Metro

Post-Sandy relief for New York City as new supplies arrive, gas-rationing enforced

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(Paul Martinka)

‘STORMING’ THE BEACH: Marines from the 26th Expeditionary Unit arrive via amphibious landing craft yesterday in hard-hit Breezy Point, Queens, to help with recovery efforts. (
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Relief!

New Yorkers battered by Hurricane Sandy finally got a break yesterday with shorter gas lines, an influx of much-needed supplies and the prospect of a warm weekend ahead.

And in another sign of hope, the Statue of Liberty last night was lit for the first time since the storm struck on Oct. 29.

The new gas-rationing system based on odd or even license plates was a hit with many drivers who said it shaved hours off their wait times at the pump.

“It’s even better than Christmas,” said Peter Bedford, 40, who waited as long as seven hours during a previous post-Sandy fill-up only to find that the station ran out.

“It shortened the line. At least you know you can get gas,” he said at a Hess station in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.

Station manager Angel Sanchez, 57, said customers were more patient and less hectic yesterday.

“People are less panicky. For me, the new system is better,” he said.

The system wasn’t entirely perfect — leading to a few fistfights and reducing some drivers to tears.

“I’m about to run out. I just need a little bit,” said Lisa Mehelam, 47, a schoolteacher who had an odd-numbered plate but was still denied gas at a Shell station in Jackson Heights, Queens, that gave priority to cabs.

“I’ve been here every night, and they say I can get gas when the taxis are done, but that never happens,” she cried.

Meanwhile, on Staten Island, supplies for Sandy victims arrived in trucks and helicopters — including enough underwear to clothe the whole borough.

About 40 NYPD volunteers unloaded about 25,000 pounds of donated necessities from seven choppers that touched down at Staten Island University Hospital in the morning.

The items included diapers, juice, water, work gloves, pet food, first-aid kits, bleach, hand sanitizer, baby formula and paper towels.

Soon after, four truckloads of underwear donated by Fruit of the Loom were unloaded at the New York Container Terminal in Port Ivory.

The borough also received trailers of goods trucked in from upstate by the Punishers Law Enforcement motorcycle club.

“It’s finally getting better,” said Michael Lilov, 44, as he picked up toys, blankets and coats from a FEMA station on Father Capodanno Boulevard.

“They gave us new jackets and clothes to wear, and we have food to eat tonight. Now we’re just waiting for the power to come back. If we only had that, the future would look even better.”

But not everyone was rejoicing.

“We’re desperate out here,” said Anna Villafane, 59, of New Dorp Beach, who lost two cars, her roof and the first floor of her house and still had no power. “The community has been gracious. Everything else has been slow.”

“We’re living day by day, and we’re grateful that we’re alive,” she said.

In other post-storm developments:

* Milder temperatures are expected after two weeks of hellish weather.

Today’s high is forecast to be 61 degrees, tomorrow will hit 65 and on Monday it will be sunny and 70.

* The MTA finally restored service on the A train to Howard Beach and added a connecting bus shuttle to Mott Avenue in Far Rockaway. The N train is also now operating its entire route, including through Coney Island, for the first time since the storm.

* Rockaways residents also are getting a new ferry service to and from Manhattan starting Monday.

The ferries — which cost $2 per trip — will make eight morning rush-hour trips from Beach 108th Street and Beach Channel Drive to Manhattan starting at 5:45 a.m.

For the evening rush, the ferry will run five return trips from Pier 11/Wall Street terminal in lower Manhattan. Bicycles are permitted.

* There were 59,180 Con Ed customers without power last night. Roughly 35,000 could not accept electrical service because of flood damage.

“It’s a parallel process with us restoring our equipment and customers restoring theirs,” said John Miksad of Con Ed.

There were still 40,000 Long Island Power Authority customers without power in the Rockaways, Mayor Bloomberg said.

* The White House plans to create a “storm czar” who would lead the Obama administration’s recovery efforts in New York and New Jersey.

Planning began more than a week ago but paused for the election, said an official involved in the planning. The czar would report to the White House and lead a staff funded by the US Homeland Security Department.

“They’re going to need someone to step in once FEMA gets out,” the source said. “This office would basically be a bridge between New York and the ‘federal family.’ There’s going to be a lot of work to do.”

* President Obama will visit the area on Thursday after initially being refused by Bloomberg in the days after Sandy.

“We’re honored to have him. When the first visit was, the president and I agreed it just wasn’t the time to come to New York City because so much stuff was going on here and it was so concentrated,” the mayor said. “We have a long way to go, but we’ve made significant progress since then, and we’re very happy to have him.

* The city and FEMA have created an NYC Rapid Repairs program to fix up homes damaged by the storm.

“Once you’re signed up, a contractor will come to your home, assess the damage, get a work order and, within short order, the work will get done,” Bloomberg said.

Homeowners will not be charged.

* Marines and sailors of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit landed at Breezy Point, Queens, to clear debris from walkways.

Additional reporting by Dana Sauchelli, Kevin Fasick, Ikimulisa Livingston, Selim Algar, David Seifman and Josh Margolin