Superstorm batters East Coast, killing 16_美文

Superstorm batters East Coast, killing 16

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Sandy, one of the biggest storms ever to hit the United States, battered the nation's eastern seaboard on Tuesday, swamping New York City streets with record levels of floodwater, blacking out power to millions of people and bringing transportation to a halt through much of the region.

At least 16 people were reported killed in the US by Sandy, which dropped just below hurricane status before going ashore in New Jersey on Monday, according to officials and media reports. More than 1 million people across a dozen states were under orders to evacuate as the massive system continued to plow westward.

One disaster forecasting company predicted that economic losses could ultimately reach $20 billion, only half insured. The storm also slowed the presidential campaign at a key time ahead of next week's vote and closed US markets for two days.

Sandy, which was especially imposing because of its wide-raging winds, brought a record surge of almost 4.2 meters to downtown Manhattan, well above the previous record of 3 meters during Hurricane Donna in 1960, the National Weather Service said.

Water poured into the subway system and tunnels that run under the rivers around Manhattan, raising concerns that the world's financial capital could be hobbled for days to come.

"The New York City subway system is 108 years old, but it has never faced a disaster as devastating as what we experienced last night," city transport director Joseph Lhota said early on Tuesday.