New York City and the sodden U.S. Northeast began an arduous journey back to normal Wednesday after mammoth storm Sandy killed at least 64 Americans in a rampage that swamped coastal cities and cut power to millions.
The storm was also blamed for at least 71 deaths in the Caribbean and two in Canada.
Financial markets reopened with the New York Stock Exchange running on generator power after the first weather-related two-day closure since an 1888 blizzard. Packed buses took commuters to work with New York's subway system halted after seawater flooded its tunnels.
President Barack Obama, who has halted campaigning with the election six days away, set aside political differences with New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie for a helicopter tour of the devastated coast, where they saw flooded and sand-swept neighbourhoods and burning homes.
"The entire country's been watching. Everyone knows how hard Jersey has been hit," Obama told residents at an evacuation shelter in the town of Brigantine. "We're not going to tolerate any red tape. We're not going to tolerate any bureaucracy," he said of the relief effort.
Sandy crashed ashore with 130-kilometre-an-hour winds Monday as a rare hybrid superstorm after merging with another system. It was the largest storm by area to hit the United States in generations.
It is likely to rank as one of the costliest storms in U.S. history. One disaster-modelling firm said Sandy may have caused up to $15 billion in insured losses.
About six million homes and businesses in 15 U.S. states remained without power Wednesday, down from a high of 8.5 million, which surpassed the record 8.4 million customers who went dark from last year's hurricane Irene.
While markets reopened, floodwaters receded and residents went back to work by car, bicycle and bus in New York, the country's most populous city suffered some setbacks on Wednesday. Damage forced evacuation of Bellevue Hospital, known for psychiatric and emergency care.
Five hundred patients were moved, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. Evacuations of four other hospitals and 17 chronic care facilities had already been ordered.
An evacuation order for 375,000 New Yorkers in low-lying areas remained in effect, and with subways down, the mayor said cars must have at least three passengers to enter Manhattan.
Across the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey, floodwater that reached chest-high on Monday was still knee-high Wednesday morning. "I thought it was the end. I kept telling my sons to pray and that's all we did," said Marcelina Rosario, 47, who was trapped in the second floor of her Hoboken apartment. "Everything happened so fast. The water started coming up, the refrigerator was floating."
More than half of all the gas stations in New Jersey and Long Island were closed due to power outages and depleted fuel supplies, frustrating attempts to restore normal life, industry officials said.
The New York area's John F. Kennedy and Newark airports reopened with limited service after thousands of flights were cancelled, leaving travellers stuck for days. LaGuardia, a third major airport, was flooded and closed, but was scheduled to reopen on today.
Limited New York subway service is due to return today. Some commuter rail service resumed on Wednesday.
Christie, a vocal backer of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, has repeatedly praised Obama and the federal response to Sandy.
By executive order, Christie moved Halloween trick-or-treating to Nov. 5, citing safety concerns in his storm-ravaged state, where Sandy made landfall Monday and began its destructive march inland.
? Obama, governor tour devastated New Jersey towns
? More storm coverage at timescolonist.com
