WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said the U.S. public needs to prepare for Hurricane Sandy to make landfall on Monday evening and predicted millions of people will be affected by the storm.

"This is going to be a big and powerful storm and all across the Eastern Seaboard I think everybody is taking the appropriate preparations," he told reporters after having a briefing on the storm in the White House Situation Room.

Obama said those in the region affected by the Hurricane should listen to local and state officials on whether or not to evacuate, and expressed confidence that emergency crews are prepared to tackle the storm preparations and clean-up that will be needed in the coming days.

(Reporting By Matt Spetalnick; Writing by Margaret Chadbourn; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)