(MCT) — PHILADELPHIA — With powerful, damaging winds and relentless rain, Hurricane Sandy barreled into New Jersey and Pennsylvania on Monday, causing widespread flooding in shore communities, smashing part of Atlantic City’s Boardwalk, and leaving hundreds of thousands to hunker down in homes without power.

More than 4,600 New Jersey residents were evacuated to dozens of state, county and municipal shelters as the storm surge, heavy precipitation and full moon exacerbated tidal flooding, state officials said. Power outages were widespread, affecting about 1.3 million people in New Jersey and 166,000 Peco customers in the Philadelphia area by Monday evening.