Officials’ Warning on Sandy: “Don’t Be Stupid.”

NEW YORK (ABC) — Tens of thousands of people in coastal areas have been ordered to evacuate their homes before Hurricane Sandy pounds the eastern third of the United States with life-threatening storm surges, forceful winds and rainfall that could cripple transportation and leave millions without power. “Don’t be stupid. Get out and go to higher, safer ground,” New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said today. “Let’s get to work on this. We know how to do this. We’ve been through this before.” States of emergency were declared from North Carolina to Connecticut. Coastal communities in Delaware were ordered to evacuate by 8 p.m. tonight. As of 5 p.m. EST today, Sandy was moving toward the northeast at nearly 15mph, slightly faster than it was measured earlier today. It is expected to take a turn to the north and then northwest, bringing the center of the nearly 900-mile storm to be near the mid-Atlantic coast Monday night. Sandy is expected to bring potentially life-threatening storm surges on the coast ranging from several feet to potentially as high as 11-feet in the Long Island Sound area of New York, said Rick Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center. Click here for complete coverage from ABC News.