Superstorm Sandy's destructive power

A man shouts to his family as Sandy's terrifying winds uproot three trees right before his eyes; another onlooker is nearly swept away as a powerful torrent of water surges inland.

A number of videos have emerged today illustrating the devastating power of superstorm Sandy, which pummeled the USA's east coast leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

The system they dubbed "Frankenstorm" produced wind gusts in excess of 150km/h and dumped over 30cm of rain across some regions.

The huge system also propelled ocean swells towards the coast. Kings Point in New York saw a 3.7-metre storm surge, while other areas saw tidal rises of up to 2.7 metres.

With trees felled and streets flooded across New York, an estimated one million people are still without power in the city that never sleeps.

Ruined cars lie tossed throughout the streets of Manhattan while across the river a fire destroyed up to 80 homes overnight in Queens.

An estimated 43 people have been confirmed dead in the storm, but that number looks sure to rise.