WATCH ABOVE: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio pulled no punches during a Monday afternoon press conference, telling reporters and New Yorkers that the coming winter storm “will most likely be one of the largest blizzards in the history of New York City.”
TORONTO – “This could be a storm the likes of which we have never seen before. Don’t underestimate this storm. Prepare for the worst.”
That was the call from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Sunday as news of a massive — potentially historic — snowstorm heading for the U.S. Northeast and parts of Atlantic Canada spread. And people listened.
LIVE BLOG: Eastern U.S., Canada preparing for potentially dangerous blizzard
Grocery stores, gas stations and big box home improvement centres were quickly inundated with people stocking up on food and supplies. Social media sites like Twitter were soon filled with images of empty shelves and long lines.
The storm, which is expected to begin Monday night, could dump upwards of three feet of snow in some areas.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency Monday afternoon, asking for New Yorkers to leave work early if possible.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm.
WATCH: New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declares a state of emergency as region prepares for “historic” blizzard
Environment Canada has issued weather warnings for P.E.I., Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, saying blizzard conditions with poor visibility are expected overnight Monday and into Tuesday.
It says snow will be heavy overnight with northeast winds gusting up to 90 kilometres an hour.
The storm is expected to bring up to 30 centimetres of snow to the Maritimes.
-With files from The Canadian Press
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