State of Emergency

A rare Halloween hurricane swept north Sunday across the eastern seaboard.

The storm is expected to reach Vermont and other parts of northern New England on Monday.

Hurricane Sandy was on a collision course with a winter storm and a cold front. Officials expected the freak combination storm to wreak havoc over 800 miles from the East Coast to the Great Lakes.

Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin on Sunday declared a state of emergency. The declaration gives Vermont access to National Guard troops and federal emergency response funds if needed. State officials braced for widespread power outages.

The National Weather Service predicted sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph and gusts of more than 60 mph. A high wind warning for the entire north country was in effect from 2 p.m. Monday through 11 a.m. Tuesday. A flood watch was in effect beginning Monday evening, but the chief meteorologist in Burlington told Vermont Public Radio that the storm likely won’t rival last year’s Tropical Storm Irene.

Amtrak cancelled all service north of New York Sunday evening and planned to cancel nearly all service along the Eastern Seaboard starting Monday.