Updated Oct. 30, 2012, 2:54 p.m.

Superstorm Sandy left behind only a modest mess Tuesday morning in Foggy Bottom, paving the way for classes to resume Wednesday after a rare two-day cancellation.

The only remnants of the storm appeared to be soggy streets and toppled newspaper bins – with trees, construction sites and even bike stands mostly holding firm. Throughout the neighborhood, pumpkins and flower pots still stood on townhouse porches Tuesday morning.

The rain seemed to leave the biggest impact, soaking University Yard and seeping into some residence halls. Crews also cleaned up fallen limbs around the Metro, leaving piles of chopped wood by 9 a.m. Provost Steven Lerman said in an Infomail Tuesday afternoon that in the wake of the storm, he asked faculty to accommodate requests for extensions on assignments.

The Vern Express, which stopped service last night, resumed back Tuesday around 8:30 a.m. Residents of the Mount Vernon Campus lost power for several hours Monday, but students reported that electricity was back before nightfall. The Washington Metro Area Transit Authority will also restore service at 2 p.m. with on trains and rails running on a Sunday schedule.

Classes are canceled Tuesday. Federal and city offices, as well as the city’ public schools and universities, are also closed as part of the biggest East Coast shutdown in recent memory.

Sandy, which was stripped of its hurricane status Monday due to its unique meteorological makeup, is expected to bring only mild rain and wind the rest of Tuesday. Businesses along the Potomac River – including on the Georgetown Waterfront, which was ravaged by flooding in April 2011 – are still bracing for flooding as waters rise.

– Sarah Ferris contributed to this report