A traffic cone sits on a section of Route 9 that is submerged in flood waters in Absecon, New Jersey, October 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy began battering the U.S. East Coast on Monday with fierce winds and driving rain, as the monster storm shut down transportation, shuttered businesses and sent thousands scrambling for higher ground hours before the worst was due to strike. REUTERS/Tom Mihalek (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENVIRONMENT TRANSPORT)