Airlines suspended flights to and from New York for a day yesterday in response to gale force winds, while residents in the area still recovering from superstorm Sandy braced for new flooding.

The severe weather, with sleet, rain and winds gusting to a maximum of 96 kilometres per hour, came just over a week after hurricane-strength Sandy wrought serious damage on the region and caused travel chaos.

The gale, though less powerful than Sandy, raised concerns for the tens of thousands of people around New York remaining without power and often heating.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday announced a limited evacuation of some neighbourhoods ahead of possible flooding and NY1 local television showed earth movers making a sand berm along the beach to protect the hard-hit Rockaways neighbourhood.

Similar small-scale evacuations were ordered in low-lying parts of New Jersey.

“Under normal circumstances, it would likely result in minor coastal flooding in low-lying areas, and the normal risk of downed trees associated with these types of storms,” the mayor’s office said.

However, Sandy had already weakened trees, so “the predicted wind speeds present an increased risk of more downed trees and tree limbs, as well as windblown debris. All New Yorkers are urged to stay indoors during inclement conditions.”

American Airlines and American Eagle announced a suspension of all flights in Philadelphia from 1700 GMT and in New York-area airports by 2000 GMT, affecting about 290 flights.

Operations were to resume normally once the gale passes on Thursday.

United Airlines had already announced similar measures, with flights from John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark air-ports around New York being suspended.