All flights canceled at Philadelphia airport
All flights in and out of Philadelphia International Airport Monday have been canceled, the airport has announced, adding to a long list of Hurricane Sandy-related closures.
All flights in and out of Philadelphia International Airport Monday have been canceled, the airport has announced, adding to a long list of Hurricane Sandy-related closures.
Meanwhile, power outages at the Shore have been reported as caravans of utility trucks are rolling north on I-95 from as far south as North Carolina.
Atlantic County officials instituted a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew on the barrier islands and banned travel on all county and municipal roadways effective at midnight.
Camden County proclaimed a local emergency at 5 p.m., restricting roadways to use by emergency and other essential vehicles.
SEPTA plans to suspend Philadelphia-area bus, trolley, subway and regional rail service 12:30 a.m. Monday as Sandy threatens the region with high winds and flood-inducing rains.
Philadelphia public schools also announced they will be closed on Monday. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is closing schools Monday and Tuesday.
On Amtrak, all Acela Express, Northeast Regional, Keystone and Shuttle services for trains originating on Monday will be suspended, officials said.
Riding PATCO won't be available for commuters hoping to travel between South Jersey and Philadelphia either. That service is being suspended early Monday morning.
On Sunday afternoon, Gov. Corbett declared a state of emergency for Pennsylvania, as forecasters warned of Sandy making possible landfall just north of Atlantic City. In New Jersey, all nonessential state employees have been directed to stay home Monday.
That was the directive Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter gave to most city government employees Sunday for Monday. He also urged city residents to stay off the streets.
The Liberty Bell and other tourist options also will be off-limits. Closings include the Independence Visitor Center, Fairmount Park Welcome Center, City Hall Visitor Center and Sister Cities Park Visitor Center.
All major malls in the area will be closed Monday.
City and suburban officials throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware warned residents near flood-prone rivers to evacuate and urged those near bodies of water that typically don't flood to be on alert.
In Delaware County, the courthouse in Media, all district dourts and the Government Center will be closed Monday and Tuesday with one exception. The county Election Bureau will be open Monday and Tuesday as the deadline to receive absentee ballot applications is 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Emergency shelters in Philadelphia opened at 4 p.m. Sunday.
The University of Pennsylvania has suspended classes on Monday and Tuesday, so has the Community College of Philadelphia, Temple University, and Drexel University, among others.
Just about all suburban school districts have canceled classes on Monday and Tuesday.
The Camden County libraries will be closed on Monday.
"Suspending our service in the face of an unprecedented storm is in the best interest of the safety of our customers and employees," said Joseph M. Casey, SEPTA's general manager. "This will also protect our vehicles and infrastructure from damage and allow us to return to service as soon as possible."
SEPTA expects the service to remain suspended through Monday.
Staff writers Maria Panaritis and Linda Loyd contributed to this article.