HURRICANE SANDY CAUSES STATE OF EMERGENCY IN N.Y. DECLARED BY PRESIDENT OBAMA

"A man looks down at a boarded up Broad Street subway station across the street from the New York Stock Exchange. The MTA suspended all transit service today ahead of the storm.

President Obama declared a state of emergency for New York as the deadline for subways, LIRR, Metro-North train service and "Zone A" evacuations has come and gone and the city continues to prepare for "Frankenstorm."

The declaration opens the door for assistance from FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security to assist local government agencies during and after the storm.

Obama promised the government would "respond big and respond fast" after the storm hits.

"My message to the governors as well as to the mayors is anything they need, we will be there, and we will cut through red tape. We are not going to get bogged down with a lot of rules," he said.

He also pleaded for neighborliness: "In times like this, one of the things that Americans do is we pull together and we help out one another. And so, there may be elderly populations in your area. Check on your neighbor, check on your friend. Make sure that they are prepared. If we do, then we're going to get through this storm just fine."

From Washington to Boston, big cities and small towns Sunday buttoned up against the onslaught of a superstorm that could endanger 50 million people in the most heavily populated corridor in the nation, with forecasters warning that New York could get slammed by a wall of water.

Bus service was suspended at 9 p.m. and and public schools in the city will be closed today in advance of Hurricane Sandy’s violent arrival, authorities said.