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Frankenstorm brings devastation over 1,000-kilometre front

Updated October 30, 2012 21:19:00

Hurricane Sandy's early effects foreshadowed damage over more than 1,000 kilometres, as North America Correspondent Michael Brissenden reports from the northern end of the storm in Boston.

Source: 7.30 | Duration: 4min 41sec

Topics: storm-event, cyclone, united-states, australia


LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: The massive storm has left a trail of devastation spanning more than a thousand kilometres.

North America correspondent Michael Brissenden was in Boston as locals braced themselves for Sandy's onslaught.

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN, REPORTER: This is Scituate Harbor, a small fishing village just to the south of Boston in Massachusetts and this is probably the northern most point of the storm, about 1,000 miles or 1500 or 1600 kilometre or so from the southernmost point of the storm. It just goes to show how big it is.

People here have said they've seen plenty of storms before. This one though is expected to be as big if not bigger than the one that was known as the Perfect Storm back in 1991.

MARK GRESSLER, RESIDENT: I saw the Perfect Storm back in the early '90s. Grandfather had a 38-foot sailboat moored out here. Broke off its mooring and ended up on the rocks over by the restaurant over there, you can see the large grey building over there by the rocks. A lot of boats washed up on the rocks at that point because it, you know, it came out of nowhere so people didn't have the time to prepare. Today you can see the harbour's empty for the most part. People are prepared; you know they knew it was coming. That's when it's dangerous is when you don't know its coming, the sudden ones.

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: Elsewhere on this long stretch of coast, they knew Hurricane Sandy was coming and the dangers it posed. The warnings came from city officials, State governors and even the White House.

BARACK OBAMA, US PRESIDENT: The most important message that I have for the public right now is please listen to what your State and local officials are saying. When they tell you to evacuate you need to evacuate.

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: Even hours before the eye of the storm hit the coast; local communities were battling tidal surges. New Jersey was among the hardest hit.

CHRIS CHRISTIE, NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR: Everyone should be asking themselves if the trip they're thinking about making is absolutely necessary or if once you're out on the roads you're going to feel as if you made a huge mistake. If you have any doubt about whether it's necessary or not please stay home.

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: In most major cities on the eastern sea board, getting around proved to be more and more difficult.

In Washington, in Boston and in New York, public transport was suspended. Airports were closed, some major highways were closed too and many residents of low lying coastal areas were forced to evacuate.

RESIDENT: Holy sh** (Beep).

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: But as the storm approached, residents of New York were typically stoic.

NEW YORK RESIDENT: I'm checking it out. You know, you're not safe anyway, you know, right? I was going to go to Long Island my brother got evacuated, you know.

NEW YORK RESIDENT 2: You know, when it comes to life, you know, everything takes a risk but, you know, I'm a bit concerned.

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: The Frankenstorm, as it's been called, was a collision of a tropical hurricane and two cold winter fronts moving in from the north. Away from the coast mountain areas received up to two metres of snowfall in 24 hours. Weather experts have described Sandy as one of the biggest storms ever to hit the US. In all, this storm affected more than 60 million people.

NEW YORK RESIDENT 3: What the hell is this?

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: From ground level the impact has been devastating, but it's the satellite image that showed the full scale of this extraordinary force of nature.

WEATHER PRESENTER: The pressure incredibly low, 946, that's a testament to the power of this thing.

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: Hurricane Sandy effectively closed most of the east coast of America.

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: We're seeing extraordinary amount of water throughout Lower Manhattan. There are trees down throughout the city, the bad news is Conair is experiencing power outages on an extremely wide basis the latest estimates show roughly a quarter of a million customers without power.

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: On Wall Street trading was suspended and just a week out from a tight presidential election race both candidates cancelled campaign events.

MITT ROMNEY, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We've faced these kind of challenges before and as we have it's interesting to see how Americans come together and this looks like another time when we need to come together, all across the country, even here in Ohio and make sure that we give of our support to the people who need it.


MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: Sandy now poses some delicate challenges for the political campaigns, looking to continue to push their political arguments and also remain sensitive to the impact. Even if politics is the last thing on the minds of many of those now weathering the storm.