Halloween 2012: NYC Parade Canceled, Aftermath Of Hurricane Sandy
The Village Halloween Parade in New York City on Oct. 31 was canceled for the first time in 39 years due to the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.
The parade, which begins every year at 7 p.m. on Seventh Ave in Lower Manhattan and is attended by thousands of tourists and New York residents, was canceled and will not be rescheduled for this year, organizers said on Tuesday.
"For the first time in our 39 year history, the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management and the New York Police Department have canceled the parade," according to a statement posted on the parade's official website. "We hope that everyone who would have come to the parade is safe, and that those who can volunteer to help out at one of the Emergency Outreach Centers near you."
Subway systems remain closed in New York, leaving limited bus services the only way for residents to get around town. Buses began running on limited services starting 5 p.m. on Sunday but many bridges and tunnels still remain closed. Flooding in subway systems forces many Manhattan visitors, and those will offices or businesses in the city, to stay at home or find alternative ways of making the commute.
The annual ING New York Marathon is still expected to take place on Sunday though, which leaves plenty of time for Hurricane Sandy cleanup. The storm left many homes flooded, without power and numbers of injuries and damages occurred from fallen trees.
"New York Road Runners is carefully monitoring Hurricane Sandy and its possible impact on the marathon and Race Week events. At this time, we anticipate no changes to any of our public events," according to a statement posted on the marathon's website.
The 20,000 runners will meet at The Jacob Javits Center to pick up their numbers and the race will begin in Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island and finish in Manhattan's Central Park.
