Gov. Andrew Cuomo has sent a letter to President Barack Obama requesting the maximum authorized reimbursement in federal aid for New York’s response to and recovery to Hurricane Sandy in a counties that are declared to be disaster areas. He said in the letter that initial estimates project Sandy’s impact in terms of lost economic revenue could be up to $6 billion. New York City is the world’s leading financial hub and the largest port on the northeastern seabord, he wrote.
“Our counties are responding to the continued impacts of multi-building fires, tunnel closures, power losses to hospitals and other critical infrastructure, destroyed homes and sheltered populations —all in the midst of historic flooding that has complicated emergency response operations exponentially,” he wrote. “Moreover, the cost to restore the complex electrically driven subway and rail transportation systems after total inundation from saltwater flooding will place a tremendous financial burden on New York State.”
The governor said he will ask New York’s congressional delegation to adopt legislation that would permit the federal government to reimburse New York for 100 percent of its costs. Currently, the maximum reimbursement is 90 percent, Cuomo said.
This is the full letter:
Gov Letter
