(File photo by Jessica McGowan/Getty Images)
NEW YORK -- A couple dozen metro Atlanta high school students are hunkered down in their hotel rooms. The students were in New York City for a weekend competition, now they're stuck because of the powerful superstorm, Sandy.
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While teenagers from Grady High School left New York early Sunday to beat the weather, students from Atlanta International School and Jonesboro High are trapped there. Jonesboro kids had hoped to spend the day sightseeing. Instead they spent the bulk of the day inside their hotel.
Jonesboro Junior Tre Brown says they've been watching news reports and are in close touch with family.
"We're keeping in contact with emails and texts," Brown said. "They were worried at first but we assured them we're safe and ready. We're just really excited about our 4th place placement."
The students were planning to celebrate their fourth place finish in the mock trial world championships at home. Their chaperones say they hope to get back to Atlanta late Wednesday afternoon after being rebooked on another flight. Until then, they say they're staying at the same hotel in Brooklyn as FEMA so they feel safe waiting out the storm.