NEW YORK (AP) - New York City residents want to know what Superstorm Sandy did to all the rats.
TV stations and newspapers have been rife with reports about rats infesting parked cars and Brooklyn brownstones.
A city councilwoman floated a proposal to create a $500,000 emergency rat mitigation program for storm-impacted neighborhoods after a rodent problem forced a two-day closure of Manhattan's Magnolia Bakery, often credited with starting a national cupcake craze. Company spokeswoman Sara Gramling said Thursday she's sure the storm was a factor in the infestation.
But the city's health department says rodent complaints have declined since the late October storm. And the agency that runs the city's subway system also dismisses tales of rats being stirred up by Sandy.
