A score of people are officially dead but more casualties are expected as Hurricane Sandy continues to leave a trail of destruction in its wake.
Crossing the Caribbean the category two storm has pummelled, Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba and now the Bahamas.
With winds up to 177 Kph locals have been hoarding food and battening down the hatches.
In Cuba the historic city of Santiago de Cuba suffered a direct hit when the storm came ashore.
The US east coast is now bracing itself for high winds, rain, pounding surf and coastal flooding. Forecasters say the hardest-hit areas could span anywhere from the Carolinas up to New York city and Boston.
Hurricane Sandy is said to have the potential for becoming a billion-dollar disaster.
