NEW YORK — Pounding rain, strong winds and a dead Times Square are what I’ve been seeing outside my window at the InterContinental Hotel in New York City. The skies are gray and the only cars around belong to the New York Police Department.

People seem frightened. All major franchises have been closed, and it’s rare to find an open business. The only stores open are locally owned, striving for any kind of profits they can get. Modes of transportation are few. The subway systems have been shut down and none of the buses are running. All Broadway plays have been canceled because the actors don’t have a way of getting to their theaters.

The city that never sleeps has turned into a dead zone. My family and I sit in our hotel room, trying to think of ways to stay entertained. Since the InterContinental Hotel has not lost power, we’ve resorted to watching a lot of television and keeping up to date with superstorm Sandy storm trackers.

We’re bored and eager for a flight home. Our flights have been canceled four times. It seems like whenever we get re-booked, we end up getting another cancellation email. LaGuardia Airport’s runways have been flooded, so we really have no idea when we’ll be able to catch a flight home. I’m going to be missing almost a full week of school, and I’m nervous about getting behind. We’re all itching to get home.

Trees have fallen, and deaths and injuries have occurred. The storm did not impact Times Square nearly as bad as other parts of New York, and the fact that the airport is nearly underwater keeps us from reaching home. Sandy has made her mark and it’s an unfortunate mark for those who are suffering. My family is lucky to be in Times Square and away from the areas with major damage.

Kayla Bengtson can be reached at beng2004@stthomas.edu.