(CNN) -- States up and down the East Coast are bracing for Hurricane Sandy, which could make landfall anywhere between Maryland and Pennsylvania, according to the latest forecast map from the National Hurricane Center.
Here's a look at how coastal states are rushing to prepare for potentially devastating effects:
CONNECTICUT
Bus service in Connecticut will stay closed for the duration of the storm, Gov. Dan Malloy announced Sunday.
"Folks, this could be bad -- really bad," Malloy said, noting that forecasters are predicting 36 hours of sustained winds. "It could impact us in several ways and for a long period of time. Please take this as seriously as we are taking it."
Malloy said his state will have 400 National Guard troops ready to assist with recovery efforts as needed.
President Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency for Connecticut.
DELAWARE
Even before the center of Sandy ran aground, parts of the Delaware coast were already experiencing significant flooding.
"We're seeing more flooding than you normally do, and particularly since the storm's not here," Gov. Jack Markell said Sunday.
Earlier, the governor declared a "limited" state of emergency, meaning it doesn't order driving bans or business closures.
Markell ordered the evacuation of all coastal communities and a flood-prone area in southern Delaware.
Shelters opened beginning Sunday afternoon to accommodate those who have left their homes but have nowhere else to go, Markell said.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The city's mass transit system, known as the Metro, will stay idle on Monday.
Atlantic City, New Jersey, resident Kim Johnson inspects the area around her apartment building, which flooded on Tuesday, October 30. Large sections of an old boardwalk also were destroyed by Superstorm Sandy. Nearly 11,000 people spent Monday night in 258 Red Cross-operated shelters across 16 states because of Sandy, the American Red Cross tells CNN. View photos of New York recovering from impact.
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All of Washington's public schools will be closed Monday, Mayor Vincent Gray announced. "The district is preparing in earnest" for the storm's effects, which could include heavy rain, street flooding, strong winds, power outages, and storm-surge flooding along the Potomac River and its tributaries, Gray said.
All federal buildings in the district will be closed to the public Monday.
Obama declared a state of emergency in the District of Columbia on Sunday.
MAINE
The Maine Emergency Management Agency warned Sandy could create "significant problems" in the state, such as high surf, fierce winds and coastal erosion.
In anticipation of widespread power outages, Gov. Paul LePage signed a "limited emergency declaration" so power crews from other states and Canada can help the state prepare for Sandy. The declaration also extends the hours that power company crews can drive.
MASSACHUSETTS
Gov. Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency for the Bay State.
Hoping to avoid the kind of criticism utilities received after last year's Hurricane Irene and other storms, Patrick said utilities plan to pair tree removal and power restoration crews -- rather than having them work separately -- so that work can be done more efficiently.
The city of Boston announced that schools will be closed Monday.
Obama also declared a state of emergency for Massachusetts.
MARYLAND
Like several neighboring states, Maryland could see as much as a foot of rain in some areas -- a major reason the state has declared a state of emergency.
Besides flooding, strong winds are expected to cause significant power outages. The Baltimore Gas and Electric Company, for instance, says several hundred thousand customers could be affected.
Public schools in Baltimore, Montgomery and Prince George's County will be closed Monday.
In the coastal city of Annapolis, city crews distributed sandbags to residents and businesses to help them prepare for flooding.
President Obama declared a state of emergency in Maryland on Sunday.
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NEW HAMPSHIRE
Sandy could bring winds of up to 60 mph and dump 2 and 4 inches of rain to parts of the Granite State -- likely starting Monday, Gov. John Lynch's office said.
"While the exact path and severity of the storm remain uncertain, it is clear New Hampshire will experience a significant weather event and I urge everyone to be prepared," Lynch said.
NEW JERSEY
New Jersey was the first to announce mandatory evacuations. The state's barrier islands from Sandy Hook south to Cape May must be cleared out, along with Atlantic City's casinos.
"We have to prepare for the worst here," Gov. Chris Christie said. Tolls have been suspended on the northbound Garden State Parkway and the westbound Atlantic City Expressway so people in those areas can leave more quickly, he said.
All state offices will be closed on Monday, with only essential employees expected to report to work, Christie announced.
New Jersey Transit came to a halt and will remain suspended indefinitely.
NEW YORK
New York City's ubiquitous public transit system shut down ahead of Sandy's landfall, leaving iconic sites such as Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station empty.
The city expects a slow surge of water to flood low-lying areas such as Queens, the Bronx and Battery Park in Manhattan, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.
Mandatory evacuations are in place for parts of New York City. Evacuation centers have been opened in 76 locations, and schools in the city are closed Monday.
Offices at United Nations headquarters in Manhattan also will be closed Monday, as will the physical trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Operations will continue on the company's electronic exchange.
The Broadway League canceled all Broadway performances Monday night, citing the suspension of public transportation.
Instead of tourists and theater fans, piles of sandbags lined Broadway.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo directed Army and Air National Guard members to mobilize for Sandy, and Obama has declared a state of emergency for New York.
NORTH CAROLINA
Strong winds and rain that fell sideways lashed the Outer Banks as the outskirts of Sandy pummeled the barrier islands.
Forecast expect between 4 and 7 inches of rain to fall over several days in the Outer Banks, with some spots receiving 8 or more inches.
PENNSYLVANIA
Gov. Tom Corbett declared a statewide disaster emergency ahead of the storm, Corbett's office said.
Flooding, power outages and sustained high winds are anticipated, his office said. Sandy could even bring snow to parts of southwestern Pennsylvania and in higher elevations.
"Essentially, this is a hurricane wrapped in a nor'easter," Corbett said.
Public schools in Philadelphia will be closed on Monday.
Public transportation in the Philadelphia area has been suspended.
RHODE ISLAND
The Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency urged all residents to prepare for prolonged power outages, wind damage and water damage by keeping an emergency kit, securing property and taking boats out of the water.
State authorities have taken precautions such as checking and clearing drains in flood-prone areas and relocating state equipment if necessary.
Public schools in Providence, the state capital, will be closed Monday.
Obama has declared a state of emergency for Rhode Island.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Radar showed heavy rains from the fringes of Sandy pelting much of South Carolina's coast, from Charleston to Myrtle Beach.
The Palmetto State is expected to avoid a direct hit from the storm, which is expected to make landfall well to the north.
VIRGINIA
Virginia was one of several states to declare a state of emergency ahead of the storm. Computer models predict parts of the state could see as much as a foot of rain.
Sandbags piled up inside restaurants in the Old Town section of Alexandria, along the banks of the Potomac River.
The Virginia National Guard was authorized to bring as many as 500 personnel onto active duty.
All public schools in Fairfax County, a large school district in northern Virginia, will be closed Monday and Tuesday. Schools in Arlington, Norfolk, and Newport will be closed on Monday.
CNN's George Howell, Athena Jones, Greg Botelho and Melissa Gray contributed to this report.
Cars float in a flooded parking area on Tuesday in the financial district of New York.
A power line knocked over by a falling tree blocks a street on Tuesday in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
Waves break next to an apartment building in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Tuesday.
Workers shovel debris from the streets in Ocean City, Maryland, on Tuesday.
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter flies over Central Park in New York City.
A man jogs near a darkened Manhattan skyline on Tuesday after much of New York City lost electricity.
Workers clear a tree blocking East 96th Street in Central Park in New York on Tuesday.
Rising water rushes into an underground parking garage in New York's financial district on Monday, October 29.
Taxis drive down a New York street where the power was out late Monday, October 29.
A firefighter speaks to a colleague while surveying damage caused by Sandy on Monday in New York.
Flooded cars line the streets of New York's financial district Monday night.
A truck drives by a flooded gas station in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn on Monday.
A flooded street is seen at nightfall during the storm on Monday in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Firefighters evaluate an apartment building in New York that had the front wall collapse during the storm on Monday.
Heavy rains fall in Manhattan on Monday.
People walk through water on the beach near high tide Monday as Sandy approaches Atlantic City.
Two men run down Foster Avenue while dodging high winds and waves from the storm on Monday in Marshfield, Massachusetts.
An emergency vehicle plows through floodwaters on Monday in Dewey Beach, Delaware.
A person tries to cross the street during the storm on Monday in Atlantic City.
A traffic sign warns motorists west of Philadelphia on Monday.
A wall of water makes its way to shore as residents brave the storm Monday in Ocean City, Maryland.
A downed tree and fallen power lines lie over homes Monday on Harvard Street in Garden City, New York.
Two people shoot video along Brooklyn Heights' Promenade on Monday as Sandy approaches landfall.
Work crews push sand from a roadway in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, due to storm surge related to flooding on Monday.
Two women battle wind and rain with umbrellas in hand in Philadelphia on Monday.
Kira Brizill leads family members as high tide and winds flood the street on Monday in Freeport, New York.
John Edgecombe II, who is homeless, takes refuge from the rain and wind at a bus stop in Ward Circle in Washington on Monday.
Superstorm Sandy dumped a lot of rain, flooding a part of Greenpoint, Brooklyn
A Pennsylvania Department of Transportation truck slowly drives on the Pennsylvania Turnpike as Sandy approaches Bensalem, Pennsylvania, on Monday.
Buses at Frankford terminal in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, sit idle after Mayor Michael Nutter ordered that all city offices be closed Monday and Tuesday due to potential damage from Sandy.
A woman walks down the promenade along the East River in New York City on Monday.
Jillian Webb, left, and Arianna Corso are pelted by wind and sand on Lighthouse Beach in Chatham, Massachusetts, on Monday.
Waves slam into the sea wall in Scituate, Massachusetts, on Monday.
Chris Losordo carries his father, Vin, across a flooded road in Falmouth, Massachusetts, on Monday.
A repair truck drives down a flooded street in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Monday.
Superstorm Sandy dumped a lot of rain on West Side Highway in Manhattan, NY.
Floodwaters cover the streets of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Monday.
Multiple waves hit the Cooper's Beach in Southampton, N.Y.
Waves crash against a previously damaged pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey, as Hurricane Sandy approaches landfall on Monday.
High winds broke part of a crane boom on this building under construction in Manhattan, causing several nearby buildings to be evacuated.
An emergency vehicle drives down Cape May, New Jersey's flooded Ocean Avenue on Monday.
A young boy runs along Rockaway Beach in the Queens, New York, on Monday.
A woman examines her storm-damaged porch as heavy rain continues to pour in Winthrop, Massachusetts, on Monday.
A lone figure makes his way down Seventh Street in Lindenhurst, New York, on Monday.
People brave high winds and waves in Winthrop, Massachusetts, as Hurricane Sandy moves up the coast on Monday.
A tree felled by the storm blocks Kramer Drive in Lindenhurst, New York, on Monday.
Waves crash over a street in Winthrop, Massachusetts, as Hurricane Sandy comes up the coast on Monday.
A police vehicle drives through a flooded area in New York on Monday.
The New York skyline is seen from the bank of the East River on Monday.
People walk on the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland, on Monday.
A man stands on the beach as heavy waves pound the shoreline Monday in Cape May, New Jersey.
The dome of the U.S. Capitol building is seen through a window as heavy rain hits Washington on Monday.
A member of the press takes a photo of a flooded street on Monday in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
A man takes a picture of the storm with his phone from the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland, on Monday.
A man stands on the sidewalk Monday as a vehicle drives up a flooded street in Atlantic City.
The Hudson River comes over the sea wall along the West Side Promenade in the Battery Park area in New York on Monday.
The owner of the Wilton House locks up his bar on Monday in Hoboken, New Jersey, as Hurricane Sandy approaches the area.
Two people stand near the edge of the boardwalk on Monday in Ocean City, Maryland.
People fight against the wind along Brighton Beach in New York on Monday.
A jogger runs along the East River in New York on Monday as a police car secures the area.
A man watches as the tidal surge pounds a pier in Ocean City, Maryland, on Monday.
A street on the shoreline of Milford, Connecticut, floods at high tide as Hurricane Sandy approaches on Monday.
A sailboat smashes on the rocks after breaking free from its mooring on City Island, New York, on Monday.
A lone tourist stands in Times Square early Monday as New Yorkers brace against Hurricane Sandy.
A satellite image taken at 12:25 p.m. ET Monday shows Sandy moving over the Northeast.
A restaurant on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, is boarded up in preparation for the bad weather on Monday.
A man walks down a flooded street in Atlantic City on Monday before the hurricane makes landfall.
Tourists wear plastic ponchos in Times Square on Monday.
Air Force One arrives at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. President Barack Obama canceled his appearance at a campaign rally in Orlando, Florida, and returned to Washington to monitor the response to Hurricane Sandy.
A road leading to casinos in Atlantic City is empty before the hurricane makes landfall on Monday.
Obama steps off Air Force One on Monday after arriving at Andrews Air Force Base.
A truck moves north on South Long Beach Avenue as rising water and wind ahead of Hurricane Sandy flood the area on Monday in Freeport, New York. The storm, which threatens 50 million people in the eastern third of the United States, is expected to bring days of rain, high wind and, in places, heavy snow.
An overhead sign on the Southern Parkway alerts motorists to road closings in Wantagh, New York, on Monday.
A truck fights its way through water on a road in Southampton, New York, on Monday.
Andy Becica watches the heavy surf from Hurricane Sandy wash in Monday at Cape May, New Jersey. The full force of Hurricane Sandy is expected to hit the New Jersey coastline later Monday.
Water forced ashore ahead of the hurricane starts to flood Beach Avenue in Cape May on Monday morning.
A tattered piece of a billboard blows in the wind Monday in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Water floods a street in Atlantic City.
An ambulance maneuvers through water on Rockaway Beach Boulevard in Queens as the weather sours Monday in New York City.
People pose for pictures on the Brooklyn Bridge on Monday.
A wave crashes over the bow of a tugboat in New York Harbor on Monday.
Cape May Lighthouse shines over the heavy surf.
Dark clouds cover the skyline of Manhattan early Monday.
A satellite image shows Hurricane Sandy at 8:25 a.m. ET Monday. Forecasters warned that Sandy was likely to collide with a cold front and spawn a "superstorm" that could generate flash floods, snowstorms and massive power outages.
People stand on the beach watching the heavy surf caused by the approaching hurricane on Sunday in Cape May.
Sean Doyle of Levittown and Andrew Hodgson of Hicksville pull their boat from Long Island Sound on Sunday at Oyster Bay, New York.
With Hurricane Sandy approaching, the Long Island Railroad announced the suspension of service at 7 p.m. Sunday in Hicksville, New York.
Lisa Cellucci holds her umbrella as it is blown backward by Hurricane Sandy's winds as her friend Kim Vo watches on Sunday in Cape May.
People look at the surf as high winds and heavy rain from Hurricane Sandy arrive in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on Sunday.
A construction worker covers air vents Sunday to try to prevent the New York subway system from flooding by Hurricane Sandy. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a shutdown and suspension of all subway, bus and commuter rail service in response to the storm.
Residents of Long Beach, New York, fill sandbags on Sunday in preparation for the storm.
A satellite image from 10:10 a.m. ET on Sunday shows Hurricane Sandy in the Atlantic Ocean grazing the East Coast.
A man surfs at Rockaway Beach in Queens as Hurricane Sandy approaches Sunday.
Scott Davenport brings plywood to cover the windows at the Trump Plaza casino on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Sunday.
Bob Kaege takes a measurement while boarding up a shop in Cold Spring, New Jersey, on Saturday as Marie Jadick speaks on the telephone getting an updated weather report in preparation for Hurricane Sandy.
Houses are flooded in the neighborhood of La Javilla in Santo Domingo, the capital of Dominican Republic, on Friday.
Residents watch firefighters battle a blaze in Kingston, Jamaica, on Friday. The fire, which destroyed the home, was started by a faulty generator that was triggered when Sandy caused a blackout, firefighters said.
A motorcyclist rides through a flooded street Friday in Petit-Goâve, Haiti, where three overflowing rivers put homes and farms under water.
Corey Hutterli works on securing his sailboat as the outer bands of Hurricane Sandy are felt in Miami Beach, Florida, on Thursday, October 25.
A woman stands at the entrance of her house surrounded by flood water after heavy rain in Santo Domingo on Thursday.
People walk on a flooded street after Hurricane Sandy hit Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Thursday.
Burt Myrich boards up a home in preparation for Hurricane Sandy on Saturday in Cape May, New Jersey.
A woman peers out the door of her house Thursday after it was damaged by Hurricane Sandy in Bayamo, Cuba.
A man clears debris from his house on Thursday. It was demolished by Hurricane Sandy in Santiago de Cuba.
Residents in Bayamo, Cuba, try to fix a house damaged by hurricane Sandy on Thursday.
A U.N. peacekeeper on Thursday stands at the edge of a bridge that was washed away by heavy rains from Hurricane Sandy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
A house ruined by heavy flooding from Hurricane Sandy sits abandoned in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Thursday.
Men deal with downed tree branches after heavy rain caused by Hurricane Sandy in Kingston, Jamaica, on Wednesday, October 24.
Students walk in floodwater from Hurricane Sandy's rain in Santo Domingo on Wednesday.
Citizens of Bayamo, Cuba, buy food on Wednesday, as they prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Sandy.
Waves hit the coast in Santo Domingo on Wednesday.
Citizens of Bayamo talk on the sidewalk on Wednesday.
People in Bayamo hold umbrellas as they purchase food Wednesday before the arrival of the hurricane.
Jamaicans shelter themselves from the rain of approaching Hurricane Sandy as they walk along the Hope River on Wednesday.
The Hope River begins to swell with rain from approaching Hurricane Sandy in Kingston on Wednesday.
Houses sit along the Hope River in Kingston on Wednesday.
A satellite view shows Hurricane Sandy's position on Wednesday.
