桑迪颶風造成至少45人死亡奧巴馬將視察災區

U.S. President Barack Obama will visit the storm-battered state of New Jersey Wednesday as residents struggle to recover from one of the worst natural disasters ever to hit the region.

Mr. Obama and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie-- a Democrat and Republican normally at odds with one another -- are expected to view the damage together and thank emergency workers for their efforts. On Tuesday Christie praised the Obama administration for what he said is an "outstanding" response to the powerful storm, Sandy.

A vast army of rescue and utility workers are now confronting the wreckage from Sandy, which has killed at least 45 people in North America. The storm hit the New Jersey shore late Monday as a powerful tropical storm, causing massive flooding, raging fires and power outages that crippled the New York metropolitan area.

The president has declared "major disasters" in New York and New Jersey, freeing up federal funds aimed at offsetting billions of dollars in East Coast property damage.

Trading at the New York Stock Exchange is expected to reopen Wednesday, after being closed Monday and Tuesday -- the first time since 1888 that trading has been suspended two days in a row because of weather.奧巴馬總統星期三將前往遭到桑迪颶風蹂躪的新澤西州。桑迪颶風是新澤西州自有記錄以來所遭受的最大自然災害之一，目前當地居民正在努力救災。

預計奧巴馬和新澤西州州長克里斯蒂將一道視察災情，並感謝緊急救援人員做出的努力。星期二，克里斯蒂讚揚奧巴馬政府對桑迪颶風做出了“傑出的”反應。奧巴馬是民主黨人，而克里斯蒂是共和黨人，通常兩人都是意見相左。

目前大批救援人員和公共設施工人正在應對桑迪颶風造成的破壞。這場風暴在北美地區造成至少45人死亡。星期一晚間，新澤西州沿海地區遭到猛烈的熱帶風暴侵襲，導致了大面積的水災、猛烈的大火以及讓整個大紐約地區癱瘓的斷電。

奧巴馬總統宣佈東北部的紐約和新澤西兩州爲“重災區”。當地的低窪地區因風暴而遭水淹，建築物和基礎設施受損。桑迪還造成大面積斷電。

白宮星期二宣佈紐約和新澤西爲重災區後，撥出了旨在抵銷東海岸的財產損失數十億美元的聯邦資金。奧巴馬總統在星期二的白宮記者會上誓言，將向受災嚴重的地區提供更多資源。

星期二，紐約證券交易所連續第二天閉市。自從1888年以來，這是紐約證券交易所首次由於天氣原因而連續兩天休市。紐約證券交易所星期三將恢復正常運營。