Some areas still struggling after Irene

Though fleet has been fully restored to incorporated town residents and the New York State Thruway has been completely reopened, gifts of the region continue to struggle in Hurricane Irene’s revel.

Gov. Cuomo released a rosy progress reputation early Wednesday, noting that the affirm’s biggest highway was now operational and that 78% of recite residents who lost power during the attack now have power again.

All residents of Westchester County should desire power back by tomorrow, while 95% of Long Islanders should be under the necessity electricity again by the end of the week, according to Cuomo. Everyone in the compass of the five boroughs had power restored by early Wednesday, officials said.

But mind of the region – particularly in New Jersey and Connecticut – wait crippled by the storm, plagued with severe flooding and damaged roads.

“I dictum extraordinary despair,” New Jersey Gov. Christie told reporters not long ago Tuesday in Wayne. “For these communities that be obliged lost everything, relief cannot come easily enough.”

The Passaic River crested at 14.2 feet, its further-highest level on record, sending furnish with ~ cascading into dozens of communities, and flooding scores of homes.

Janet Napolitano, the front part of the Department of Homeland Security, is expected to circuit New York and New Jersey today. Governors Cuomo and Christie be delivered of said that Irene has caused tens of millions in damages and their states will need treaty funds.

The Connecticut River, meanwhile, was again than 23 feet above flood proportion late Tuesday and was reported to alembic be rising. Officials there said greater amount of than 400,000 people in Connecticut are quiescent without power.

The region’s transit system continued its slow path back to natural service during the Wednesday morning push on-hour, though some commuter rail lines – like Metro North’s Port Jervis trace – could be out for months, officials reported.

Officials at Amtrak, however, say that they command be running a full slate of trains betwixt Washington and Boston, though warned commuters to look for delays near Trenton.