If it follows the predicted track, I wouldn't be surprised if trading is down until Thursday. This storm is huge. The side by side shots of Sandy and Irene are shocking. The NOAA wave charts show 37 foot waves in Bermuda.

Say what?????

This isn't even listed yet on CNBC.

Aren't they supposed to have contingency plans? Isn't this an excellent opportunity to try them out?

I'm in NJ 2:30 am - little wind, not even raining.

Maybe the storm is coming, but have to wonder if this monster hurricaine news is just to give sorry-azzed obama a breather, with all of his super-bad Libya news.

This is really an idiotic over reaction by paranoid people in charge. They shut NY down while the center of the storm is still around NC.Last night they were showing OC,Maryland and a breeze was hardly blowing but they mixed in clips of old storms that showed high winds and waves.

A storm surge during high tide is the biggest problem. At least that could drown all the rats in NY's sewer system.

No doubt somethings going to happen but politicians don't want to become the new Ray Nagin.

Once again, proof that NOAA and the rest are overstaffed. They say this is the big one, Elizabeth, more often than Fred Sanford

I'll ask it here too. A basic question:

The libs always want us to use mass transit, car pools, and ity bity electric cars.

So what is the first thing NYC does when the storm is still 2 days away?
SHUT DOWN.

How are people who work in hospitals, nursing homes and other 24/7 facilities to go to work?

As a firefighter/paramedic my pickup truck stays ready at all times.

First I hope everyone is safe and the storm passes without a hitch. Second, the storm is currently the same distance away from New York City as was the AC130 and military support teams to Benghazi and our men in need. Something to think about...

Maybe God is trying to tell New York something -- eh????

I mean the "real" God -- not the black messiah/obama (so called)...

LZK

Did Team Zero also inherit Karl Rove's Evil Weather Machine??

Premature evacuation.

Affected state's governors should order that looters be shot on sight. Zero tolerance on looting.

Every story says: Evacuations are mandatory, AND planes, trains, buses are shut down. So....

Be prepared. As usual, Obama will pick the winners and losers. Help will go to the friendlies first.

Can you imagine the stench from the subways after this is all over? Millions of drowned rats and other strays will smell up the entire city for the nest year!!
Oh, my.... talk about a stinky town, must by air-freshener stock.
God help them.

And the oceans will subside and the world begin to heal... Obama, where are you!!!

Quite frankly, up and down the coast, the word is this is overblown by media/NOAA as usual.

Having been through FL hurricanes this is a j-o-k-e, with apologies to those who are/have/will have been impacted, no doubt.

This storm makes me realize how serous our election is. Think about it, people are being warned to get out of the way of this storm. Think about it again, people are being warned that Obama is the worst President we have ever had and they still say he is at the 47% point of people who believe in him. I acturally think the Obama senerio is more damming than the storm. The storm will pass, but if Obama is elected again, it will be forever. It will never be the same for this great wonderful countryt.

Lived all my life through these storms and Sandy is consuming the whole news cycle drawing all the air out of the Benghazi articles. Benghazi should be bold and at the top of news stories, the truth should come out. Know ye the truth and the truth will set you free.

East Coast-centric News Mafia doesn't notice it's a nice day our here in Wyoming

I'm on East Side - looking west out to First Avenue. Traffic is light - but there is traffic. Quite a few pedestrians.

There's a park downstairs - trees are moving quite a bit from gusts of wind. No rain at the moment, but the ground is wet and there are some puddles from earlier rain.

Here in the DMV (and yes, to those in Wyoming and elsewhere, we are the center of the Universe) it's mass panic. The Federal Government as well as state and locals have all shut down. Public transportation and the Smithsonian have all shut their doors, my son's school is closed today and tomorrow, and the local news is going non-stop with impending doom and gloom. I had to laugh. The local Fox station just announced that if you are suffering from anxiety over Sandy, here is a number for a mental health counselor you can talk to. Gee, maybe if you weren't stirring everyone up with 24/7 you're-about-to-die storm coverage, mental health counseling wouldn't be necessary.

Up here in Massachusetts this is a total nothingburger! But Deval has to imitate his Messiah in the hype.

It's not a superstorm, it's a hypertstorm.

Nothing that hasn't happened SO many times before:

"Well the wind is blowin' harder now
Fifty knots or thereabouts
There's white caps on the ocean
And I'm watchin' for waterspouts
It's time to close the shutters
It's time to go inside..."

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Trying-To-Reason-With-Hurricane-Season-lyrics-Jimmy-Buffett/20A27F95EF45DE1F482569A1000C5919

We've got some rain and decent wind gusts here in northern Virginia, but nothing major yet. However, the heavy stuff isn't supposed to arrive into the DC area until this evening.

I'm not about to panic, but this is a serious storm that will cause damage and long power outages for many folks around here.

Power outages are the major concern in this area. Older neighborhoods in DC and the close-in suburbs have overhead power lines right next to tall trees lining the streets. All it takes is one toppled tree to knock out power to an entire block or neighborhood. If the sustained winds overnight end up being what is predicted, there will be a LOT of toppled trees.

But geez, it really isn't the end of the world. I don't even bother to watch the news during these events.

Hey, the NYSE is part of Euro-next, the Deutsche Bank sub-group iirc. so why can't trading just go on in germany or someother city by the push of a button. I think the closures is to somehow help Obama.
I wonder if closures means martial law and the probs of voting also buttress (cf BUTT) the obamanites view of fairness for the voters.

So, GrandMa Bloomberg tells all city workers to report for duty and if they don't, they must use a vacation day or a personal day (if they have any). Then he closes the subways and strands those who did come to work. On top of it,Governor Angry Eyes Cuomo closes all the tunnels! Typical libs who can't find their butts with either hand but want total control.

Obviously it will be a slow business week in NYC. I saw the clip of the 1938 storm on Drudge Report...wow. It will take a few days for Sandy to blow over. Seems like an over reaction to shut down the city two days early, but I'm in the comfort of Colorado where there is no wind today.

Hope things don't get as bad as the media are hyping it. Looks right now like it's going to be worse from excess rain in the interior. Out here in S. Nevada- tonight, about 63, a very light breeze, stars twinkling, absolutely beautiful evening. We feel blessed. Hope everyone in the east are okay and get through this without too much trouble.

A lot of stocks were underwater before Sandy.