Nina Mehlhaf shows destruction from Sandy

As Superstorm Sandy leaves death and destruction in its wake, thousands of travelers are still stuck Wednesday, including Newschannel 21’s Nina Mehlhaf.

On Monday, we told you how Nina and her mother were unable to get out of New York City and had to hunker down in their hotel during the storm. She says she’s hoping to get on a flight back to Oregon on Thursday.

After days stuck inside, Nina showed us with cell phone video that many New Yorkers are back in action, packing the streets and getting back to business.

“Two days after Sandy hit New York City, and you can still see that crane that I was so worried about, dangling from the top of that building,” Nina said.

“Today, crews are trying to figure out what alternatives they have to get that crane safely down. It’s still causing a lot of people to stop and take photos, and it’s still quite the attraction, with all those blocks shut down for safety.”

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced late Wednesday afternoon that the ties binding the crane tower to the building are now secure.

But throughout the East Coast, damage is extraordinary — piles of wood where houses once stood, and boats washed ashore on the streets, others toppled by the surging ocean water or buried in sand.

“Check out some of the other damage that Sandy left behind,” Nina said, showing video of fallen trees in the Big Apple. “You can see we’re here at Central Park where trees have fallen down, but this is really nothing compared to the rest of the damage in the park.”

Flooded subways are pushing people to the sidewalks, walking to their destinations and packing the city.

“The other big nightmare today — check it out, this is Columbus Park,” Nina showed us. “The subways and tunnel systems are shut down, and town cars are upping their fares and cabs are slammed. Buses are so full, that they’re not even stopping at certain stops for folks.”

Some good news though; Several airports have opened up. Nina is supposed to fly out of Newark, New Jersey on Thursday, but she’s been told to call the airline to confirm her flight status, and show up hours before take off.

While hundreds of people are stuck waiting it out in the terminal, Nina is hoping she’s not one of them and can come back home to Central Oregon.

For more updates on Nina’s experience in New York and her path home, you can follow her on Twitter. Her Twitter handle is @NinaMehlhaf.