Hurricane Sandy: From the Streets of New York
Taxis from a cab rental agency beneath the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge in Queen were some of the hundreds of cabs not being dispatched on Monday. By 2 p.m. two major tunnels were closed. Bridges were being closed to traffic toward evening as the storm gusts strengthened. Angelo Young

The first Hurricane Sandy death was reported in Queens, N.Y., Monday evening. The unidentified man was found dead in his home.

NBC 4 New York reported the 31-year-old man was found dead in his home just after 7 p.m., trapped as a tree fell onto his house.

According to CNBC's Twitter, the man lived in 166th Street in Queens. No other details have been reported.

Low-lying Sea Gate, Brooklyn, has been hit especially hard. According to the Twitter of the Central Hatzalah EMS ambulance corps, 20 peopare trapped due to Hurricane Sandy and surging waters that reached up to six stories. The Office of Emergency Management has sent boats to rescue the trapped individuals.

Throughout New York there have been reports of power outages in Manhattan, downed trees, power lines and transformers have been exploding due to trees falling into them and high winds. The exploding transformers have led to several fires.

On Eighth Avenue in Chelsea, an apartment building's facade was ripped off, reports NBC. There were no reported injuries from the facade collapse.

According to CNBC, Whitehall Street and Pearl Street, located in the Financial District, were underwater, along with the Staten Island Ferry Terminal.

A second Hurricane Sandy-related death was reported just after 8:40 p.m. in Connecticut. The victim was a firefighter in Easton. According to a 911 Operator's Twitter, a tree fell on the firefighter's truck. The firefighter was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Hurricane Sandy has just made landfall and experts are predicting heavy winds and more damage in the next hour. Officials urge everyone to remain indoors.

The office of New York Governor Andrew Cumo has reported five Hurricane Sandy-related deaths in New York, according to The Wall Street Journal.