With the storm expected to linger, the New York bourse house will be closed for a second day on Tuesday, after its shutdown on Monday, for the first time since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

As of 8 p.m. EDT (0100 GMT Tuesday), the National Hurricane Center's latest data showed the storm's maxim sustained winds were holding at about 130 kph and the storm was moving northwest at 37 kph.

Besides New York, the storm also hit other densely-populated eastern U.S. cities such as Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Citizens make their way along a flooded street  in New York. [CFP]