Hurricane Sandy leaves New York crippled | World | News | Toronto Sun

Hurricane Sandy leaves New York crippled | World | News | Toronto Sun

NEW YORK - Millions of people were left reeling in the aftermath of monster storm Sandy on Tuesday as New York City and a wide swathe of the eastern United States struggled with epic flooding and massive power outages.

Sandy, which crashed ashore with hurricane-force winds in New Jersey overnight as the biggest storm to hit the country in generations, swamped parts of New York’s subway system and Manhattan’s Wall Street district, closing financial markets for a second day.

At least 18 people were reported killed along the eastern seaboard.

As the weakened but still sprawling storm system continued its trek inland, more than 1 million people in a dozen states along its path were still under orders to evacuate. Sandy left behind a trail of damage - homes underwater, trees toppled and power lines downed - up and down the Atlantic coast.

Centuries collided 145 km off the coast of Hatteras, N.C., on Monday.

Two crew members were missing after the Hollywood tall-ship replica HMS Bounty was pulled under by Hurricane Sandy.

They were believed to be wearing survival suits and life-jackets, and it was unclear how long they could stay alive, as a Hercules spotter plane and MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter searched for them.

Two coast guard cutters were also dispatched.

The coast guard recovered the body of Claudene Christian, 42, early Monday evening.

The search for Robin Walbridge, 63, continues about 144 km southeast of Hatteras, N.C., the coast guard said.