Will Superstorm Sandy put a damper on Halloween festivities?

According to USA Today, the storm caused the cancellation to countless parties along the East Coast, closed pumpkin patches and hit hard on retailers that depend on last-minute shopping. The Halloween holiday was expected to generate $8 billion in sales, the paper notes.

The risk of downed limbs and darkened streets led many communities in affected areas to postpone traditional trick-or-treating.

In the Boston suburb of Norwell, Mass. community leaders voted to move trick or treating to Saturday, Nov. 3. Communities around Pittsburg are also rescheduling Halloween events for this weekend, television station KDKA reported.

Cathy Kramer, of Catonsville, has begun a campaign to move Halloween to Friday, Nov. 2., and said she posted a comment on Facebook to foster discussion on the subject.

"I'm on a crusade to have Halloween moved," she wrote to Patch. "Just can't see it happening tomorrow night with all the fuss of Sandy."

Whether Halloween trick-or-treating can be done safely depends on conditions over the next 24 hours, according to police spokeswoman Elise Armacost.

"Police, fire and public works crews are working around the clock today, tonight and into tomorrow to clear the roads and sidewalks of downed wires and trees," Armacost said in email. "If Halloween were tonight, we would strongly discourage trick or treating."

"If the weather improves tomorrow and our crews have finished the cleanup, communities probably can proceed with trick or treating—but with even more caution than usual," she said. "Friday certainly will be a much better day in all respects, and holding Halloween festivities on that night certainly is an option for communities to consider."