The
costs of Superstorm Sandy's devastation on Long Island will top $8
billion, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday, vowing to ask for federal
assistance to cover the costs.
The news came on the same day the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved $680 million for the state, with more than $277 million going towards Long Island.
In
total, New York's bill for recovery and prevention costs near $42
billion for the state, Cuomo said at a joint meeting with county
executives for Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk as well as New York City
Mayor Michael Bloomberg. More than $9 billion of that would be used for
prevention costs, with the rest accounting for the state's recovery (see
full chart below).
"The
devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy is of unprecedented proportions,
ranking among the worst natural disasters in our nation's history in
terms of loss of life, property damage, and economic impact," Cuomo said
in a statement.
While
LI's totals were higher than the costs for Westchester and Rockland
Counties, New York City costs are estimated to top $15 billion.
Prevention
costs would include flood proofing at area sewage plants, a particular
problem along the South Shore of Long Island where many plants were
swamped and leaked into bays and neighborhoods.
While
Cuomo's statement included a host of quotes from politicians supporting
the governor in pushing for federal reimbursement, Sen. Charles Schumer
did caution that the looming budget showdown in Washington could slow
down the process.
"Make
no mistake, this will not be an easy task, particularly given the
impending fiscal cliff, and a Congress that has been much less friendly
to disaster relief than in the past. This will be an effort that lasts
not weeks, but many months, and we will not rest until the federal
response meets New York's deep and extensive needs," the senator said in
the statement.
Here
is the governor's full breakdown of costs as well as his comparison to
the damage Sandy did in New York compared to devastation in the South
following Hurricane Katrina.
To view more information and a chart with full recovery and prevention
costs, click here.
This story was written by Henry Powderly.
Cuomo: LI Restoration Tops $8 Billion
Governor hopes federal cash will help cover the costs after Sandy. So far, FEMA has pledged $277 million for Long Island.
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pat conway June 12, 2013 at 02:10 pm
just reading Jane Goodall with my son for school and came across this quote of an amazing woman…Read More "every individual matters, every individual has a role to play, every individual makes a difference." that is what makes our nation, our village so great everyone has an opinion whether we agree with it or not. It just saddens me to think some may not voice their opinion in the future because of the rather harsh comments which I'm sure were just meant to get a point across rather than be hurtful. Garden City residents are not afraid to get involved, to stand up for what they believe in and I am proud to live here.
GcSupporter#2 June 12, 2013 at 04:15 pm
"If there is no discipline, there is anarchy. Good citizenship demands attention to…Read More responsibilities as well as rights."
- Principal Joe Clark
pat conway June 12, 2013 at 05:00 pm
Thank you GcSupporter#2 I love quotes! tells so much about the person and their beliefs and life...I…Read More had to look up Principal Joe Clark after that....definitely a man I'd like to learn more about. I always try to use quotes with my children and their school work - I think the spoken and written word of others is so important!
Carisa Giardino (Editor) June 6, 2013 at 12:15 pm
Thanks Julie for letting everyone know about this important event right here in Garden City!
There are too many people in the NY metropolitan area who speak (or write) before thinking, and maybe this sense of reality from Mer will put them in their place, and open their eyes to the real world. Stop whining, and start helping.
Does anyone know about GRANTS available for the victims of Sandy. There's plenty of loans that can put families further underwater. Need GRANTS available for true middle class. Families that work & pay taxes. Thank you. STRONG BEACH WILL COME BACK AGAIN!
NEW BUILDs should be pier/stilt built. allowing for water passage UNDER the structure. These are codes that MOSt other States with coastal communities have. As well NO trees within certain footage from power lines. The COST should be borne by the homeowners with ZERO interest loans from the governemnt or grants based on abillity to repay. As well ALL homes on or near the water should NOT be allowed to heat homes with oil and should be natural gas only. Again these conversions should be funded by the homeowner with ZERO interest financing from the gov.
In recent years home insurance companies have instituted deductibles for "hurricanes" that are based on a percentage of the maximum for the policy, rather than based on a fixed amount of dollars for non-hurricane incidents. I can recall the notice from my own company, and realized where I previously had a $1,000 deductible for wind damage, I would face a deductible of something like $9,000 if the damage was created by a NOAA-desighnated hurricane. As to the rest of your commentary, you are taking an extremist position that fails to take into account the status quo ante; people have lived in most of those locations for generations, so please don't be so harsh on them. On the other hand, if you want to propose something sensible, like a time limit on residing within specific designated high risk areas, that would at least take into account generational history while recognizing the ultimate futility in living within certain boundaries. We need less vitriol and more understanding creativity to solve what everyone now realizes is a problem. This won't be the last catastrophic storm, so we better move towards more sustainable arrangements.
Most people who need help are widows or widowers living on pensions and they pay plenty for flood insurance and home owners insurance, many have actually lost their income from rental apts when tenants got flooded out. Please think before you write..............someday it could be you waiting for someone to decide how much their ins co is going to pay and if they can afford the balance,FEMA has so far only supplied temp housing money . I guess you were lucky to not be affected at all by Sandy !
In the short run, there needs to be rebuilding. Many people have virtually their entire asset portfolio in their houses, and you can't yank the rug out from these folks at this time. But, over the long run (TBD), there needs to be a buyout (at market value) by Federal entities so that high risk land can revert to a more natural state.