People walk through water on the beach near the time of high tide as Hurricane Sandy approaches October 29, 2012 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Hurricane Sandy drove a deadly tidal surge into coastal cities along the eastern US coast and pushed storm-force winds, torrential rain and heavy snow deep inland. AFP /STAN HONDA
ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey — Mega-storm Sandy made landfall along the coast of New Jersey late Monday, bringing hurricane-force winds and heavy rains to a wide swathe of the US East Coast, officials said.
Maximum sustained winds weakened on landfall to 80 miles (130 kilometers) per hour but were still hurricane-strength, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said, adding that the eye of the storm struck near Atlantic City.