As cities across the US northeast slowly begin to emerge from the devastation left by superstorm Sandy, the death toll has risen to 64 people across nine states. Millions are still without power as authorities do all they can to bring services back to normal.

In New York, the New York Stock Exchange reopened, buses are available and limited subway services are expected to resume today. JFK and Newark airport have reopened, but New York’s La Guardia is flooded and remains closed.

Across the country, about 6.5-million homes and businesses are still without power.

Trading resumed after the first two-day weather shut-down since a blizzard paralysed Wall Street back in 1888.

Travellers also breathed a sigh of relief after two major airports reopened on Wednesday.

Kennedy and Newark Liberty airports began reopening with limited flights, as the two major air hubs struggled to get planes back in the air.

New York’s LaGuardia Airport, which suffered far worse damage, still has water on its runways and remains closed.

Meanwhile, New York’s subway system is still down, but limited service will resume on Thursday.

For the hardest-hit communities, vital transport links could take days to come back online.

Meanwhile, about 6.5-million homes and businesses are still without power, including 4-million in New York and New Jersey alone.

Electricity is out as far inland as Wisconsin and as far south as the Carolinas. Drivers have found many gas stations unable to sell them fuel, as traffic systems are still in difficulty.

Now all residents can do is wait for life to get back to normal.

– SA News.gov.za–Xinhua