Hurricane Sandy threatened to erase a second day of business activity Tuesday, closing US stock markets, soaking roads and railways across the region, and causing many companies to tell employees to stay home again rather than risk a hazardous trip to the office.

As the storm battered the East Coast, employers scrambled to stay on top of conditions that were worsening by the minute. Although the extent of physical damage was difficult to assess, many businesses were certain to take hits in revenue and production.