Hurricane Sandy plowed into Atlantic City, knocking down trees and smashing windows, but the superstorm failed to crash the party at the seaside casino town’s only open bar. At Ducktown Tavern and Liquors, the only bar open in town, about 30 people, many of them police officers, camped out around two long bars with beers and large plates of chicken wings, hamburgers and other comfort food.

In a city built for partying and hedonism, where a wall of multi-storey casinos lines the beach and a multi-million dollar advertising campaign urges you to “Do AC,” this modest bar was the last place you could get a drink.

“Ducktown’s a legend,” declared patron Ben Markum, 35. “It’s like ‘Cheers,’ or something,” he added, referring to the eponymous bar in the long-running US television series.

Markum was defying the evacuation order because he has a party to organise for Halloween. “We’re serious in this town when it comes to partying,” he said.