Hurricane-Causes and Effects New York City mayor Micheal Bloomberg earlier ordered an unprecedented evacuation of around 2,50,000 people from the city’s low lying areas while tens of thousands are fleeing homes and vacation spots along the east coast. The densely populated corridor, home to more than 65 million people is under the threat of flooding, storm surges, power outages and destruction. The storm has forced US president Barack Obama to return early from his summer holiday. “If you are in the projected path of this hurricane you have to take precautions now,” he said.