Storm leaves at least 43 dead, billions in damage across eastern US

Superstorm Sandy has left a trail of destruction across the US east coast, killing at least 45 people and leaving huge swathes of New York City without power and under water.

New York was the hardest hit and has been declared a disaster zone, with the storm causing the worst damage ever to the city's subway system, which is 108 years old.

New York banks and two of the world's largest equity markets, the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Market, were shut for a second day after the storm lashed New York, crippling the global financial hub's crucial transportation services.

Initial estimates by economists point to the superstorm causing a total of US$10 to $20 billion in damage. Including the money which will be spent for rebuilding, losses to the total economy could hit $30-50 billion.

The Category 1 storm made landfall in New Jersey on Monday evening in the US (Tuesday morning in Singapore), cutting power to more than 8.2 million homes.

Packing hurricane-force winds of around 140km/h, Sandy drove a deadly tidal surge into coastal cities and pushed torrential rain and heavy snow deep inland.

The death toll from the megastorm in the US included many people killed by falling trees. Sandy also killed 69 people in the Carribean before making its way up the eastern seaboard.

Emergency services are now fanning out to rescue hundreds and help with the massive clean up and relief effort.

Click through the photo gallery to see images of the aftermath of the superstorm as well as pictures as it rolled across the US yesterday.