Sandy continues to wreak havoc ...

... some residents still shun evacuation orders

FRAMINGHAM, Massachussetts (AP):

Hurricane Sandy lashed Massachusetts with strong winds and heavy surf yesterday, prompting evacuations in some coastal areas and leaving thousands without power.

Public transportation ground to a halt in the Boston area and flights out of Logan International Airport were few. Wind gusts of up to 75 mph were expected on Cape Cod and flooding was a concern along much of the state's shoreline.

A mandatory evacuation was ordered in the Bliss Corner neighbourhood of Dartmouth, and voluntary evacuations were suggested in other coastal communities including parts of Scituate, New Bedford, Lynn and Plum Island.

But most residents, like Tom and Lesley Chamberlain of Scituate, were reluctant to leave their seaside homes, even as the storm surge lapped at the base of a stair leading to their back door.

"The only thing that would make us leave is if the water got in the door," Tom Chamberlain said.

Full Caption: Richard Thomas walks through the flood waters in front of his home after assisting neighbours as Hurricane Sandy bears down on the East Coast yesterday in Fenwick Island, Delaware. Forecasters warned that the New York City region could face the worst of Hurricane Sandy as it bore down on the US East Coast's largest cities yesterday, forcing the shutdown of financial markets and mass transit, sending coastal residents fleeing and threatening high winds, rain and a wall of water up to 11 feet (3.35 metres) tall. It could endanger up to 50 million people for days. - AP