Nor'easter bears down on New York City, complicating Superstorm Sandy recovery efforts

Weather-weary New Yorkers got the last thing they wanted just nine days after Hurricane Sandy’s cruel assault: Heavy, wet snow. Sleet. More rain. And more travel woes.

A wicked nor’easter packing 60 mph gusts and a freak autumn snowfall whacked the city Wednesday, threatening a reprise of last week’s power outages and flooding from the departed superstorm. Travel was slow and dangerous, and in some cases, nonexistent.

The Long Island Rail Road suspended service around 7 p.m. and a portion of the Long Island Expressway was closed in both directions. Limited service was restored hours later — with major delays.

"It's been really a pain to commute to work this week, and today we have even more delays," said Cassandra Castillo, 24, who waited for a train at Penn Station. "This whole week has been very difficult. Even when they are running they are so crowded. You wait for three trains before you can get on."       

Traffic was diverted in both directions on the Jackie Robinson Parkway around 9:45 p.m. due to a downed tree.

And at least 16,000 Con Edison customers lost power due to the wretched weather, according to a spokesman for the utility.

The storm was poised to dump 3 inches of snow — and it was only the first week of November.

“Everybody has major anxiety after what we just experienced a week ago,” said Anthony Ferrante, who was waiting for an insurance adjuster to inspect his Staten Island house just 300 yards from the shoreline. “I think everybody’s freaked out about what happened.”

The absence of locusts and frogs was about the only bright spot in the plague of miserable weather that has more than 64,000 city residents still living without power.

More than half of them face a longer wait for electricity than first thought because of saltwater damage to their power panels and wiring, said Mayor Bloomberg.

The city has restored heat and hot water to 263 public housing buildings, down from the 386 buildings that lost such basic amenities after Sandy hit.

There are still 79 buildings — out of 402 buildings citywide — that don’t have power. Those buildings are mainly in Coney Island, Red Hook and Far Rockaway, the mayor’s office said.

Bloomberg was optimistic that the second storm wouldn't hamper efforts to clean up the massive mess left by the hurricane.

“Our expectation is that (Thursday) we will be back working and it will not slow down,” he said.

The worst of the nor’easter was expected to come as the night wore on, while the mix of snow and rain was forecast to continue into Thursday afternoon — creating a nasty, slippery morning commute.

Sustained winds of 30 mph were expected through the evening, along with near-freezing temperatures. Hours after the storm hit, Nassau authorities closed a portion of the LIE between Old Westbury and Jericho due to icy conditions.

Coastal flood warnings were posted for sections of lower Manhattan, Staten Island, Queens and the Bronx that are still recovering from the hurricane’s blast.

Just before 9 p.m., City Councilman David Greenfield tweeted that parts of Far Rockaway that had regained power post-Sandy had lost it again thanks to the nor’easter. The MTA also said some bus lines in the area still struggling to recover were suspended due to the wretched weather.

Storm surges were expected to reach up to 4 feet – well below the record 14-foot swells caused by Sandy. The next high tide is early Thursday morning.

Residents at the southern tip of Manhattan only returned home this past weekend, and now face the possibility of more New York Harbor flooding.

Staten Islanders shared the same fears as their cohorts across the harbor. But forecasters suggested the storm may weaken before unleashing its worst on the city, sparing both boroughs from further flooding.

There were widespread reports on Twitter Wednesday evening of falling tree branches blocking streets or taking down power lines, but nothing compared with the misery inflicted by the hurricane. Officials worried damage could still occur as the winds gust up to 60 mph.

“We’re continuing to clear out debris and restore electricity,” Bloomberg said, adding 130,000 tons of storm debris was removed in the last week.

As the city braced for the new storm, the hurricane claimed its 41st victim. William McKeon, 78, died Tuesday night from injuries suffered inside his Rockaway home during the earlier storm.

The city opted not to impose mandatory evacuation in any of the five boroughs as the wintry mix began falling around lunchtime.

But the mayor dispatched police patrol cars to make loudspeaker announcements advising residents to consider evacuating their homes in Breezy Point, Hamilton Beach and Gerritsen Beach.

“If you were experiencing significant flooding during Sandy, you should consider taking shelter with friends or family in a safer spot, or using one of the city's storm shelters,” Bloomberg said.

The city did empty three nursing homes and an adult-care facility on the Rockaway Peninsula.

More than 600 residents were moved from the four locations, which were still using generators for electricity more than a week after the hurricane zapped their power.

Bloomberg shut down all city parks and beaches through noon Thursday and suspended all outside construction work citywide — a reminder of the crane Sandy left dangling over midtown.

There was some good news: The Holland Tunnel was completely reopened, and the Queens-Midtown Tunnel could reopen this weekend, Bloomberg said.

Still, the threat of more lousy weather or potential power outages left New Yorkers cursing their fate.

Newspaper vendor David Thompson looked at the sky in disbelief Wednesday afternoon. “First the hurricane, now this,” he griped. “We’ve suffered enough, definitely. That’s snow. Snow!”

Brooklynite Amanda Feluccio, 26, agreed.

“It’s insane at this point — snow with the nor’easter right after the hurricane,” said Feluccio, 26, of Dyker Heights. “I hope the people who were hit hard are okay.”

The steady precipitation was just another obstacle to overcome for drivers stuck in gas lines, their tanks and nearly empty and their patience nearly gone.

Livery cab driver Abu Jacty, 44, spent seven hours in two different lines Wednesday without putting a drop of gas into his car. His daughter waited with him, sitting in the back seat.

“It’s worse than during the hurricane, because now everybody is out to get gas,” he said. “But I’ve got to work. I’ve got to consider my kid. I’ve got to get gas. I’ve got to get gas.”  

The weather caused problems at all three major local airports, with at least 1,300 flights canceled. United Airlines and American Airlines suspended their service starting Wednesday afternoon. Travelers were urged to contact their carriers before coming to the airport.

The city still has shelters available for residents who can’t relocate with family or friends, and it was still running buses to the shelters in those at-risk areas.

There were also 200 “warming centers” opened citywide for any residents needing a bit of heat and electricity as they wait for their power to return.

The warmth of the sun should return Friday, with clear skies and temperatures back up into the 50s.

Bloomberg said the mayor’s relief fund was up to $32 million, boosted by $2 million from an unidentified donor and $10 from another anonymous New Yorker.

FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said it had approved $156 million in disaster relief for New York families and individuals.