Tue, 2012-10-30 05:41 — editor
By
K.T.Rajasingham
New York, 30 October, (Asiantribune.com):
As
the monstrous Hurricane Sandy made landfall with the eye of the 900-mile wide
monster storm striking southern New Jersey at 6:03 p.m. ET., Sri lanka’s United
Nation Permanent Mission Office located at the Third Avenue, in New York has
been closed down due to the impact of the Hurricane Sandy and the Sri Lankan
Ambassador is marooned at his official residence located at Manhattan, New
York.
Hurricane
Sandy, a massive storm described by forecasters as one of the largest ever that
hit the United States, is making her way towards the population-dense East
Coast after the storm made landfall. Evacuations have been ordered from
Maryland to Maine, where storm surge and high winds are expected to wipe out
power to millions.
In
the meantime, when Asian Tribune contacted Ambassador Dr. Palitha
Kohona, he said that Sri Lankan Mission in New York remains closed and the
Embassy staffs are keeping well and they have been asked to stay in their
homes.
Ambassador
Kohona is no stranger to New York, as he was in the UN Headquarters for 10 long
years, as the Head of the Treaties Section prior to joining first as the Head
of Sri Lanka’s Peace Secretariat and later as the Secretary to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and now he remains Head of the Sri Lankan Mission in New York.
He
said that normally New York never sleep, but it is strange that the city which
never sleeps but at the moment it is completely shut down.
Airports
are also closed and nearly 10,000 flights have been canceled for Monday and
Tuesday by airlines bracing for Hurricane Sandy.
The
Police are warning travelers to be off the bridges. Authorities have already
closed the Holland Tunnel under the Hudson River between New York and New
Jersey. Maritime operations at shipping terminals in that region were also
suspended. Also the train and bus services suspended.
Michael
Bloomberg, mayor of New York, has asked the public to stay at home when Sandy
slams the city. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Monday warned
travelers against going to JFK, Newark and LaGuardia airport.
-
Asian Tribune -
