Schools, ramps closed; shelters open as Sandy bears down

Hurricane Sandy’s advance has shuttered schools and opened shelters as the freak megastorm promises to bring dangerous winds and flooding to Pennsylvania.

PennDOT closed Interstate 95’s Broad Street exit in Philadelphia before daybreak Monday in expectation of flooding. Mass transit service is halted, flights are canceled and Amtrak is offline while officials urge people to just stay home.

 

The Red Cross reports more than 150 people spent Sunday night in shelters in the Philadelphia area while weather conditions are only expected to get worse through the day Monday as the storm bears down.Utility companies reported only a few scattered outages early Monday, but anticipate flooding and high winds could leave some customers without power for days.