Over 9,000 flights have been cancelled, subways are closed, people have emptied grocery stores, boarded up their windows, and generators have been purchased. Hurricane Sandy is bringing the wind, predicted to reach upwards of eighty miles per hour by tonight. Damage has already begun, starting from North Carolina and moving up through Maine. The worst hits will most likely be made in Delaware, New Jersey, and New York, but even Chicago will see a weather change due to this storm. Below is a comparison of Hurricane Irene and Hurricane Sandy that puts things into perspective. See the difference? Yeah, me too.

I’m pretty sure every news source known to man is on permanent watch of this storm (yes, including BBC), so if you’re in need of updates, they won’t be hard to find. TIME has been doing a great job of keeping us updated with photos, and there is even a website called Instacane.com that is giving us a picture of the storm through Instagram photos.

Sending our thoughts and prayers for safety and peace of mind to everyone in the eye of the storm.

(Photo credits: Gothamist & TIME)