UK airlines are hoping to resume flights to and from New York later on Wednesday after superstorm Sandy caused widespread devastation, throwing holidaymakers' plans into disarray.
British Airways had to axe most of its services to New York and neighbouring Newark on Tuesday, but hopes to get flights away to both cities later today.
People stop along the Brooklyn waterfront to look at the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline after much of lower New York was left without power
Thousands of Brits remain stranded in the US as Superstorm Sandy wreaks havoc across America and Canada. Imogen Pelham, 24, from London told The Huffington Post UK on Tuesday she was "very frustrated" after getting stranded in South Carolina while attempting to travel to New York for holiday and a few work meetings.
"I'm on my fourth scheduled flight out now, and I'm sure that one will be cancelled too. It's a huge inconvenience, though had I been able to get to New York I still wouldn't have been able to have the meetings I've scheduled and am missing as the city's evacuated," she said.
A beachfront house is completely destroyed in the aftermath of a superstorm Sandy, Tuesday
90mph winds, a 12ft storm surge and widespread power blackouts mean that dozens of flights to and from America's east coast have been cancelled.
Danny Lopez, the British consul-general to New York, said that despite the devastating weather phenomenon leaving a large area of New York devastated, consular staff in the US had only been contacted by 14 UK nationals over the past two days.
Homes in Bethany Beach, Del. are surrounded by floodwaters from superstorm Sandy on Tuesday
He told ITV's Daybreak: "It has been a few hours now since Sandy has left but it has become very clear and very apparent what the path of destruction has been, not just in Manhattan but across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
"It is going to be a long process now towards recovery."
Houses were razed to the ground in Queens, New York
Speaking from Lower Manhattan, Mr Lopez said he had never seen anything like the destruction left by the storm.
"What we are hearing from authorities right now is that it will probably take around three or four days for power to come back here to this area," he added.
BA has not been able to fly to New York or Newark since Sunday afternoon.
Virgin Atlantic, whose services have also been disrupted, is also hoping to fly to the two cities on Wednesday.
BA was able to operate normal services on Wednesday to four other US east coast cities - Boston, Baltimore, Washington DC and Philadelphia.
BA said: "Customer safety with regards to Hurricane Sandy remains our highest priority and following advice from the US authorities we are cancelling the majority of flights to and from New York and Newark on Wednesday.
Customers with confirmed flights only should come to the airport. We are doing all we can to help customers whose flights have been cancelled and will look to use larger aircraft on some routes when the full flying schedule resumes to help get customers to their correct destination as quickly as we can.
"Customers should continue to check ba.com for the very latest information."