After Blizzard, Northeast Begins to Dig Out - East Idaho News
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After Blizzard, Northeast Begins to Dig Out

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LongIslandSnow?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1360426871347MTA Long Island Rail Road(NEW YORK) — The Northeast began the arduous process of cleaning up after a fierce storm swept through the region leaving behind up to three feet of snow in some areas.

The storm stretched from New Jersey to Maine, affecting more than 25 million people, with more than two feet of snow falling in areas of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

Nearly 600,000 customers are without power in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine, according to reports from electric companies on Saturday afternoon.

As the storm waned, officials in the hardest hit areas cautioned residents to remain indoors and off the roads to ease the clean-up.

Massachusetts was hard hit by the storm, with more than two feet of snow in Boston and even more in coastal areas. State police and national guard troops helped rescue more than 50 stranded motorists and even helped deliver a baby girl, according to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.

Patrick enacted the first statewide driving ban since the 1978 blizzard, which left 27 inches of snow and killed dozens. The ban was lifted at 4 p.m. on Saturday, the governor said.

However, Patrick cautioned residents to act with extreme caution even after the ban is over.

In New York, a little more than 11 inches fell in the city.

By Saturday morning, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said nearly all of the primary roads had been plowed and the department of sanitation anticipated that all roads would be plowed by the end of the day.

“It looks like we dodged a bullet, but keep in mind winter is not over,” said Bloomberg.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

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