Hurricane Sandy Update: MTA Left With Major Clean Up, Leaves Subway System Devasted

Hurricane Sandy has ripped through the New York area causing at least 10 causalities and numerous injuries and has laid waste to the city's subway and roads systems.

MTA chairman Joseph L. Lohta in a statement addressed the public about the state of New York transit system he said.

"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. Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on our entire transportation system, in every borough and county of the region. It has brought down trees, ripped out power and inundated tunnels, rail yards and bus depots."

He also went on to say. "As of last night, seven subway tunnels under the East River flooded. Metro-North Railroad lost power from 59th Street to Croton-Harmon on the Hudson Line and to New Haven on the New Haven Line. The Long Island Rail Road evacuated its West Side Yards and suffered flooding in one East River tunnel. The Hugh L. Carey Tunnel is flooded from end to end and the Queens Midtown Tunnel also took on water and was closed. Six bus garages were disabled by high water."

Lhota also added. "We are assessing the extent of the damage and beginning the process of recovery. Our employees have shown remarkable dedication over the past few days, and I thank them on behalf of every New Yorker. In 108 years, our employees have never faced a challenge like the one that confronts us now. All of us at the MTA are committed to restoring the system as quickly as we can to help bring New York back to normal."

The MTA has suspended service to all city trains from the "1" to the "7," and "A," to "S," lines while the "SIR," is also out of commission. All buses have been suspended as well. Rail trains are all so out of action.

Sandy has also offset the roads in and out of the city with places like the Holland Tunnel shut down. Throgs Neck, Henry Hudson, Marine Parkway, Bronx-Whitestone, Hugh L. Carey and Queens Midtown systems are all down, so to the Robert F. Kennedy, Cross Bay and Verrazano- Narrows systems.

The New York transit system is said to be down for at least two days and it has been announced that schools in the city have been shut down for Oct. 31.