Mid-Atlantic States Begin Cleaning Up After Sandy

From the Carolinas to New York City, state and local authorities have begun the long process of cleaning up billions of dollars in damage and restoring power to millions after Hurricance Sandy hit the region Monday.

According to the New York Times, 8.5 million people are without power as a result of the storm. Total damage will likely take weeks to compile. Bloomberg has reported that initial estimates place the fiscal toll at $20 billion.

The Times compiled state-by-state power outage figures:

• New Jersey: 2.5 million
• New York: 2.3 million
• Pennsylvania: 1.2 million
• Connecticut: 615,000
• Maryland: 290,000
• Massachusetts: 290,000
• West Virginia: 271,000
• Ohio: 250,000
• New Hampshire: 210,000
• Virginia: 180,000
• Rhode Island: 110,000
• Maine: 86,000
• Michigan: 79,000
• Delaware: 45,000
• Washington, D.C.: 25,000
• Vermont: 10,000
• North Carolina: 6,600.

The estimated death toll stands at more than 50. In Queens, 80 to 100 flooded homes were reported to be on fire. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the city's schools would remain closed on Wednesday, and the subway system could be closed for four days or more. Up to 750,000 people are without power in the city, and about 6,000 have been forced into shelters.

Across the river in New Jersey, officials are dealing with an equally daunting challenge. According to the Times, Gov. Chris Christie said 2.5 million people are without power. About 5,500 people have been placed in shelters, and another 2,000-person shelter will soon open at Rutgers University. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Salvation Army are distributing food to residents. Newark Mayor Cory Booker tweeted that his city's schools would also remain closed on Wednesday.

Christie said at .a Tuesday press conference that Hurricance Irene took eight days to clean up and Sandy "may take longer."

In Washington, D.C., at least 120,000 homes were still without power as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the Washington Post. The Metro system resumed partial service on Tuesday, with full service to be restored on Wednesday.

Federal offices were closed Tuesday, although they are scheduled to reopen Wednesday. Likewise, the D.C. government offices and public schools are set to resume operations Wednesday.

More than 1 million homes and businesses in eastern Pennsylvania also lost power, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, although some have since been restored.

The Whie House has announced that President Barack Obama will travel to New Jersey Wednesday to survey Sandy's damage with Christie.

According to the Associated Press, North Carolina officials have advised drivers to avoid the roads if possible and some major highways remain obstructed.