'Disconnected from the whole entire world'

iReporter Pankaj Purohit lives five minutes from the boardwalk on Essex Street in Jersey City, New Jersey, which began flooding even before Superstorm Sandy's rains came. iReporter Jon Ferrari took this photograph Monday afternoon, October 29, in Jersey City showing a fully uprooted tree. iReporter Patrick Day snapped this photo from a helicopter while flying over the New Jersey shoreline about four days after Sandy hit. FunTown Amusement Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey, was washed away. The roller coaster was lost. Yards are buried in about 4 feet of sand in Holgate on Long Beach Island. A collapsed house near the Barrier Islands. Sea Bright residents were not allowed back to their neighborhood on Thursday, November 1, and were told they would not be allowed back for another week or so due to gas leaks. On Halloween, residents in Morristown lined up to fill containers with gasoline. While not directly on the coast, Morristown experienced major power outages and some damage from heavy winds and rains brought on by the storm. Eric Nelms was driving to the store in Orange on Tuesday, October 30, when he took this picture. He saw many trees down in his neighborhood, and now that the weather has calmed down, people have begun clearing their yards. This panoramic photo from Hoboken was taken Tuesday. iReporter Michael Small was evacuated from Lower Manhattan and went to a stay with a friend in Hoboken. Hoboken flooded, lost power and the waters smelled "like gas and chemicals," he said. He is now back in New York. John Swords and his neighbors in Hoboken were limited to one outlet -- powered by their apartment building's generator -- to charge their phones. They were told power would be restored in seven days. iReporter Jonathan Otto took this photo from the 14th Street viaduct over the corner of Jefferson and 14th streets in Hoboken on Tuesday. "The Hudson River has turned Hoboken, New Jersey, into one big pond!" he said. Residents try to siphon gasoline out of their flooded car to use in a generator on Thursday in Hoboken. Power had still not been restored to most of the city three days after Sandy's storm surge flooded the area. Loader buckets were lifted to the second stories and even the attics of homes in Toms River. Victims retrieved were then transferred to the beds of dump trucks to be carried to high ground. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Nearly 1.5 million people in New Jersey remain without power Power companies estimate full coverage will be restored by next week Residents are grilling outdoors and relying on friends for electricity and hot water Lines for gasoline are miles long, and the waits are endless (CNN) -- "You're disconnected from the whole entire world," says Gerri Holterhoff, after her mobile phone drops another call. After Superstorm Sandy walloped the East Coast on Monday night, more than 2 million New Jersey residents, such as 62-year-old Holterhoff of Ocean Township, are still without electricity, heat or cell phone service, and they're feeling far removed from normal life. Power has been restored to some households, but nearly 1.5 million customers are still in the dark statewide, and many neighborhoods have been left in disarray. The New Jersey coast saw the worst of the storm. In the town of Toms River and surrounding barrier islands, 200 people had to be pulled to safety from encroaching flood waters. Gov. Chris Christie said the damage along the Jersey Shore was "unthinkable." Opinion: Jersey Shore, I'll miss you Located about four miles inland, the suburban community of Ocean Township wasn't spared. Though she hasn't had to contend with flooding, Holterhoff's neighborhood is a graveyard of broken tree branches, and no one has power for miles around. Since losing electricity, she has learned to be resourceful. She has no choice. For warm food, she has relied on the charcoal-fueled barbecue grill outside. "As food was defrosting, I was taking it out and cooking it. Pot pies, toaster cakes -- anything we could do," she says. Meanwhile, she uses her car battery to charge her cell phone. "Sometimes at night, I'm out there charging the phone and have a flashlight and am reading a book," she says. Sandy stirs up gas leaks in New Jersey Was the government ready for Sandy? Ex-governor trapped in home after Sandy She's able to keep up with the news via radio --"the only connection to the outside world," she says -- with batteries that were a gift from neighbors. As temperatures begin to dip into the low 40s at night, she has taken to pacing the rooms of the house she shares with her husband and dog, wearing multiple layers and a hat and scarf to keep warm. Pockets of discontent, signs of recovery Before the storm, she drove three miles to work. Since the storm, she drives, in gridlock and on back roads because of downed stoplights, to shop for ice, gas or food from one of two grocery stores that are open. She says lines at the gas station are backed up about two to three miles with cars. There's a separate line of people waiting with gas cans to fuel their generators. She must return to her house at 7 p.m. for curfew. On its website, Public Service Electric & Gas Co. (PSE&G) said it may take seven to 10 days to restore power to customers in the areas hit hardest, while Jersey Central Power & Light said the "majority" of customers will get their power back by next Wednesday. "It's eerie. It's very quiet and, as soon as it's dark, you see nothing, you hear nothing, there's nothing going on," she says. That sense has only been amplified for New Jersey residents as stories of looting and petty burglaries have started to circulate. "We've had a 6 p.m. curfew since the storm and heard some alarming rumors about stores being robbed or armed break-ins by people pretending to be from PSE&G," said Ted A'Zary, of Bayonne. "It was pretty scary on Wednesday when our phones weren't really connecting and we weren't sure we could even contact 911 if we had an emergency, but it has gotten better since then." Other concerns are high-risk groups such as children, the elderly and the ill. A'Zary says local firefighters have been checking on older residents in the area to ensure that those in need are receiving aid. "Our largest concern with the lack of heat has been caring for our toddler," said 41-year-old A'Zary. "Violet is 17 months old and doesn't know how to sleep under a blanket yet. We've had her sleeping with a sweater over her pajamas inside a fleece SleepSack and are checking her to be sure she's warm enough after every nap and in the morning." Brendan Ward, a 23-year-old Glen Rock resident, has also added a few layers of blankets since he lost power on Monday afternoon. "You wake up and are glad it's light out. At night, it's dark and not pleasant," he says. For the first half of the week, Ward could not even leave his house, where he lives with his parents, because of downed trees and debris blocking his path. Now, he says, he's staying out of the house as much as possible. In the small town of about 11,000, he can walk to a few of the surrounding businesses that didn't lose power. "I've gone out to eat every night of the week. I went to the same local pizza shop four nights in a row," he says. While Ward has been able to return to his home, some aren't so lucky: 6,922 people and 48 pets were being cared for in 104 shelters as of Friday, according to the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management. The residents we spoke to were sustaining themselves by eating food they'd stocked up before the storm or at local restaurants, but some who live in the state are receiving supplemental food from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. As of Friday afternoon, more than 596,000 liters of water and more than 199,000 meals have been transferred from staging bases in Westover, Massachusetts, and Lakehurst, New Jersey, to affected states to supplement their existing inventory, according to FEMA. Long gas lines test residents' patience While FEMA is helping some, Matt Eckert of Hoboken, who has no power and a flooded basement, is getting by with a little help from his friends. During the day, he showers, charges his phone, eats and drinks at friends' homes with hot water and electricity. "We've really come together as a community. We were all so lucky that our friends had power and, therefore, let us share the bounties of our freezers," says Eckert. "Each night we gathered, drank (didn't want the beer to go warm) cooked and socialized before walking back through the dark streets to our own cold apartments." On Thursday, Eckert's girlfriend's family cooked up a feast in the spirit of Thanksgiving, featuring a turkey that had been frozen since Easter and other food that was just going to go bad anyway. Despite his losses, Eckert realized he had a lot to be thankful for. "Many of us were lucky in Hoboken to only have minimal damage," he said. "There are some in town who were not as fortunate, and it is heartbreaking."

Days left to claim $23 million — winner found

Janet Zappala / NBCLosAngeles.com Julie Cervera addresses a news conference Friday in San Bernardino, Calif., where she accepted her $23 million lottery jackpot. By NBC News staff Five months after the winning ticket was sold and with only 25 days left to claim the prize, the California Lottery has finally found its mystery $23 million SuperLotto Plus jackpot winner: Julie Cervera, 69, of Victorville. The disabled widow with short light hair, surrounded by children and grandchildren, accepted her check on Friday and basked in the media glow, NBCLosAngeles.com reported. "It hasn't hit me yet, but I'm gonna get me some Nikes," she said. With the rest of the money, she said she'd take care of two close friends and her numerous grandchildren, NBCLosAngeles.com reported. She's also planning to buy a house for her daughter who was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. A surveillance image showing her daughter, Charliena Cervera, running into Michael's Market & Liquor in Palmdale was released as part of the lottery's search for the winner of its May 30 drawing, California Lottery officials told NBC News. California Lottery Charliena Cervera is seen in a Palmdale, Calif., market surveillance video running into the store to buy what turned out to be a $23 million jackpot-winning lottery ticket. See the original story at NBCLosAngeles.com | More from NBCLosAngeles.com They had stopped for water driving home from Palmdale, and Julie Cervera gave her daughter money for the the ticket and stuck it in the car's glove compartment. "She just never checked the ticket," Lottery spokesman Alex Traverso said Thursday. "Her daughter took a picture of her photo in the newspaper and sent it to her mother, she went to her car and found the ticket." Stay informed with the latest headlines; sign up for our newsletter If the ticket had not been redeemed by Nov. 26, the winnings would have been transferred to California schools, NBCLosAngeles.com reported. Watch the Top Videos on NBCNews.com The winning ticket numbers were 14, 7, 26, 31, 23 and Mega 5. The store's manager, Ben Sadi, told the San Bernardino Sun the market had already received its $115,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. More content from NBCNews.com: Woman sues Texas police department over ruptured breast implant Lawsuit: Cop stuns 10-year-old with Taser for refusing to clean his patrol car Sandy death toll in US rises to nearly 100; 'could be more,' NYC mayor says Texas teacher reportedly duct taped student's mouth shut ATF: Bombing suspect hurls pipe bombs at police during chase Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Long gas lines test patience

Demand for gas is high, and supplies are low, in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, which walloped the Northeast on Tuesday. Some New York, New Jersey residents waited over four hours to fill up cars, gas cans Demand is high after Superstorm Sandy knocked out mass transit, power Some are filling up cars, others fueling generators for electricity Those with mobile devices used Twitter for real-time information on gas lines (CNN) -- In Brooklyn, a woman pushed a small grocery cart with a single bag inside. In it, a precious possession shielded from prying eyes: a red can filled with gasoline. In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, gasoline might as well be gold. "It has become a hot commodity, so we didn't want to risk it," she said. With lines snaking for blocks -- miles, even -- outside gas stations in New York and New Jersey, tensions occasionally flared as people waited for the chance to to pump gas into cars or gas cans. "The situation is hectic," said Terry Landers, a CNN iReporter in Lebanon, New Jersey. "Many gas stations are either out of gas or (will be) soon." The demand is high, and the fuel isn't just for empty car tanks. Many people still have no electricity and are using gasoline-powered generators, adding to the demand. "As word spreads that somewhere has gas, there are (lines of) cars as long or longer than the one in my video," Landers said. Search for gas gets more desperate Two-hour waits for gas after storm Long gas lines in Northeast after Sandy Mariangel Javier, who is nine months pregnant, said she had been waiting for over five hours to fill up at a gas station in Union City, New Jersey. She had used what little gas she had left to drive to her last doctor's appointment. "But I didn't find out until I got there that they didn't have power either, so now I need gas to get back home," she said. The gas station's manager, Favhan Javed, has been working day and night alongside his staff to keep the station running and was confident that Javier would be able to fill up. "I even stay until after midnight for my friends who are taxi and limousine drivers because they have to feed their families, too," he said. For the most part, people have remained remarkably cool. As a precaution, police are helping to keep the lines in order at some gas stations. In other areas, there was a sense of organized chaos that sometimes veered more toward disorder. At a station in Queens, New York, police arrested a man early Thursday after he cut in line and then pulled out a gun when he was challenged by other residents. Sandy roared ashore Monday night, knocking out power to millions of people, and flooding mass transit systems across the Northeast. Three days later, more than 1 million people in New York and 1.4 million in New Jersey are still without power. The demand for gasoline is only going to rise, with New York's subway system still out of commission -- meaning more people are forced to travel by car -- and a forecast of cold weather for New York and New Jersey this weekend. Most major gas station chains, from ExxonMobil to Hess, were experiencing disruptions. In fact, some 60% of gas stations tracked by AAA in New Jersey were not operational, according to the motorist group. In New York's Long Island, that figure was 65%. Economic impact of gas shortages CNN's Christine Romans explained that a lot of the closed gas stations simply don't have electricity to operate their pumps, while others cannot get gasoline delivered to the station from the refinery because of blocked roads or other logistical problems created by the storm. And there doesn't seem to be any relief in sight: gas shortages could stretch "though the weekend and into the next," according to Matt Smith, an analyst for Summit Energy. To cope with the overwhelming demand, some stations limited their services to emergency vehicles only. Other stations only provided gas for people's gas cans, and not their cars. Many gas stations set limits to how much gas each person could pump: maybe $20, or maybe $50. Desperate residents -- who at least had enough power to charge their mobile devices -- used social media to try to avoid long lines or empty gas stations. Twitter users in New Jersey created the hashtags #njgas and #njopen to provide real-time information on open gas stations, the length of the line, and any restrictions. "Bp gas on French street near jersey ave in New Brunswick is open and line is less than 30 minutes," tweeted @johnnymatson. "This guy turned a blocked driveway into a business opp for those of us in line for gas," tweeted @AmyMJ2, along with an Instagram picture of a man smiling behind a table with two coffee dispensers. Some Twitter messages revealed that red gas cans were quickly becoming just as scarce as gasoline itself. Others offered some humorous perspective on the situation: Charles Leone, offered this: "Some perspective. The NYC marathon winner will run the marathon in less time than the average (gas) lines." CNN's Susan Candiotti, Aaron Smith and Cindy Rodriguez contributed to this report.

Sandy has election officials scrambling

Officials in three states say voter turner may be affected by Sandy Many voters will have more pressing personal matters to attend to Election Day Some polling stations are being consolidated Technology, electricity are among the concerns Washington (CNN) -- When Superstorm Sandy rocked the Eastern Seaboard earlier this week, uncertainty over Tuesday's election began to creep into the minds of those who have spent months organizing it. Though polling places up and down the East Coast were still without power Friday, Sandy's impact is most noticeable in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, scene of widespread flooding, power outages and hurricane-force winds. Elections officials from counties across New Jersey -- especially in the hardest hit areas on the coast and around Manhattan -- are concerned that turnout in Tuesday's presidential election will be affected by the damage. While many county clerk officials reported lobbies full of people waiting to vote early and take advantage of extended registration windows, polling places across the state have been consolidated -- leading some to worry that confusion could reign Tuesday. "I think it will affect turnout," said John Currie, a board of elections commissioner in Passaic County. "When people are worried about where they are going to live tomorrow, some people have more important things to think about." In an effort to give people more time to cast an early, the Secretary of State's office in New Jersey directed all county clerk offices to stay open this Saturday and Sunday. In Bergen County, 327 locations have been consolidated to make up for those areas that still don't have power. At each displaced polling place, election organizers hope to have officials directing voters to the correct polling place. The hope is that these officials will ease confusion and help smooth the balloting process. "People are interested," said Patti DiCostanzo, superintendent of elections in Bergen County. "We are moving forward the best we can and giving the voters every opportunity to vote in this election." In Sussex County, out of the 76 original locations, 31 have been consolidated and some have been moved to completely new locations. Marge McCabe, administrator of the Board of Elections in Sussex County, said there will be notices posted at closed locations about where voters should go. "I do think it will affect the way people are voting," McCabe said. "I think that everyone has their priorities, and for those who have power and have heat, their priority may be different than those who don't." "We are trying to make it as easy as we can for folks to vote," said McCabe. "That is our No. 1 goal." Many electronic voting machines -- used now by two out of every five counties nationwide, according to the Voting Technology Project -- often require consistent power to work for the long hours they are needed on Election Day, even though some have battery power. Poll organizers in New Jersey say that generators and battery-powered poll machines will ensure that power is not an issue at polling places. Admittedly, says Joanne Arena, deputy administrator of the Union County Board of Elections, the batteries "only last a few hours." If electricity remains out in some areas Tuesday, officials may have to scramble to find alternatives, including paper ballots. That may be the case in New York, another state rocked by Sandy, where many houses are either without power or underwater. New York uses optical scanners, a process that doesn't necessarily need power at each polling station -- although that would be desirable. If power were not available, voter's ballots would be kept in a lock box underneath the optical scanner, and at the end of the day the box would be transported to a ballot office with power. The issue: That sort of balloting would noticeably delay the reporting of election results. "That is unavoidable," said John Conklin, spokesperson for the New York State Board of Elections. "The local boards are assessing their poll sites as we speak. They are looking to see what the power situation is, whether the site is accessible to the general public and whether the board can move voting machines in and out of the site," Conklin said. "When they are done with that assessment, they will start making plans for alternate poll sties." The state board's goal, however, is to minimize the number of poll sites that need to be consolidated and moved. Although moving some sites is "completely unavoidable," Conklin said, "even if it is lacking power and we can still use it, we are going to use every effort to do that." Like other officials, Conklin realizes that voter turnout may be affected by the damage Sandy has left in its wake. "I think it is really difficult to predict that, but obviously there are some people who have had a major disruption in their life," Conklin said. "Voting is not going to be the major priority in their life." In Connecticut, between 90 and 95 polling locations were still without power, according to the Secretary of State Denise Merrill. That number is an improvement: Thursday upward of 100 polling locations were out of power. "We still have some polling places that lack electricity, and both power utilities have assured us they are working very hard to restore power to these locations as soon as possible," Merrill wrote in a press release. "We will be ready to vote next Tuesday no matter what, and the preferences would be not to move or consolidate any polling locations unless absolutely necessary." Merrill and her staff have been working with local, state and federal officials -- including President Barack Obama -- to ensure the validity of the voting process. One concern expressed by Merrill is that in an effort to get life back to normal -- and get children back to school -- many local schools have decided to open on November 6, the same day as the election. This was "a change from previous plans to close school for Election Day so the school facilities could be used as polling precincts," says a press release from her office. Even with possible problems at the polls, the likelihood that the election will be moved -- or an extension given for the affected counties -- is slim. Only Congress can change Election Day, according to an 1845 law. If it opts to alter the timetable -- something never previously done -- every state would have to be included. The same law also says that if a state "shall fail to make a choice" on Election Day, then electors to the Electoral College may be appointed on a "subsequent day" as determined by state law. CNN's Allison Brennan contributed to this report.