BBC News with David Auston

Up to 15 million people on the east coastof the

United States

are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Sandy which is expected to makelandfall in the coming hours. Speaking at the White House, President Obamaissued a warning that the storm would cause many days of severe disturbance andpossible fatal consequences. Sandy has continuedto pick up strength over the Atlantic Oceanthroughout the day. Public transport has been shut down in New York. Dirtry Parker from the city'sMetropolitan Transport Authority says they feared the subways themselves couldbe flooded.

The worst storm has not hit us yet, we arealert to what's going on in the under-river tubes. We are also removing some ofour signal equipment. You know our governor has said salt water and subwaysdon't mix. We can continue pumping water out if we lose electricity our pumpwill not be operable, so it really depends on how much damage we sustain.

But the BBC's Barbara Plett is also in New York.

The wind is definitely getting worse, itcomes in strong gusts and those gusts could go up to 70 even 90 miles per hourwhen the Hurricane comes ashore later on today. We just heard news that a cranein a midtown Manhattan57th streetand 7th avenue has broken off. And flooding has started somewhat and the waterhas already become beginning to come up over the seawall in lower Manhattan. And there aresome flooding in the streets of Queen as well. So again officials are urgingpeople in those evacuation areas to leave while they have the chance, they saythe window will be closing soon.