Sandy Packs a Wallop
Hurricane
Sandy is approaching the US East Coast. It is bringing with it 1________ of water and 2___________ winds. Millions of people are in its 3__________
As strange as it may seem, New York and Washington are quiet while nervous residents 4_________ the warning to stay 5____________.
In a week there are elections and the hurricane sends the US presidential contest for a 6__________. They don't want to play politics in the storm.
Hurricane Sandy is 7________/ __________ on the East Coast. Nine States, 8__________ from North Carolina to Connecticut, have declared a state of emergency. The cities in this area are usually 9_________. Now they have been brought to a 10____________. In Manhattan there is a 11_________ which is 12___________ from a 13______________ building.
It's a Monday morning in Manhattan 14______________any other. New York is supposed to never sleep, but today it is 15___________ quiet awaiting the storm. The subway is 16___________ and even Wall Street is not 17__________. The water is already rising in the 18__________/ ________ of Manhattan in the evacuation 19_________.
"We're used to coming down here and the water being calm and much much lower and now it's way up over the 20________ already and the storm hasn't even gotten here"
The impact of the hurricane is beginning to be felt. High winds and 21__________ waves along the East Coast. The morning news left Americans in no doubt about the coming storm 22____________.
Storm preparations 23_________/ ___________/ _________ campaigning for next week's presidential election.
"The centre of the storm is going to hit landfall sometime this evening but because of the nature of the storm we are certain that this is going to be a slow moving process through a wide 24___________ of the country"
This family in Brooklyn are leaving nothing to 25____________ as they prepare for the storm to do its worst.
"If we get a lot of water in the backyard here, it could 26_________ over that 27____________ so we are going to 28____________ that when we are done filling up the water here. We have a ton of food upstairs, most of it is 29__________________."
Airports up and down the east coast are closed. This is a once in a generation storm with the potential to kill and 30___________. Millions of Americans are 31_____________ for the full impact.
The wind is really 32__________/ ___________, and so is the rain. The water is beginning to rise. You can see the storm 33___________ and this is before the hurricane has 34_____________/ ______________ and before the 35____________/ ______________, which is due tonight. That's also because of the full moon. So there is a 36___________/ ___________ of events. Will it bring massive 37____________? Will it bring power 38___________? Most of the people are indoors 39__________ down.
The worst case 40___________ is that there will be flooding in the 41_____________ coastal areas. The hurricane may cause massive 42_____________ to the city so people are really on the 43___________ of their seats.
Just moments ago there were people 44__________ along the edge of the river. Maybe because the worst of the storm is not 45_________ us yet. However, it is dangerous. Even the car was 46___________ from side to side. Therefore only the 47_____________, the dog walkers and the most dedicated storm 48____________ are out at the moment.
The coast of New Jersey has been feeling the 49____________ of Sandy since this morning. This is why there has been a 50________________ evacuation. Some people delayed evacuating and now they are 51___________ on the island.
KEY
Pack something (such as a storm) to have something. E.g. A storm packing 75 mph winds swept across the area last night.
Wallop: /ˈwɒləp/
a heavy powerful hit. Sp. Golpazo.
E.g. Hurricane Sandy packs a wallop.
1. walls
2. ferocious (/fəˈrəʊʃəs/ very aggressive or violent; very strong. E.g. a ferocious beast/attack/storm)
3. path
4. heed (heed somebody/something to pay careful attention to somebody's advice or warning. Take notice of. Sp. hacer caso. E.g. If only they had heeded his warnings!Calls for more legislation to protect tenants were not heeded.)
5. indoors
6. loop (a shape like a curve or circle made by a line curving right round and crossing itself. E.g. The road went in a huge loop around the lake.)
7. bearing down (bear
down on somebody/something to move quickly
towards somebody/something in a determined or threatening way).
8. stretching
9. bustling (/ˈbʌslɪŋ/ full of people moving about in a busy way. E.g. a bustling city. The market was bustling with life.)
10. standstill (/ˈstændstɪl/ a situation in which all activity or movement has stopped. Halt. E.g. The security alert brought the airport to a standstill. Traffic in the northbound lane is at a complete standstill.)
11. crane (/kreɪn/ a tall machine with a long arm, used to lift and move building materials and other heavy objects)
12. dangling (dangle /ˈdæŋɡl/ to hang or swing freely. Sp. colgar. E.g. A single light bulb dangled from the ceiling. His legs dangled over the side of the boat.)
13. sixty-five-storey (storey a level of a building; a floor. The upper/lower storey of the house. A single-storey/ two-storey building.
14. unlike
15. eerily /ˈɪərəli/ (eerie strange, mysterious and frightening. E.g. I found the silence underwater really eerie.)
16. shut
17 trading
18 southern tip
19 zone
20 banks
21 crashing
22 severity /sɪˈverəti/
23 take precedence over (precedence: /ˈpresɪdəns/ precedence (over somebody/something) the condition of being more important than somebody else and therefore coming or being dealt with first. Priority. She had to learn that her wishes did not take precedence over other people's needs. The speakers came on to the platform in order of precedence (= the most important one first). Environmental concerns must be given precedence over commercial interest.
24. swathe (/sweɪð /, Br /swɒθ/, Am /swɑːθ/ a large strip or area of something. Sp. franja. E.g. The mountains rose above a swathe of thick cloud).
25. chance (the way that some things happen without any cause that you can see or understand. Sp. azar. E.g. We'll plan everything very carefully and leave nothing to chance).
26. lap (if water laps something or laps against something, it moves against it
gently with a soft sound. E.g. The waves lapped gently against the
rocks. The sound of the sea lapping the shore).
27. sill (a narrow shelf below a window/door, either inside or outside. E.g. Place the plants on a sunny windowsill).
28. sandbag (sandbag something to put sandbags in or around something as protection against floods or explosions)
29. non-perishable (unlikely to decay or go bad quickly.E.g. non-perishable goods/foods)
30 flatten (flatten something to destroy or knock down a building, tree, etc. Sp. arrasar. E.g. Most of the factory was flattened by the explosion).
31 braced ( brace somebody/yourself (for something)| brace somebody/yourself (to do something) to prepare somebody/yourself for something difficult or unpleasant that is going to happen. Sp. prepararse. E.g. UN troops are braced for more violence. They are bracing themselves for a long legal battle.
32. picking up (get stronger. E.g. The wind is picking up now.)
33. surge (surge (of something) a sudden, strong forward or upward movement. E.g. ola, oleada, oleaje. E.g. a tidal surge. A surge of people poured through the gates).
34. made landfall
35. high tide (E.g. the ebb and flow of the tide. The tide is in/out. Is the tide coming in or going out?)
36. weird confluence
Weird: /wɪəd/
Confluence: / ˈkɒnfluəns/ the fact of two or more things becoming one. E.g. a confluence of social factors.
37. flooding
38. outages (outage /ˈaʊtɪdʒ/ a period of time when the supply of electricity, etc. is not working. Sp apagón. E.g. a power outage.
39. hunkering (hunker down: to prepare yourself to stay somewhere, keep an opinion, etc. for a long time. Sp. resguardarse, acomodarse).
40. scenario (The worst-case scenario (= the worst possible thing that could happen) would be for the factory to be closed down).
41. low-lying (not high, and usually fairly flat. E.g. There will be fog in low-lying areas.)
42. disruption /dɪsˈrʌpʃn/
43. edges (on the edge of your seat: very excited and giving your full attention to something. E.g. The game had the crowd on the edge of their seats. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happened next).
44. strolling (stroll to walk somewhere in a slow relaxed way. E.g. People were strolling along the beach.)
45. upon ((almost) upon you if something in the future is almost upon you, it is going to arrive or happen very soon. E.g. The summer season was almost upon them again.
46. rocking (moving from side to side)
47. foolhardy /ˈfuːlhɑːdi/ taking unnecessary risks. Reckless. Imprudente. E.g. It would be foolhardy to sail in weather like this.
48. chasers (Storm chasing is broadly defined as the pursuit of any severe
weather condition, regardless of motive, which can be curiosity,
adventure, scientific exploration, or for news professions/media
coverage)
49. brunt (bear, take, etc. the brunt of something to receive the main force of something unpleasant. Sp. sufrir. E.g. Schools will bear the brunt of cuts in government spending).
50. mandatory
51. stuck
After the storm:
After the storm:
Superstorm Sandy. Extra Listening
At the same time that the 1_________ and destruction of Superstorm Sandy
continue, the death 2_______ rises to over 30. There are many buildings
flooded, the transport is 3__________ and the damage will cost millions
of dollars. The storm 4_________ north as the 5__________
begins.
New Jersey is one of the states that has been particularly 6__________/ _________. President Obama will go there tomorrow. Today he has warned of more bad weather to come. "The storm is not yet over. We have 7___________ from the National Hurricane Centre, it is still moving north, there are still communities that could be affected."
Superstorm Sandy has been reported to be 8___________/ ___________ conditions over several States after leaving a 9_________ of damage and destruction on the eastern 10_____________. Emergency teams have been dealing with fires, heavy rain, flooding and a massive 11________/ ___________.
Up to now Sandy has 12__________ at least 30 lives. New York and New Jersey suffered 13______________ devastation. President Obama has declared a major disaster in New York and has cancelled another day of campaign 14_____________.
The destructive power of the Superstorm 15______________ after dark as Sandy 16__________/ _____________. The flooding was 17_______________, the 18__________ shocking. The storm arrived with the 19_______/ _________ in New York Harbour. The subways and tunnels flooded, water 20______________the construction 21_________ at Ground Zero. Lower Manhattan was 22________/ _______ darkness. Electricity generators exploded in spectacular 23________.
A hospital had to evacuate the patients because it lost power when its generator 24___________ . This huge 25___________ in Queens started in the 26___________ of the flood. On Staten Island, the force 27_________ a boat on shore.
"Make no mistake about it, this was a devastating storm, maybe the worst we have ever experienced. Our 28________/ ____________ have been doing a heroic job, protecting our city and saving lives, and they are still fighting fires and conducting live saving search-and-rescue missions. And we owe them an enormous debt of gratitude".
Americans' nightmare has become real. On Manhattan's Lower East Side this morning, they are 29________/ _________ what happened.
It is a 30_______________ scene, cars 31__________ down the avenue by the force of the water, 32.__________ everywhere.
In Manhattan this morning, the 33_____________ waters rose once again.
This tunnel has been completely and 34_________ flooded, giving you some idea of the damage the Superstorm did and the massive 35_________ it is still causing.
New York's transport system is 36___________. There are no subways or buses and the flooded tunnels are closed. The 37_____________ floor is empty on Wall Street for a second day. Thousands are without power, the city is just beginning the 38__________ task of cleaning up. As the storm 39________ North, 40____________ New Yorkers are left waiting for the waters to 41___________. New York which 42___________ the 9/11 attacks must now recover from the 43__________ of the Superstorm.
The President held a news conference at the 44____________ of the American Red Cross in Washington.
"I want to emphasise, there are still risks of flooding, there are still risks of 45__________ power lines, risks of high winds, so it is very important for the public to continue to 46___________ the situation in your local community. Listen to your state and local 47____________, follow instructions. The better prepared individual families are for the situation, the easier it is for us to deal with it..."
KEY
1. misery
2. toll (death toll the number of people killed in an accident, a war, a disaster, etc. E.g. The death toll has now risen to 200.)
3. disabled (inoperative)
4. heads
5. clear-up (the process of removing rubbish and tidying things. E.g. a massive clear-up operation)
6. hard hit
7. briefings (the detailed instructions or information that are given at a meeting. E.g. Captain Trent gave his men a full briefing. A briefing session/paper.)
8. unleashing blizzard
Unleash /ʌnˈliːʃ / something (on/upon somebody/something) to suddenly let a strong force, emotion, etc. be felt or have an effect. Sp. soltar, desencadenar, desatar. E.g. The government's proposals unleashed a storm of protest in the press.
Blizzard: a snowstorm with very strong winds. Sp. ventisca, tormenta de nieve. E.g. blizzard conditions.
9. trail
10. seaboard (the part of a country that is along its coast. Litoral, costa. E.g. Australia's eastern seaboard)
11. sea surge (surge a sudden, strong forward or upward movement. Sp. ola, oleaje, oleada. E.g. a tidal surge)
12. claimed (claim something (of a disaster, an accident, etc.) to cause somebody's death. Sp. se cobró. E.g. The car crash claimed three lives.)
13. unprecedented /ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd/ that has never happened, been done or been known before.
E.g. The situation is unprecedented in modern times. There were unprecedented scenes of violence in the city's main square.
14. rallies (rally a large public meeting, especially one held to support a particular idea or political party. Sp mitin, concentración. E.g. to attend/hold a rally. A peace/protest, etc. rally.)
15. unleashed (Unleash /ʌnˈliːʃ / something (on/upon somebody/something) to suddenly let a strong force, emotion, etc. be felt or have an effect. Sp. soltar, desencadenar, desatar. E.g. The government's proposals unleashed a storm of protest in the press.)
16. made landfall
17. instant
18. scale (the size or extent of something. E.g. It was not until morning that the sheer scale of the damage could be seen (= how great it was).)
19. high tide
20. engulfed (engulf /ɪnˈɡʌlf/ to surround or to cover somebody/something completely. Sp. envolver, sepultar. E.g. He was engulfed by a crowd of reporters. The vehicle was engulfed in flames.)
21. site (a place where a building, town, etc. was, is or will be located. E.g. the site of a sixteenth century abbey. To work on a building/ construction site)
22. plunged into (to experience something unpleasant. E.g. The country plunged deeper into recession.)
23. fashion (in (a)… fashion: (formal) in a particular way. E.g. How could they behave in such a fashion? She was proved right, in dramatic fashion, when the whole department resigned.)
24. failed
25. blaze (a very large fire, especially a dangerous one)
26. aftermath (/ˈɑːftəmæθ/ the situation that exists as a result of an important (and usually unpleasant) event, especially a war, an accident, etc. Sp. tras, repercusiones. E.g. A lot of rebuilding took place in the aftermath of the war. The assassination of the Prime Minister and its immediate aftermath.
27. tossed (toss: to throw something lightly or carelessly. Sp. tirar, lanzar. E.g. I tossed the book aside and got up. He tossed the ball to Anna. He tossed Anna the ball.
28. first responders (a person such as a member of the police or fire department in a position to arrive first at an emergency, who has been trained to give basic medical treatment. E.g. first responder training. Citizen/ community first responders (= members of the public who have had special training for emergencies)
29. reeling from ( reel (at/from/with something) to feel very shocked or upset about something. E.g. I was still reeling from the shock. Sp. todavía no me había recuperado)
30. post-apocalyptic (apocalyptic /əˌpɒkəˈlɪptɪk/ describing very serious damage and destruction in past or future events. E.g. an apocalyptic view of history. Apocalyptic warnings of the end of society.)
31. swept (sweep somebody/something + adverb/preposition to move or push somebody/something suddenly and with a lot of force. Sp. arrastrar. E.g. The little boat was swept out to sea. Their tent was swept away in the storm. She let herself be swept along by the crowd.)
32. debris /ˈdeɪbriː/ /ˈdebriː/ pieces of wood, metal, brick, etc. that are left after something has been destroyed. Sp. escombros, restos. E.g. Emergency teams are still clearing the debris from the plane crash. Several people were injured by flying debris in the explosion.
33. swollen (swell, past swelled, p.p. swollen or swelled to increase or make something increase in number or size. E.g. Last year's profits were swelled by a fall in production costs.)
34. utterly (completely)
35. disruption (to make it difficult for something to continue in the normal way. E.g. Bus services will be disrupted tomorrow because of the bridge closure.)
36. paralysed
37. trading (the activity of buying and selling things. E.g. new laws on Sunday trading (= shops being open on Sundays). Supermarkets everywhere reported excellent trading in the run-up to Christmas. Shares worth $8 million changed hands during a day of hectic trading.)
38. arduous
39. bends (bend, bent, bent)
40. harrowed (distressed, upset and anxious. Looking as if you have suffered E.g. his face was harrowed)
41. recede (/rɪˈsiːd/ (to move gradually away from somebody or away from a previous position. Sp. retirarse, retroceder. The sound of the truck receded into the distance.She watched his receding figure.)
42. endured (endure /ɪnˈdjʊə(r)/ to experience and deal with something that is painful or unpleasant, especially without complaining. bear. Sp. soportar. E.g. The pain was almost too great to endure.)
43. wrath (/rɒθ/ /ræθ/ extreme anger)
44. headquarters (a place from which an organization or a military operation is controlled. Sp. sede, oficina central)
45. downed (down somebody/something to force somebody/something down to the ground. Sp. tumbar, derribar. E.g. to down a plane. Storms downed trees and power lines.
46. monitor (/ˈmɒnɪtə(r)/ to watch and check something over a period of time in order to see how it develops, so that you can make any necessary changes. Track. Sp. observar, seguir. E.g. Each student's progress is closely monitored)
47. officials (official /əˈfɪʃl/ a person who is in a position of authority in a large organization. E.g. a bank/company/court/government official)
Transcript
The misery and destruction of Superstorm Sandy continue as the death toll rises to more than 30. Buildings flooded, transport disabled and millions of dollars of damage. The storm heads north as the clear-up begins.
The State of New Jersey is particularly hard hit. Ahead of the visit there tomorrow, President Obama warns of more bad weather to come. "The storm is not yet over. We have briefings from the National Hurricane Centre, it is still moving north, there are still communities that could be affected."
Superstorm Sandy is now reported to be unleashing blizzard conditions over several American States after leaving a trail of damage and destruction on the eastern seaboard. Emergency teams have been dealing with fires, heavy rain, flooding and a massive sea surge.
Sandy has so far claimed at least 30 lives. New York and New Jersey suffered what local officials are calling unprecedented devastation. President Obama has declared a major disaster in New York and has cancelled another day of campaign rallies.
After 8 million people across the region began the day without power and it could be days before the situation returns to anything like normal.
The destructive power of the Superstorm unleashed after dark as Sandy made landfall. The flooding was instant, the scale shocking. The storm arrived with the high tide in New York Harbour, creating a surge of nearly 14 feet. Subways and tunnels flooded, the water engulfed the construction site at Ground Zero. Lower Manhattan was plunged into darkness. Electricity generators exploded in spectacular fashion. Many cars were damaged by falling trees, fell by the high winds.
Patients were evacuated from a hospital which lost power when its generator failed. This huge blaze in Queens started in the aftermath of the flood. More than 80 houses were destroyed by the fire. Incredibly only a few people were injured. On Staten Island, the force tossed a boat on shore.
"Make no mistake about it, this was a devastating storm, maybe the worst we have ever experienced. Our first responders have been doing a heroic job, protecting our city and saving lives, and they are still fighting fires and conducting live saving search-and-rescue missions. And we owe them an enormous debt of gratitude".
Americans woke up to find their nightmare proved all too real. On Manhattan's Lower East Side this morning, they are reeling from what happened. "It was like being paralysed because there is nothing you can do. The water is just going to come. You can't stop it. It is too strong. So you have to just stand there and let it happen."
It is a post-apocalyptic scene, cars swept down the avenue by the force of the water, debris everywhere. This woman cannot believe what she saw. "Here last night was hell. A lot of water, cars, like I said, floating all over, the transmissions blowing up."
Manhattan is unnaturally quiet today. A high tide this morning, the swollen waters rose once again.
This tunnel has been completely and utterly flooded, giving you some idea of the damage the Superstorm did and the massive disruption it is still causing.
New York's transport system is paralysed. No subways or buses, the flooded tunnels closed. The trading floor is empty on Wall Street for a second day. Thousands are without power, the city is just beginning arduous task of cleaning up. As the storm bends North, harrowed New Yorkers are left waiting for the waters to recede. The city which endured the 9/11 attacks must now recover from the wrath of the Superstorm.
President Obama held a news conference at the headquarters of the American Red Cross in Washington.
"It is not yet over. We have had briefings from the National Hurricane Centre, it is still moving north, there are still communities that could be affected. I want to emphasise, there are still risks of flooding, there are still risks of downed power lines, risks of high winds, so it is very important for the public to continue to monitor the situation in your local community. Listen to your state and local officials, follow instructions, the more you follow instructions, the easier it is for our first responders to make sure that they are dealing with true emergency situations. The better prepared individual families are for the situation, the easier it is for us to deal with it..."
New Jersey is one of the states that has been particularly 6__________/ _________. President Obama will go there tomorrow. Today he has warned of more bad weather to come. "The storm is not yet over. We have 7___________ from the National Hurricane Centre, it is still moving north, there are still communities that could be affected."
Superstorm Sandy has been reported to be 8___________/ ___________ conditions over several States after leaving a 9_________ of damage and destruction on the eastern 10_____________. Emergency teams have been dealing with fires, heavy rain, flooding and a massive 11________/ ___________.
Up to now Sandy has 12__________ at least 30 lives. New York and New Jersey suffered 13______________ devastation. President Obama has declared a major disaster in New York and has cancelled another day of campaign 14_____________.
The destructive power of the Superstorm 15______________ after dark as Sandy 16__________/ _____________. The flooding was 17_______________, the 18__________ shocking. The storm arrived with the 19_______/ _________ in New York Harbour. The subways and tunnels flooded, water 20______________the construction 21_________ at Ground Zero. Lower Manhattan was 22________/ _______ darkness. Electricity generators exploded in spectacular 23________.
A hospital had to evacuate the patients because it lost power when its generator 24___________ . This huge 25___________ in Queens started in the 26___________ of the flood. On Staten Island, the force 27_________ a boat on shore.
"Make no mistake about it, this was a devastating storm, maybe the worst we have ever experienced. Our 28________/ ____________ have been doing a heroic job, protecting our city and saving lives, and they are still fighting fires and conducting live saving search-and-rescue missions. And we owe them an enormous debt of gratitude".
Americans' nightmare has become real. On Manhattan's Lower East Side this morning, they are 29________/ _________ what happened.
It is a 30_______________ scene, cars 31__________ down the avenue by the force of the water, 32.__________ everywhere.
In Manhattan this morning, the 33_____________ waters rose once again.
This tunnel has been completely and 34_________ flooded, giving you some idea of the damage the Superstorm did and the massive 35_________ it is still causing.
New York's transport system is 36___________. There are no subways or buses and the flooded tunnels are closed. The 37_____________ floor is empty on Wall Street for a second day. Thousands are without power, the city is just beginning the 38__________ task of cleaning up. As the storm 39________ North, 40____________ New Yorkers are left waiting for the waters to 41___________. New York which 42___________ the 9/11 attacks must now recover from the 43__________ of the Superstorm.
The President held a news conference at the 44____________ of the American Red Cross in Washington.
"I want to emphasise, there are still risks of flooding, there are still risks of 45__________ power lines, risks of high winds, so it is very important for the public to continue to 46___________ the situation in your local community. Listen to your state and local 47____________, follow instructions. The better prepared individual families are for the situation, the easier it is for us to deal with it..."
KEY
1. misery
2. toll (death toll the number of people killed in an accident, a war, a disaster, etc. E.g. The death toll has now risen to 200.)
3. disabled (inoperative)
4. heads
5. clear-up (the process of removing rubbish and tidying things. E.g. a massive clear-up operation)
6. hard hit
7. briefings (the detailed instructions or information that are given at a meeting. E.g. Captain Trent gave his men a full briefing. A briefing session/paper.)
8. unleashing blizzard
Unleash /ʌnˈliːʃ / something (on/upon somebody/something) to suddenly let a strong force, emotion, etc. be felt or have an effect. Sp. soltar, desencadenar, desatar. E.g. The government's proposals unleashed a storm of protest in the press.
Blizzard: a snowstorm with very strong winds. Sp. ventisca, tormenta de nieve. E.g. blizzard conditions.
9. trail
10. seaboard (the part of a country that is along its coast. Litoral, costa. E.g. Australia's eastern seaboard)
11. sea surge (surge a sudden, strong forward or upward movement. Sp. ola, oleaje, oleada. E.g. a tidal surge)
12. claimed (claim something (of a disaster, an accident, etc.) to cause somebody's death. Sp. se cobró. E.g. The car crash claimed three lives.)
13. unprecedented /ʌnˈpresɪdentɪd/ that has never happened, been done or been known before.
E.g. The situation is unprecedented in modern times. There were unprecedented scenes of violence in the city's main square.
14. rallies (rally a large public meeting, especially one held to support a particular idea or political party. Sp mitin, concentración. E.g. to attend/hold a rally. A peace/protest, etc. rally.)
15. unleashed (Unleash /ʌnˈliːʃ / something (on/upon somebody/something) to suddenly let a strong force, emotion, etc. be felt or have an effect. Sp. soltar, desencadenar, desatar. E.g. The government's proposals unleashed a storm of protest in the press.)
16. made landfall
17. instant
18. scale (the size or extent of something. E.g. It was not until morning that the sheer scale of the damage could be seen (= how great it was).)
19. high tide
20. engulfed (engulf /ɪnˈɡʌlf/ to surround or to cover somebody/something completely. Sp. envolver, sepultar. E.g. He was engulfed by a crowd of reporters. The vehicle was engulfed in flames.)
21. site (a place where a building, town, etc. was, is or will be located. E.g. the site of a sixteenth century abbey. To work on a building/ construction site)
22. plunged into (to experience something unpleasant. E.g. The country plunged deeper into recession.)
23. fashion (in (a)… fashion: (formal) in a particular way. E.g. How could they behave in such a fashion? She was proved right, in dramatic fashion, when the whole department resigned.)
24. failed
25. blaze (a very large fire, especially a dangerous one)
26. aftermath (/ˈɑːftəmæθ/ the situation that exists as a result of an important (and usually unpleasant) event, especially a war, an accident, etc. Sp. tras, repercusiones. E.g. A lot of rebuilding took place in the aftermath of the war. The assassination of the Prime Minister and its immediate aftermath.
27. tossed (toss: to throw something lightly or carelessly. Sp. tirar, lanzar. E.g. I tossed the book aside and got up. He tossed the ball to Anna. He tossed Anna the ball.
28. first responders (a person such as a member of the police or fire department in a position to arrive first at an emergency, who has been trained to give basic medical treatment. E.g. first responder training. Citizen/ community first responders (= members of the public who have had special training for emergencies)
29. reeling from ( reel (at/from/with something) to feel very shocked or upset about something. E.g. I was still reeling from the shock. Sp. todavía no me había recuperado)
30. post-apocalyptic (apocalyptic /əˌpɒkəˈlɪptɪk/ describing very serious damage and destruction in past or future events. E.g. an apocalyptic view of history. Apocalyptic warnings of the end of society.)
31. swept (sweep somebody/something + adverb/preposition to move or push somebody/something suddenly and with a lot of force. Sp. arrastrar. E.g. The little boat was swept out to sea. Their tent was swept away in the storm. She let herself be swept along by the crowd.)
32. debris /ˈdeɪbriː/ /ˈdebriː/ pieces of wood, metal, brick, etc. that are left after something has been destroyed. Sp. escombros, restos. E.g. Emergency teams are still clearing the debris from the plane crash. Several people were injured by flying debris in the explosion.
33. swollen (swell, past swelled, p.p. swollen or swelled to increase or make something increase in number or size. E.g. Last year's profits were swelled by a fall in production costs.)
34. utterly (completely)
35. disruption (to make it difficult for something to continue in the normal way. E.g. Bus services will be disrupted tomorrow because of the bridge closure.)
36. paralysed
37. trading (the activity of buying and selling things. E.g. new laws on Sunday trading (= shops being open on Sundays). Supermarkets everywhere reported excellent trading in the run-up to Christmas. Shares worth $8 million changed hands during a day of hectic trading.)
38. arduous
39. bends (bend, bent, bent)
40. harrowed (distressed, upset and anxious. Looking as if you have suffered E.g. his face was harrowed)
41. recede (/rɪˈsiːd/ (to move gradually away from somebody or away from a previous position. Sp. retirarse, retroceder. The sound of the truck receded into the distance.She watched his receding figure.)
42. endured (endure /ɪnˈdjʊə(r)/ to experience and deal with something that is painful or unpleasant, especially without complaining. bear. Sp. soportar. E.g. The pain was almost too great to endure.)
43. wrath (/rɒθ/ /ræθ/ extreme anger)
44. headquarters (a place from which an organization or a military operation is controlled. Sp. sede, oficina central)
45. downed (down somebody/something to force somebody/something down to the ground. Sp. tumbar, derribar. E.g. to down a plane. Storms downed trees and power lines.
46. monitor (/ˈmɒnɪtə(r)/ to watch and check something over a period of time in order to see how it develops, so that you can make any necessary changes. Track. Sp. observar, seguir. E.g. Each student's progress is closely monitored)
47. officials (official /əˈfɪʃl/ a person who is in a position of authority in a large organization. E.g. a bank/company/court/government official)
Transcript
The misery and destruction of Superstorm Sandy continue as the death toll rises to more than 30. Buildings flooded, transport disabled and millions of dollars of damage. The storm heads north as the clear-up begins.
The State of New Jersey is particularly hard hit. Ahead of the visit there tomorrow, President Obama warns of more bad weather to come. "The storm is not yet over. We have briefings from the National Hurricane Centre, it is still moving north, there are still communities that could be affected."
Superstorm Sandy is now reported to be unleashing blizzard conditions over several American States after leaving a trail of damage and destruction on the eastern seaboard. Emergency teams have been dealing with fires, heavy rain, flooding and a massive sea surge.
Sandy has so far claimed at least 30 lives. New York and New Jersey suffered what local officials are calling unprecedented devastation. President Obama has declared a major disaster in New York and has cancelled another day of campaign rallies.
After 8 million people across the region began the day without power and it could be days before the situation returns to anything like normal.
The destructive power of the Superstorm unleashed after dark as Sandy made landfall. The flooding was instant, the scale shocking. The storm arrived with the high tide in New York Harbour, creating a surge of nearly 14 feet. Subways and tunnels flooded, the water engulfed the construction site at Ground Zero. Lower Manhattan was plunged into darkness. Electricity generators exploded in spectacular fashion. Many cars were damaged by falling trees, fell by the high winds.
Patients were evacuated from a hospital which lost power when its generator failed. This huge blaze in Queens started in the aftermath of the flood. More than 80 houses were destroyed by the fire. Incredibly only a few people were injured. On Staten Island, the force tossed a boat on shore.
"Make no mistake about it, this was a devastating storm, maybe the worst we have ever experienced. Our first responders have been doing a heroic job, protecting our city and saving lives, and they are still fighting fires and conducting live saving search-and-rescue missions. And we owe them an enormous debt of gratitude".
Americans woke up to find their nightmare proved all too real. On Manhattan's Lower East Side this morning, they are reeling from what happened. "It was like being paralysed because there is nothing you can do. The water is just going to come. You can't stop it. It is too strong. So you have to just stand there and let it happen."
It is a post-apocalyptic scene, cars swept down the avenue by the force of the water, debris everywhere. This woman cannot believe what she saw. "Here last night was hell. A lot of water, cars, like I said, floating all over, the transmissions blowing up."
Manhattan is unnaturally quiet today. A high tide this morning, the swollen waters rose once again.
This tunnel has been completely and utterly flooded, giving you some idea of the damage the Superstorm did and the massive disruption it is still causing.
New York's transport system is paralysed. No subways or buses, the flooded tunnels closed. The trading floor is empty on Wall Street for a second day. Thousands are without power, the city is just beginning arduous task of cleaning up. As the storm bends North, harrowed New Yorkers are left waiting for the waters to recede. The city which endured the 9/11 attacks must now recover from the wrath of the Superstorm.
President Obama held a news conference at the headquarters of the American Red Cross in Washington.
"It is not yet over. We have had briefings from the National Hurricane Centre, it is still moving north, there are still communities that could be affected. I want to emphasise, there are still risks of flooding, there are still risks of downed power lines, risks of high winds, so it is very important for the public to continue to monitor the situation in your local community. Listen to your state and local officials, follow instructions, the more you follow instructions, the easier it is for our first responders to make sure that they are dealing with true emergency situations. The better prepared individual families are for the situation, the easier it is for us to deal with it..."
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