Truth be told, a “perfect storm” is brewing with Hurricane Sandy. A midlatitude trough is expected to swing down and strengthen Hurricane Sandy even further, along with a burst of arctic air that could result in several feet of snow in some areas. Even the moon, which will cause the water to be in high tide, is pitching in to make this storm even deadlier. Really, the only options left for people along the East Coast are to hunker down or evacuate.
As James Barron of the New York Times comically describes, gamblers hastened to play a few last rounds of black jack in the Atlantic City casinos before governor Chris Christie ordered them out. However, his tone when writing the article is best mirrored by the attitude of the people on the East Coast. He, like them, is anxious and hurried as the storm approaches. Barron emphasizes this tone by using shortened sentences and by using words like “strikingly powerful” and “destruction”, which carry negative connotations.
He directs this piece toward the American people, more specifically, those in danger and those who can help. The images he depicts of 11 ft. waves, trees knocking over power lines, and of severe flooding serve as a further warning to those who are skeptical of the storms wrath and to those who are unwilling to help because they underestimate how much damage the storm can cause.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/29/us/east-coast-braces-for-severe-storm-surge.html?hp&_r=0
TheLIflet 
Good job Josh! It is evident that you analyzed for an anxious tone, and identified the audience. I liked how you chose a very current topic!