Hurricane Sandy left a wake of destruction in its path. Many residents of the hard-hit Northeast are still dealing with the aftermath of power outages and dangerous road conditions. If you're one of the lucky ones with access to electricity and have a cellphone or laptop with a charge left, there are some websites and social media channels that can keep you informed of your city's latest updates. A number of cities have been utilizingTwitter andFacebook to keep residents informed about their neighborhood's post-Sandy status. Elected officials have taken to Twitter to post updates in 140 characters. The official Twitter account for the governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo,@NYGovCuomo has been postingInstagram photos of neighborhoods, plus subway and public transit updates, and other information, like how many people are without power. NumerousofficialFacebook pages for states, counties and towns have been posting helpful updates, likethis one that shows where to fill-up your tank in New Jersey. (New Jersey residents are using the Twitter hashtag #njgas to post about where the lines are shortest, according to a reporter atnj.com). On Wednesday morning, many New Jersey city governments sent out notifications via cellphone that Halloween trick-or-treating would be postponed because of the downed power lines and flooded areas that have made many neighborhoods hazardous. The Village ofRidgewood, New Jersey notified residents through an automated call. The Township of Mahwah, New Jersey did the same - with a reserve 911 call to tell residents not to venture outside. To receive notifications, visit your town's official website or Facebook page to see if such a service exists for your neighborhood or county. To receive notifications from New York City, sign up forNotifyNYC by calling 311. You can check the updates on the website or you'll receive them on your cellphone. If you have a working smartphone, you might want to try The Weather Channel app foriOS andAndroid. It wasrecommended, for the most part, by the Twitterverse. How have you been getting updates about your neighborhood? Tell us in the comments. Credit: Mashable composite, photo courtesy Flickr,Anthony Quintano
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