Northeast U.S. braves 'crippling' blizzard, transit systems shut

(Reuters) - A massive, wind-whipped blizzard slammed into the U.S. Northeast on Monday, creating havoc for more than 60 million people and forcing New York City to shut down on a scale not seen since Superstorm Sandy devastated the region in 2012.

The potentially historic storm which could affect 20 percent of the U.S. population, caused several states up and down the east coast to declare emergencies, forced the cancellation of thousands of flights, closed major mass transit hubs and schools.

Officials warned that the storm could dump as much as 3 feet (90 cm) of snow on the region.
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts declared states of emergencies as people were urged to stay home with transit systems, including the New York City subway, suspending services and roadways closed amid white-out conditions.

The potentially historic storm poses the latest challenge to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has been under fire in recent weeks from police who criticized his support of public protests about white police violence against black men. In the last major storm de Blasio was vilified for keeping schools open.

The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning from New Jersey to Maine, with conditions worsening overnight and wind gusting to over 50 mph (80 kph) in the New York City area. Coastal flood warnings were issued, with tides in the New York metro area expected to be as much 3 feet higher than normal early Tuesday morning.

Retailers ran short of everything from shovels and snowblowers to basic groceries. At a Shaw's Supermarket in Somerville, Massachusetts, canned food shelves were thinned and checkout lines long. In Brooklyn, grocery store shelves were stripped of bread and bottled water.

"I've been to three or four stores and I can't get any milk or eggs," said Marcy Rivers, waiting in the snow for a bus in Bridgeport, Connecticut. "I don't know what we are going to do now."  Read More

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