Its a rare sight for New York City... flooded streets in lower Manhattan as one of the worst storms in history hits the eastern U.S.

Damage from super storm Sandy is inundating the Big Apple-- the subway has been closed, power stations shut down, and hospitals are running on generators.

And the damage continues up and down the east coast.

In Connecticut, massive waves crash over the sea wall and onto the streets.

And in parts of Virginia, firefighters continue to urge residents to evacuate.

The storm has left 5 and a half million people across a dozens states without power.

At least 12 people have been killed so far, but that number could rise.

One company estimated damages could reach $20 billion.

The massive storm, while not technically a hurricane, still sustained 80 mile an hour winds and is being considered one of the largest storms in U.S. history.