The lights finally came back on in Manhattan yesterday, but a severe shortage of gasoline continued to hamper efforts to get the New York area back on its feet after Hurricane Sandy.
Much of the rest of New York, however, continued to experience widespread power outages that could last for as long as another week
Power was restored to nearly all of Manhattan after flooding plunged the lower half of New York’s most densely populated borough into darkness.
“By and large there is enough light and activity certainly to get a lot of people out into the street and get rid of that movie set look, as if we’re in some sort of ghost town or horror movie,” Bob McGee, a spokesman for utiliy company Con Edison, told NY1 television.
Crews were working to restore supplies both to schools that reopen tomorrow and for polling places to be used in Tuesday’s presidential election.
Much of the rest of New York, however, continued to experience widespread power outages that could last for as long as another week.
As New Jersey police raised the state’s death toll to 22, increasing the overall US total to at least 103, the biggest hurdle to recovery continued to be a severe lack of gasoline. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced rationing of fuel to curtail the long lines and growing frustration outside gas stations.
Starting yesterday, drivers with licence plates ending in an even number were allowed to fill up on even-numbered dates and those with number plates ending in odd numbers plates on odd-number dates.
“This system will ease the strain on those gas stations still operating, while we work to bring more online for the public to access fuel, in a manner that is fair, easy to understand, and less stressful,” he said. New York officials meanwhile announced the deployment of military fuel trucks that will give 10 gallons of gasoline to drivers free of charge.
State Governor Andrew Cuomo said the critical situation should ease rapidly as delays in the arrival of fuel ships had been remedied. “Eight million gallons of fuel have been delivered,” he said. “Twenty eight million gallons will be delivered over the next two days, so you will see quickly an abatement of the pressure on the fuel system.”