What was the general opinion of the black outs of coastal cities in the US like throughout WW2? Did complacency set in as the war progressed or was there a static level of anxiety throughout?

by chikindiner

I'm thinking back to the color coded alerts right after 9/11 and how they eventually faded. Was there a similar feeling as the war went on but no attacks came?

RonPossible

Blackouts along the Atlantic coast were often ignored or flat out refused by cities like New York and Atlantic City. Many freighters and tankers were torpedoed within sight of shore, silhouetted against the city lights. On April 10th, 1942, a tanker was torpedoed off Jacksonville, Florida, and onlookers watched as the U-Boat proceeded to surface and shell the ship in full view of the shore. A general blackout wasn't enforced until August, by which time most shipping had started to run daytime only or joined convoys, and the attacks had mostly ended.

Homer Hickam Torpedo Junction: U-Boat War Off America's East Coast, 1942