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| Superstorm Sandy: The north-east begins long struggle to recovery | Superstorm Sandy: The north-east begins long struggle to recovery |
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| America's devastated north-east began to struggle to life in the wake of superstorm Sandy even as millions of people remained without power and the US military continued to launch rescue missions to people trapped by floodwaters. | America's devastated north-east began to struggle to life in the wake of superstorm Sandy even as millions of people remained without power and the US military continued to launch rescue missions to people trapped by floodwaters. |
| The historic storm killed at least 58 people in the US and has left more than 8 million people without power. New Jersey bore the brunt of the storm and in the city of Hoboken – just across the Hudson river from New York – the US National Guard arrived to help evacuate up to 20,000 people stuck in their homes. | The historic storm killed at least 58 people in the US and has left more than 8 million people without power. New Jersey bore the brunt of the storm and in the city of Hoboken – just across the Hudson river from New York – the US National Guard arrived to help evacuate up to 20,000 people stuck in their homes. |
| Sandy is now thought to have caused tens of billions of dollars of damage with a unique combination of high winds, a massive flood surge and even a blizzard in mountainous areas. Its cone of impact stretched from North Carolina to Canada and it has been described by many as the worst ever to hit the region. | Sandy is now thought to have caused tens of billions of dollars of damage with a unique combination of high winds, a massive flood surge and even a blizzard in mountainous areas. Its cone of impact stretched from North Carolina to Canada and it has been described by many as the worst ever to hit the region. |
| In New York, there was good news with the restoration of limited commuter rail transport into and out of city and the announcement that parts of the subway system will start again on Thursday morning. The return of public transport will go some way to easing gigantic traffic jams that have plagued the city all day as people used their cars to enter Manhattan. | In New York, there was good news with the restoration of limited commuter rail transport into and out of city and the announcement that parts of the subway system will start again on Thursday morning. The return of public transport will go some way to easing gigantic traffic jams that have plagued the city all day as people used their cars to enter Manhattan. |
| But it was New Jersey that has suffered the worst of the storm, and on Wednesday President Barack Obama was visiting the state in the company of its Republican governor Chris Christie. Sandy had pummelled its way through the state's famous New Jersey shore, swamping seaside towns, ripping away boardwalks, destroying beaches and flooding the major resort of Atlantic City. | But it was New Jersey that has suffered the worst of the storm, and on Wednesday President Barack Obama was visiting the state in the company of its Republican governor Chris Christie. Sandy had pummelled its way through the state's famous New Jersey shore, swamping seaside towns, ripping away boardwalks, destroying beaches and flooding the major resort of Atlantic City. |
| In Hoboken, uniformed soldiers in trucks brought in pumps, food and medical supplies amid flood waters contaminated with sewage and potentially lethal live power lines. Hoboken officials warned residents not to go outside but instead await help. Hoboken's Facebook page turned into a forum for pleas for aid. One woman, Keri O'Connor Robinson, wrote: "Please rescue my sister. She is seven months pregnant and she lives at 517 Jackson Street, on the second floor. We have not heard from her since Monday." | In Hoboken, uniformed soldiers in trucks brought in pumps, food and medical supplies amid flood waters contaminated with sewage and potentially lethal live power lines. Hoboken officials warned residents not to go outside but instead await help. Hoboken's Facebook page turned into a forum for pleas for aid. One woman, Keri O'Connor Robinson, wrote: "Please rescue my sister. She is seven months pregnant and she lives at 517 Jackson Street, on the second floor. We have not heard from her since Monday." |
| Obama and New Jersey governor Chris Christie, usually a staunch supporter of Republican challenger Mitt Romney, toured hard hit parts of the state. "We have suffered losses and this the worst storm that I have seen in my lifetime," Christie said. "We will get up and get this thing rebuilt and put back together." | Obama and New Jersey governor Chris Christie, usually a staunch supporter of Republican challenger Mitt Romney, toured hard hit parts of the state. "We have suffered losses and this the worst storm that I have seen in my lifetime," Christie said. "We will get up and get this thing rebuilt and put back together." |
| Christie and Obama also traded praise, hailing each other's leadership in the crisis and creating a powerful image of bi-partisan co-operation that could ripple out into the presidential election. | Christie and Obama also traded praise, hailing each other's leadership in the crisis and creating a powerful image of bi-partisan co-operation that could ripple out into the presidential election. |
| Obama vowed that the federal government would do everything it could to help. "We are going to have a lot of work to do," he said. "We will not quit until this is done." | Obama vowed that the federal government would do everything it could to help. "We are going to have a lot of work to do," he said. "We will not quit until this is done." |
| In New York in many ways, it was a strange tale of two cities. In upper Manhattan and many parts of the outer boroughs, life was steadily returning to normal. Businesses, shops and restaurants were open and thronged with customers and Broadway shows re-opened around Times Square. The steadily returning transport network will only speed up that picture of normalcy. | In New York in many ways, it was a strange tale of two cities. In upper Manhattan and many parts of the outer boroughs, life was steadily returning to normal. Businesses, shops and restaurants were open and thronged with customers and Broadway shows re-opened around Times Square. The steadily returning transport network will only speed up that picture of normalcy. |
| However, elsewhere in the city the picture was very different. In lower Manhattan, where there is no power, vehicles negotiated streets without traffic lights and many residents left to stay with friends in other parts of the city. Usually packed and busy neighbourhoods like fashionable Soho and the East Village were relatively quiet and streets were lined with shuttered businesses. There was still little indication of when exactly power will return to the area. In all, about 600,000 New Yorkers were without power. Cell phone service, too, was spotty, hampering the efforts of people to get in touch with relatives and friends and tell them that they were all right. | However, elsewhere in the city the picture was very different. In lower Manhattan, where there is no power, vehicles negotiated streets without traffic lights and many residents left to stay with friends in other parts of the city. Usually packed and busy neighbourhoods like fashionable Soho and the East Village were relatively quiet and streets were lined with shuttered businesses. There was still little indication of when exactly power will return to the area. In all, about 600,000 New Yorkers were without power. Cell phone service, too, was spotty, hampering the efforts of people to get in touch with relatives and friends and tell them that they were all right. |
| That was true, too, of many areas of Long Island, where hundreds of thousands of people remained without power. If they could, they headed off to other areas that had power or had moved out ahead of the storm. | That was true, too, of many areas of Long Island, where hundreds of thousands of people remained without power. If they could, they headed off to other areas that had power or had moved out ahead of the storm. |
| Carol Goleb, of Oceanside, Long Island, took shelter with her parents in Queens, New York. | Carol Goleb, of Oceanside, Long Island, took shelter with her parents in Queens, New York. |
| Goleb, said she was not going to take a chance that Sandy would be like last year's hurricane Irene, which largely spared the city. | Goleb, said she was not going to take a chance that Sandy would be like last year's hurricane Irene, which largely spared the city. |
| Unfortunately, many of her neighbours did not make the same decision. Ninety percent of Long Island residents are thought to be without power. "A lot of them thought it was going to be another Irene," Goleb said. | Unfortunately, many of her neighbours did not make the same decision. Ninety percent of Long Island residents are thought to be without power. "A lot of them thought it was going to be another Irene," Goleb said. |
| But as many areas struggled it was, however, a different picture on Wall Street. The New York stock exchange reopened on Wednesday morning after two days of having trading suspended. Mayor Michael Bloomberg rang the opening bell at 9.30am, right on schedule, as stock traders cheered from trading floor below. The market even rose as trading began adding 74 points to 13,182 shortly after opening. "We've got to keep rebuilding," Bloomberg told reporters as he walked through the exchange. | But as many areas struggled it was, however, a different picture on Wall Street. The New York stock exchange reopened on Wednesday morning after two days of having trading suspended. Mayor Michael Bloomberg rang the opening bell at 9.30am, right on schedule, as stock traders cheered from trading floor below. The market even rose as trading began adding 74 points to 13,182 shortly after opening. "We've got to keep rebuilding," Bloomberg told reporters as he walked through the exchange. |
| Meanwhile, the neighbourhood of Breezy Point in Queens was struggling with the aftermath of a devastating fire that swept through at least 111 homes as Sandy's flood waters rose through the streets. Elsewhere, in areas like Staten Island and Red Hook, which have extensive waterfronts, residents struggled to clear debris, stranded boats dumped on land and pools of standing water. In Coney Island, several feet of sand had been dumped by floodwaters several blocks inland. | Meanwhile, the neighbourhood of Breezy Point in Queens was struggling with the aftermath of a devastating fire that swept through at least 111 homes as Sandy's flood waters rose through the streets. Elsewhere, in areas like Staten Island and Red Hook, which have extensive waterfronts, residents struggled to clear debris, stranded boats dumped on land and pools of standing water. In Coney Island, several feet of sand had been dumped by floodwaters several blocks inland. |
| Across the stricken region the Red Cross was organising teams of volunteers. The organisation asked for people aged over 16 and fit enough to carry at least 40lbs to step forward to work twelve-hour shifts helping people in need and cleaning up the mess. It also appealed for donations: an appeal that was repeated by both Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney. | Across the stricken region the Red Cross was organising teams of volunteers. The organisation asked for people aged over 16 and fit enough to carry at least 40lbs to step forward to work twelve-hour shifts helping people in need and cleaning up the mess. It also appealed for donations: an appeal that was repeated by both Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney. |
| For almost two days Sandy has derailed normal campaigning for next week's presidential election. But on Wednesday there were signs of things getting back to the normal cut and thrust of the battle for the White House. Through the storm top Obama surrogates, like former president Bill Clinton and vice-president Joe Biden, have been campaigning on Obama's behalf seeking to fend off Romney's challenge. | For almost two days Sandy has derailed normal campaigning for next week's presidential election. But on Wednesday there were signs of things getting back to the normal cut and thrust of the battle for the White House. Through the storm top Obama surrogates, like former president Bill Clinton and vice-president Joe Biden, have been campaigning on Obama's behalf seeking to fend off Romney's challenge. |
| The Romney campaign, after cancelling numerous events as the storm hit, was back to full throttle. On Wednesday, Romney attended three full blown campaign events in the key swing state of Florida. He returned to his stump speech hammering away at Obama's first term record and saying the county needed a change at the top. | The Romney campaign, after cancelling numerous events as the storm hit, was back to full throttle. On Wednesday, Romney attended three full blown campaign events in the key swing state of Florida. He returned to his stump speech hammering away at Obama's first term record and saying the county needed a change at the top. |
| However, he deliberately did not mention the president by name in order to not appear too negative at a time of national crisis. "I believe this is the year for us to take a different course. I would bring real change and real reform. I don't just talk about change, I actually have a plan to execute change," Romney said in Tampa. | However, he deliberately did not mention the president by name in order to not appear too negative at a time of national crisis. "I believe this is the year for us to take a different course. I would bring real change and real reform. I don't just talk about change, I actually have a plan to execute change," Romney said in Tampa. |
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