At Least 48 Deaths, More Than 8 Million Without Power Due to Superstorm

NEW YORK (AP) -- Officials say the death toll from Superstorm Sandy has reached 48.
   Many of the victims were killed by trees toppled by the storm, including a New Yorker killed in bed by a tree that fell onto an apartment.
   More than 8 million, from Maine to the Carolinas, are waiting for the power to return. There are widespread outages in lower Manhattan. Utility officials say it could be days before power is restored and the subway system is running again.
   The extent of the damage in New Jersey, where the storm roared ashore last night with hurricane-force winds of 80 mph, is still being assessed. Powerful winds and ocean surge knocked houses off their foundations, demolished boardwalks and wrecked amusement pier rides. President Barack Obama will tour New Jersey tomorrow with Gov. Chris Christie. The Republican has been a harsh Obama critic but praised him today for his response to the storm.
   A financial forecasting firm predicts Sandy will end up causing about $20 billion in property damage and $10 billion to $30 billion more in lost business. According to HIS Global Insight, Sandy will be one of the costliest natural disasters on record in the U.S.
   The storm has moved east into Pennsylvania and is expected to turn into New York State tonight. And while it has weakened, forecasters say it will continue to bring heavy rain and flooding.At Least 48 Deaths, More Than 8 Million Without Power Due to Superstorm

Posted: Tuesday, October 30 2012, 06:15 PM CDT