A resident named Juliet, who lived in Bergen County in New Jersey, one of the hardest-hit areas by Sandy, told Xinhua that her family will continue to live in a house with its roof missing. "The new storm slows the region's pace to revive its infrastructure," she said, "But things are not worse, and for that I am thankful."

Ahead of the storm, public works crews in New Jersey built up dunes to protect the stripped and battered coast, and new evacuations were ordered in a number of communities already emptied by Sandy. New shelters opened.

All construction in New York City was halted, and parks were closed because of the danger of falling trees.

At least 1,300 U.S. flights were canceled in and out of the New York metropolitan area, causing a new round of disruptions that rippled across the country.

Sandy killed more than 100 people in 10 states, with most of the victims in New York and New Jersey. Long lines persisted at gas stations though shorter than they were days ago.

Photo taken on Nov. 7, 2012 shows a snow-covered New Jersy, the United States. An early-winter storm hits eastern U.S. after Hurricane Sandy, bringing snow, rain and high winds. [Chinanews.com]