. Great timing (!) We are in Cape May, New Jersey, and that is the southernmost point of the Jersey shore. IT hit about eight hours ago, and that is when the surf really started to kick up. The Jersey Shore probably has not seen this in decades. There will be more power outages across the north-east across the next several hours. Are we talking roads washed out, etc? What damage has Cape May sustained? We are isolated, but we can tell you that the most severe damage right now looks to be at Atlantic City. That is a lot of hotels and casinos structures are, and that is where Sandy made landfall. We have seen some pretty amazing pictures, some daunting pictures of the streets completely flooded of several cars submerged and several homes with the first floor or basement underneath the floodwaters. Although authorities will not get a look until later this morning, that looks to be Atlantic City suffering the worst damage in New Jersey. METSERVICE AMBASSADOR DAN CORBETT IS IN OUR WELLINGTON STUDIO. FROM YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, WHAT WOULD YOU BE ADVISING PEOPLE TO DO? When you have a big storm like this, there are so many facets to it. I used to do forecasting in the states for the oil breaks in the Gulf of Mexico. Think of hurricanes like a bull in a china shop. They ran around in their own fashion. The upper trough combining with a hurricane, meeting it and sucking it into a broad storm system. THANKS, DAN CORBETT, LIVE FROM WELLINGTON. STAY TUNED. WE'RE ABOUT TO HEAD BACK TO NEW YORK LIVE, WHERE OUR CORRESPONDENT JACK TAME'S STANDING BY. THAT'S AFTER THE BREAK. THOUSANDS OF OTHER KIWI TRAVELLERS HAVE HAD THEIR FLIGHTS TO THE UNITED STATES DISRUPTED BECAUSE OF THE STORM. WE RETURN TO DANIEL FAITAUA IN WELLINGTON WITH THE LATEST. Flights disrupted; airports closed. What advisories are being given? The ministry says 629 kiwis have registered across 17 affected states. They have not had any requests for help at this stage. But they are urging people to touch base with the ministry or family and friends. And people planning to head over? consultants have been busy trying to change itineraries and travel plans the Kiwis travelling to affected states. They are encouraging people to stay over at transit destinations. UP TO A HUNDRED KIWIS ARE HEADING TO NEW YORK THIS WEEK FOR THE NEW YORK MARATHON, DUE TO TAKE PLACE ON SUNDAY. KIWI FRANCES MORTON HAS BEEN TRAINING SINCE JUNE AND ARRIVED IN NEW YORK TWO WEEKS AGO. Fingers crossed it'll be all over by then and I can take part. I am doing doing it for charity. I've been training and preparing since July, all building up to this weekend. And now we have a hurricane to deal with. I managed to get out on the streets before things got gnarly. It was quiet. Shops and businesses shut down. That was just me strolling through the abandoned streets. The wind has now really got up. Banners up on the streets saying where the marathon route is going to be, and they're all coming loose and flapping around. It will be quite a lot of work to get everything in order by the weekend. ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST ICONIC SYMBOLS, THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR THE STORM. OFFICIALS SAY SHE'S NEVER BEEN TESTED BY A FORCE LIKE SANDY, SO THEY'RE UNSURE HOW SHE'LL WITHSTAND IT. EARLIER, THIS PHOTO, NICKNAMED FRANKENSTORM, CREATED A BIG BUZZ ON SOCIAL MEDIA. BUT IT'S A FAKE ` A MASH-UP FROM A PHOTO OF THE LANDMARK AND ONE OF STORM-DARKENED SKIES OVER NEBRASKA. OUR ONE NEWS SPECIAL CONTINUES UP UNTIL 6 O'CLOCK. AFTER THE BREAK ` YOU ARE WITH A ONE NEWS SPECIAL ON THE SUPERSTORM STRKING THE US. THE NEWS HOUR WILL CONTINUE THIS SHORTLY. BUT RIGHT NOW LET'S CROSS BACK TO OUR US CORRESPONDENT, JACK TAME. WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING ON THE EFFECTS OF THE STORM, BUT THE CLEANUP IS a long time away. We have had a whole lot of showers come through over the last few minutes. There is no telling when the storm conditions will pass. The morning will show what the serious damages. There are still millions of people without power. When the weather dies down, we will begin the cleanup. Take care of yourself, Jack. When we look back at this in years to come, we will look at the impact on the presidential election. Obama needs to appear human, which he has trouble with down on the ground. We've been talking about personalities. This may affect the fundraising deficit. The Obama campaign is $45 million behind the Romney campaign. They cannot ask for more money now because of the storm. It is a storm that has affected 20% of the United States. it will affect the campaign in a huge way. How does it compare to other massive storms, Katrina for example? Katrina was very different. This was a category one. Katrina was a four and briefly five. The winds were stronger. But we have seen the pictures. The impact has been far greater with the storm. Even though the wind strength was only category one. But the problems will be far reaching over the next several days too. How often do you see things like the storm in your career? This will be a one in a lifetime thing. New Yorkers are used to big Northeast snowstorms. But nothing like this. RIGHT, WENDY AND SIMON ARE STANDING BY WITH THE NEWS HOUR WITH MUCH MORE ON THE SUPERSTORM. I'LL SIGN OFF FOR NOW. GOOD EVENING. CAPTIONS BY DESNEY SHAW AND RICHARD EDMUNDS. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT TVNZ ACCESS SERVICES 2012