>> reporter: you're taking this very seriously? >> yes, we are are. >> hi, there glerg every vote counts. the presidential campaigns go door to door in the early voting states. terrell brown reports on the colorado ground game. and what happens to afghanistan's opium-growing region once the u.s. troops leave? kelly cobiella files a reporter's notebook. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news." i'm margaret brennan. hurricane susan is churning its way up the east coast this evening, headed for landfall in the mid-atlantic region early next week, and a rendezvous with a wintry storm system from the west. here's the latest. sandy has already killed at least 58 people in the caribbean. a state of emergency has now been declared in nine states and the district of columbia. we have a team of correspondents standing by, and we begin with

our hurricane consultant david bernard at our miami station wfor. >> reporter: good evening, margaret. not much change on the storm in intensity or the expected track. latest from the national hurricane center puts sandy at 75-mile-per-hour storm, 345 miles south of cape hatteras, north carolina, moving to the northeast at 13. based on that track, the best chance for significant windses, 58 miles per hour or greater, are going to be in the area along the jersey shore, right into the new york city metropolitan area, and when we talk about significant winds, we're talking about winds that have a good chance of causing power outages and a lot of do you understand trees glerg david, how much flooding should we expect? >> coastal flooding could be a huge problem. there are evacuations being ordered along the coast because of that, and we have two things going on. we have the angle of approach. the storm is going to make that turn and move directly west or west-northwest into the coastline, and that causes the highest storm surge in some of these locations. and also we have the full moon

in effect with multiple tide cycles. we'll have to go through more than one high tide during this event and that will only pile up the water that much higher. you really need to listen to what your local emergency management officials are saying if they tell to you evacuate. >> brennan: millions of people are bracing for the storm. chip reid is standing by in ocean city, maryland. elaine quijano is in point pleasant beach, new jersey. we begin with chip reid. chip, good evening. >> reporter: well, good evening, margaret. yesterday the mayor of ocean city, maryland, said a mandatory evacuation was not even on the table, but today he announced for people in low-lying areas, they should begin to prepare for evacuation. at the home depot a few miles from the maryland coast, worried shoppers today were snapping up fli pli wood, generators, flash lights and whatever else my help protect them from the wrath of hurricane susan. >> where we are, there are a lot of trees, right outside ocean

city. stow we're taping our windows. >> reporter: you're taking takig this very seriously. >> yes, we are. >> reporter: sandy has already inflicted enormous suffering as she roared through the dribbian, she caused at least 44 deaths in haiti where mudslides flattened shelters built after the 2010 earthquake. in cube athe storm killed 11 more, another in the bahamas, and one in puerto rico. now, as sandy takes aim at the most densely populated region in the u.s., about 64 million people, more than one in five americans, potentially lying in the storm's path. also in hersitis are five oil refineries which produce 7% of the nation's gasoline. they're expected to suspend operations as early as sunday putting upward pressure on the price of gas. some navy ships stationed near virginia beach have been ordered out to sea to ride out the storm. last year, hurricane irene caused the loss of power for more than six million households in the mid-atlantic and the

northeastern u.s. forecasters say sandy could leave even more in dark. today, millions of people like robin ledbetter are nervously calculating their chances how likely do you think it is that you're going to need this generator? >> um, i-- like maybe 50%. >> reporter: just north of here, the governor of delaware has ordered a mandatory evacuation of many coastal areas. north of that, on the coast of new jersey, is elaine quijano. elaine. >> reporter: well, chip, this storm could make landfall somewhere between delaware bay and long island sound monday night into tuesday morning, but here in new jersey, the governor has already declared a state of emergency and the weather conditions are expected to begin deteriorating here tonight. >> i'm taking it seriously. >> reporter: james bradley said in 25 years here in point pleasant beach, he'd only boarded up once. now he's doing it again. >> it's reality first time a

hurricane has been in our doorstep. >> reporter: businesses along new jersey's boardwalk are bracing for hurricane sandy. just days before shop owners hoped to lure in crowds for halloween, crews took down those deck raikses and put up sheets of plywood instead. forecasters say the storm surge, combined with high tide, could bring floodwaters farther inland. water levels could rise four to eight feet above normal from along the delaware bay to rhode island. the worst damage could happen north of where the storm makes landfall. bulldozers are shoring up miles of sand dunes and residents are hoping walls of sandbags will hold. new jersey governor chris kristy has ordered people on barrier islands to evacuate. >> the damage to homes and the shoreline, beach erosion, you know, we're-- we're going to be looking at some pretty significant damage to the shore. i think this could be more severe than irene. >> reporter: among those packing up are seniors at francis azberry manor in ocean

grove. >> we just don't know. so you do what you're told. >> reporter: charlotte mcdevitt doesn't like the idea of leaving home. >> this is my first experience for an evacuation. i hope i don't have to go through it again. it's very frightening. >> reporter: after it comes ashore, the storm is expected to move inland slowly. that means an increased risk of downed trees, power outages, flooding, and, margaret, in some areas heavy snow. >> brennan: thanks, elaine. the hurricane is playing havoc with campaign scheduleds. both vice president joe biden and mitt romney canceled rallies in virginia beach, virginia, this weekend. as nancy cordes reports, president obama received a fema briefing the storm before laeg for new hampshire. >> we're not going to be able to be in virginia tomorrow. we're going to go to ohio instead. >> reporter: hurricane susan is forcing both campaigns to make ajumps. mitt romney canceled three

haven'ts in virginia. vice president biden and first lady mivelobama also called off rallies. >> 10 days, new hampshire, 10 days! >> reporter: after getting briefed on the storm today, president obama took his hunt for votes to the live free or die states where he told a group of local teamsters new hampshire's four electoral votes could make all the difference. >> it's very clear that the other side doesn't believe. >> reporter: governor romney spent the day in all-important florida, in pensacola, home to a major nave air station, romney brought up a sore spot from the final debate. >> i made the point our navy is now smaller than any time, well, in almost 100 years. and the president's response was, well, you know, we don't use bayonets and horses anymore. and in fact we do use bayonets. >> reporter: both candidates are accusing each other of failed leadership. president obama said romney hiked fees on everything as governor of massachusetts. >> he raised fees to get a birth

certificate, which would have been expensive for me. >> reporter: he said mr. obama broke promises to cut the deficit and save medicare. >> he is shrinking from the magnitude of the times. >> you got these guys. >> reporter: and both sides are wary of the impact on polling locations. if prolonged power outages or storm damage prevent voters from casting their ballots, especially in states where early voting is already under way. president obama has adjusted his schedule to stay out of sandy's path. he's flying to florida half a day early tomorrow, and he's getting regular updates from his staff. and, margaret, i wouldn't be surprised if we see more changes to his schedule as the week goes on depending on the severity of the storm. glerg nancy cordes in washington, thank you. overseas now, indonesian police have arrested 11 people suspects of planning attacks on the u.s. embassy and other american and international targets. the suspects were arrested in jakarta and three other provinces on the island of java.

police seized live bombs, explosive materials, and a bomb-making manual. the leader of al qaeda is calling on supporters to kidnap more westerners in order to get al qaeda prisoners in the united states released. ayman al-zawahiri made the statement in a two-hour video posted on jihadist web sites. he also called on muslims to support uprising in syria. a four-day cease-fire to mark the muzz lum holiday is crumbling fast in syria. activists say at least 49 people were killed across the country today in clashes between government troops and rebels. in damascus, a warplane bomb flattened a three-story building killing eight men. later, the surprisingly close arizona race that could decide control of the senate. will either presidential candidates' plans help this man keep his house? and the door help to-door battle for early voters in colorado. those stories when the cbs evening news continues.

>> brennan: early voting began today in both maryland and florida. the battleground state that at the heart of the disputed 2000 election. in colorado voting has been under way since monday. the most recent poll there shows the candidates in a dead heat, which is why both side are going all out. terrell brown has more. >> reporter: in boulder county, colorado, matt romney jointd volunteers going door to door. >> i'm matt romney. i'm mitt romney 53 son. he's running for president. >> reporter: the campaigns are getting down to basics, hoping personal outreach will help push those final vote. >> doing a good job. >> thank you. >> keep it up. >> nice to meet you, ron. >> nice to meet you all. >> reporter: more than 70% of colorado voters are expected to

vote before election day. with the candidates tied, both parties are scrambling to get as many ballots as possible in the bag. >> have you voted yet? >> no, but i have the ballot. >> reporter: at the university of denver, steph winsor and the young democrats were canvassing the campus, offering coffee and donutto help energize the base. nationally, president obama still dominates the youth vote. >> i was call to find out if he was going to be supporting mitt romney. >> reporter: but a harvard institute of politics study find more romney supporters saying they will definitely go vote. >> if everyone voted who wanted to vote who could vote, we'd be blue without a doubt. the issues is getting them to the polls. >> reporter: first-time voter stephen stanis says he's definitely going to vote. he's just not sure for whom. >> i'm just trying to figure out where i stand on the political landscape. >> reporter: and the pressure to choose is billion, he says, fueled by strong supporters on both side of the race. terrell brown, cbs news,

washington. >> brennan: next on tonight's cbs evening news, we'll look at a key race in the battle over control of the u.s. senate.

coincidenting counting on some key races across the country to help regain control of the u.s. senate. right now, democrats have a 53-pref majority. republicans only need to pick up four seats. but as carter evans reports, a surprisingly close senate race in arizona threatens those plans. >> thanks for being here. >> reporter: after six terms, congressman jeff flake seemed perfectly groomed for arizona's open senate seat. >> open seats in arizona come along with the frequency of halley's comet. >> reporter: but in heavily republican arizona, few saw this

man coming, democrat richard carmona. >> we went from underdog, nice guy, 11 months ago, then it became possibly winnable. and now, it's imminently winnable. >> reporter: carmona has never held public office, but on his resume-- deck rated vietnam war veteran, police officer, and u.s. surge of surgeon general in the bush administration. >> a resume is not a plan. if you're going to the senate, you better be willing to have a position and stick to it, and that's what we haven't seen with my opponent. >> reporter: flake says he'll bring political experience to the senate. carmona says he'll bring real-world experience. >> democracy works best and only works when we compromise. and they're not compromising now. >> reporter: democrats are pressing hard with a rally starring former president bill clinton. and, of course, a close race means negative ads. >> congressman jeff flake helps himself, not us. >> my opponent was hand picked by president obama. so you know what he'll do. negative advertising works,

unfortunately. >> reporter: barack obama's rubber stamp. >> no campaign ever wants to see their ads as negative. they're contrast pieces. >> reporter: with carmona leading by up to 10% among women, flake's campaign is airing this contrast piece. >> carmona's not who he seems. he has issues with anger, with ethics and with women. >> reporter: the carmona campaign fired back. >> rich treats everyone with respect. it doesn't matter whether you're fael or female. >> the key to this race could be arizona's latino population. carmona has a commanding lead among hispanics by more than three to one and on the campaign trail he plays up his puerto rican heritage. >> because i am one of them. they understand i understand the culture, the language, and the challenges of emigrant families. >> reporter: but latino support doesn't translate to votes, says arizona state university professor bruce merrill. >> the problem has been that the hispanics have not voted. they simply have not gone to the polls on election day. >> reporter: with the race in

a dead heat... >> you have no idea how it works. >> reporter: ...the debates ever more contentious, each candidates message could depend on who actually hearings it. >> you voted against it. >> reporter: carter evans, cbs news, los angeles. >> brennan: ahead, he's a man in the middle of the campaign debate over how to slow the pace of foreclosures.

show america's housing crisis is easing. the number of foreclosures nationwide are down 16% from september of last year. but in florida, one of the hardest hit states, foreclosures are still on the rise, up 24%. manuel bojorquez in ft. lauderdale has one man's story. >> reporter: 72-year-olds can june has spent two years trying to hold on to his home in foart

lauderdale. you're angry. >> angry! beyond that. >> reporter: juneau went into foreclosure after his dry cleaning business failed. the air force veteran's only income is social security, not nearly enough to pay his $2800 a month mortgage. >> i'm trying to call everybody i can, send them letters, trying to get them to help me instead of throwing me into the street. >> reporter: and? >> absolutely no responses. >> reporter: 18 of the 50 cities with the highest foreclosure rates are in battleground states, florida, ohio, wisconsin, colorado, and nevada. >> we're going to finally get this housing market going and get jobs again and get this economy growing. >> reporter: mitt romney's solution would be to ease government regulations to encourage lenders to offer refinancing to more homeowners. >> foreclosures are the lowest in five years. >> reporter: president obama wants to expand refinancing programs for borrowers. he wanthe wants to include morts owned by banks.

obama also wants lenders to offer unemployed homeowners a one one-year grace period from foreclosure. >> i'm feeling very abandoned. >> reporter: juneau isn't sure either plan can help him in time. he hopes the bank will agree to sell his house for $200,000 less than he owes. >> all the taxes i've paid in the past and all the things i did for my country in the service is wasted. my life feels like it's a waste. >> reporter: with a failed business and a foreclosure on his credit report, juneau won't be able to even consider buying another home for at least three years. manuel bojorquez, cbs news, ft. lauderdale, florida. >> brennan: coming up, a reporter's notebook on afghan farmers' dependence on illicit crops. >> brennan: planting seass

getting under way in afghanist afghanistan, and the plant local farmers may be a good indication of where that war-torn country is headed.

kelly cobiella has been on the ground in helmand province and files this reporter's notebook. >> reporter: this is poppy growing land, opium land. all i can see for miles around are marine convoy is dust. no one lives here in the hot, dry summer. the farmers and nomads are just starting to return to stake out their land and plant their crops. the marines have only been here a few weeks, and they're still getting to know the locals. >> can we move him down there? >> reporter: the marines tell us the taliban control this area. they hide and take pot shots at soldiers. it's safe tore talk inside the maze of mud homes. the village elder tells us they'll grow canibus this year to make harbish instead of poppies for herrin. demand is growing, and the government has no program to destroy cannabis crops, only poppy. the only afghan troops we saw

were back at camp bastion, more than an hour's drive away, marching for the benefit of reporters. we weren't allowed to talk to a single soldier. back in boldak, i asked the village elder what will happen when the marines leave. he answers with one word, "war." he blames pakistan for supplying the taliban. when it's time to leave, the cameras are off, but i'll never forget the good-bye from the local children. they smile, they wave, then they pelt us with rocks. kelly cobiella, cbs news, helmand province, afghanistan. >> brennan: updating our top story now. hurricane susan is moving northward off the east coast. headed towards landfall near the maryland-delaware border late monday or early tuesday. strong winds, heavy rain, and storm surges of up to eight feet will likely impact 64 million

people in the nation's most densely populated region. a state of emergency has been declared in nine states, and evacuations have already been ordered in low-lying areas of new jersey and delaware. and that is the cbs evening news. later on cbs "48 hours." i'm margaret brennan, cbs news in new york. good night. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org hostile territory. not just for the skies over war zones... a look at the drone coming to a neighborhood near you. and for the little corner of the world that gave us apple.. a flagship store that will have the fanboys drooling. cbs five eyewitness news is next. game three of the world series when i take a picture of this check,

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