New York authorities said Sandy killed at least 40 people in the city © AFP Timothy A. Clary
New Jersey, which President Barack Obama visited on Wednesday, has emerged as the state with the most widespread destruction.
Some 1.8 million people there had no electricity more than three days after the storm struck and fuel shortages caused huge queues of cars at gas stations.
Obama and Republican White House challenger Mitt Romney resumed full campaigning on Thursday five days out from a nailbiter election, although the tone of their attacks was more muted in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Aboard Air Force One as he launched an ambitious swing through four vital battleground states, Obama took the time to call the governors of worst-hit states New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, the White House said.
Meanwhile, the first subway trains brought some cheer to New York City.
A skeleton service started just before dawn and trains were quickly packed. Train rides were to be free on Thursday and Friday. “It is not comfortable, but it is a huge relief to get moving again,” said commuter Dave Stetman.
In a bid to avoid traffic gridlock, Bloomberg said that until Friday cars entering Manhattan must carry at least three people. Police set up checkpoints at bridges and turned back hundreds of cars.
Some heartbreaking stories have emerged from the storm.
Two brothers, aged two and four, were swept from their mother’s arms in the floods as the family tried to escape the rising seas in Staten Island in the New York suburbs.
Glenda Moore’s car became stuck in the water and she was carrying the boys to seek help when they were swept away, the New York Post said. The boys, Connor aged four and Brandon aged two, were found dead.
Others victims were electrocuted or drowned in flooded basements. A growing number of people were killed by poisoning from the fumes given off by diesel generators put into use since the storm.
The Shell oil company said that Sandy triggered an oil spill in the waters off New York and said cleanup efforts were under way.
The Coast Guard, which is overseeing the cleanup, said refinery operator Motiva had estimated up to 300,000 gallons (1.1 million liters) of diesel fuel had leaked from the plant at Sewaren, New Jersey.
New York police said 28 people had been detained for looting in the Coney Island and Rockaway Beach districts.
Hurricane Sandy brought devastation throughout the Caribbean before hitting the United States and Canada. The overall death is now at least 163.
The Coast Guard also called off the search for the missing captain of a replica of the HMS Bounty merchant vessel, which went down in high seas of the Carolinas.
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