"As we've emphasized all along, the greatest danger posed by Sandy is the coastal storm surge it will produce. We've already had as much flooding", said Bloomberg, saying that the city has closed some important transportation path as it did in Hurricane Irene.

Bands of rain have already moved into the city. An estimated total rainfall of between 2 and 5 inches is expected for the city.

The New York City Office of Emergency Management headquarters said that approximately 3,106 residents were staying in 76 public schools that are being used as shelters as of 11 a.m. Monday.

The city is able to accommodate approximately 71,000 people in those shelters.

During a morning briefing at the World Trade Center, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said officials are keeping a close eye on the storm's threat, mainly surges in and around the lowest lying areas of the city.

The governor says New Yorkers need to be cautious and pushed back at comments that state officials over-reacted for Irene and are over-reacting again.

Speaking from the White House, President Obama echoed both the mayor and governor's calls for people to take storm seriously and follow the instructions of local officials.

 

People walk on a street in Queens, New York, the United States, on Oct. 29, 2012. [Xinhua]