NBC4 in New York reported a 30-year-old man died when a tree fell on his home.
The skyscraper's crane toppled around 2 p.m. ET Monday, authorities said. Meteorologists told the AP that winds atop the 74-story building could have been close to 95 mph. Tony Sclafani, the city's Buildings Department spokesman, said engineer and inspection teams were planning to hike 74 flights of stairs to examine the crane, according to the AP.
Bloomberg had said early Monday that all cranes had been checked for safety, but during an update later Monday the collapse's cause was unclear.
"It's conceivable that nobody did anything wrong and there was no malfunction, it was just a strange gust of wind," Bloomberg said.
The building was described by the New York Times as a global billionaire's club because all full-floor units were sold to billionaires, including two units for $90 million apiece.
In Brooklyn, a Yahoo News editor in Williamsburg reported East River flooding near the Williamsburg bridge, which was closed down Monday afternoon. New York officials closed all East River bridges, officials said.
Salt water flooding posed significant threats to the utility grid and public transportation, Kelly said on CNN. Some utilities have begun strategically powering down communities in the New York City area.
WABC Eyewitness News reporter Kemberly Richardson reported water began pouring over the seawall in Lower Manhattan, flooding South Street.
In New Jersey, which is expected to see the eye of the storm hit around the Atlantic City area, Governor Chris Christie said communities that did not heed official warnings to evacuate were essentially on their own until the morning.
During a press conference, Christie said he could not in good faith send first responders to rescue individuals who made irresponsible choices.
