Day 1: As Hurricane Sandy approached the coastline, spectators in Chinatown ventured to the East River.
Day 1: Anticipating the worst, the MTA barricaded the South Ferry station. Water ultimately flooded the station.
Day 1: As the storm made landfall, the East River crossed two city blocks, half submerging a parked vehicle.
Day 1: After flooding cut power to Lower Manhattan, lights on the Manhattan side of the Manhattan Bridge shut off.
Day 2: After the storm passed, residents in the Lower East Side of Manhattan ventured out to inspect the damage.
Day 2: Residents who did not anticipate a power outage crowded a 99-cent store selling flashlights in the dark.
Day 3: Building supers began the process of pumping river water out of the Knickerbocker Village housing complex.
Day 3: With building pumps damaged, residents resorted to filling pots of water from a nearby drinking fountain.
Day 4: Four days after Hurricane Sandy made landfall, much of the Financial District was still in the dark.
Day 4: The iconic Woolworth Building eerily dark.
Day 4: The hulking Smith Houses complex in Chinatown loomed over car-lit streets, the only source of light.
Day 5: The National Guard unloaded bottles of water in Confucius Plaza. Most of the building still had no water.
Day 5: The National Guard distributed ready-made meals at the Alfred E. Smith Playground in Chinatown.
Day 5: National Guard soldiers met at the Alfred E. Smith Playground.
Day 6: The New York City Department of Environmental Protection opened up fire hydrants for affected residents.
Day 6: A gas shortage in New York City prompted residents in Chinatown to horde gas and fill from their own tanks.
Day 6: Frustrated with the lack of heat and power, residents in Knickerbocker Village decided to withhold rent.
Day 7: In response, building supers in Knickerbocker Village ordered large mobile boilers to heat apartments.
Day 7: The last National Guard truck prepared to leave Chinatown after power was restored to Lower Manhattan.
Day 7: A return to normalcy as a Chinatown fish market emptied its expired stock after a week without power.
