New York residents were busy tallying up the destruction wrought by Hurricane Sandy yesterday.

But Maltese expats living in the Big Apple thankfully escaped largely unscathed, with Malta’s permanent representation in New York saying no Maltese were severely affected by the storm.

The hurricane left at least 18 New Yorkers dead, with public transportation ground to a halt, Wall Street a ghost town and insurance companies readying themselves for payout claims totalling billions of dollars.

Maltese expats living in the Big Apple had stocked up on food and drink and charged their laptops in preparation for the storm. The Times contacted some of them yesterday to see how they had fared.

“We were the lucky ones,” IT manager and Manhattan resident Sarah Tabone, 29, said. “We had no internet connection, but our power stayed on and we didn’t suffer any damage.”

Ms Tabone lives in a high-rise apartment building in the midtown west area of Manhattan together with her partner Nick Curmi, 27.

“It’ll be a few days before things return to normal,” Mr Curmi, a lawyer by profession, said. His office has reopened, but with the subway system still down, Mr Curmi has been forced to commute by foot.

Another Maltese expat, who preferred not to be named, described more chaotic scenes where he lived. “Looking around me, it’s like living in a Third World country. Entire blocks are in complete darkness. La Guardia airport is part of the beach now and many tunnels are completely flooded,” he said.

But while he had made it through the storm with his electricity and water supplies intact, his stomach was not so lucky.

“I’m down to my last six bread rolls, which I’m now rationing out. Hopefully, the supermarkets will open today,” he said.

Expats living in New York are, however, not the only Maltese with Hurricane Sandy bellowing through their thoughts.

Inspire CEO Nathan Farrugia and his wife Deirdre, who are set to fly to New York this afternoon and run the city’s marathon on Saturday, said they were not sure what to expect.

“We’ve been trying to call our hotel for four days but nobody’s picking up. We just might have to set up camp in Central Park,” Ms Farrugia joked.

The transatlantic trip will be a particularly special one because it will coincide with Ms Farrugia’s 40th birthday, as well as her first full marathon.

“We’ve been training for a really long time, so hopefully the marathon won’t be cancelled,” her husband, a renowned endurance runner, said. But despite the potential hiccups, they were both looking at the bright side. “We might have to walk a few extra blocks but you won’t see us complaining. We’re not easily discouraged,” Mr Farrugia said.

Any Maltese in need of assistance can contact Malta’s embassy in Washington on 01 202 716 3617 or the New York Mission Emergency on 01 646 707 1176.