Dive Summary:

• Power companies are in the process of assessing damage, clearing trees, and restoring electricity to the more than 8.2 million people who lost power during Sandy; according to some utilities, the blackouts may take more than a week to restore.
• The backlash could be heightened if the blackouts persist through the presidential election November 6.
• Lights are already being restored in some of the storm-hit areas, but utilities are prioritizing the recovery efforts, meaning hospitals and other such buildings are restored first.

From the article:

Power companies raced to assess damage, clear trees and begin restoring electricity to more than 8.2 million people left in the dark by super-storm Sandy’s passage through the eastern U.S., warning some blackouts may persist through next week. ...