Hurricane Sandy Damage Assessment Meeting Held

Participants Included Governor Cuomo, New York's Congressional Delegation, Mayor Bloomberg amd Regional County Executives

Governor Andrew Cuomo today held a briefing with New York State's Congressional delegation, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and County Executives from Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester Counties to review a detailed assessment of the damage and future mitigation/prevention costs as a result of Hurricane Sandy, as well as discuss the state's approach to seeking supplemental federal assistance to help cover the repair and restoration costs.

The cost of the storm, as estimated in consultation with private firms including PricewaterhouseCoopers and the PFM Group, as well as the city and the counties, includes:

$32.8 billion in repair and restoration costs 

$9.1 billion in mitigation and prevention costs

"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," Governor Cuomo said.

"Today's meeting with our state's Congressional delegation builds upon the close cooperation between local, state, and federal partners that has existed throughout Hurricane Sandy and in the storm's aftermath. Working together, we will rebuild stronger and better than ever before, so New York State is better prepared and has the infrastructure in place to handle future major weather incidents."

The focus of the delegation meeting today was on the $32.8 billion in repair and response costs and the need for $9.1 billion in mitigation/prevention expenses, which break down into the following categories:

Recovery and Prevention Costs ($ in millions)
New York City	$15,045.10
Nassau County	$6,602.60
Suffolk County	$1,784.90
Westchester County	$527.80
Rockland County	$143.70
Other Counties	$18.10
Utilities	$1,504.00
New York State Agencies and Transit Authorities	$7,177.90
Total Recovery	$32,804.10
Total Prevention and Mitigation	$9,080.80
TOTAL RECOVERY AND PREVENTION	$41,884.90

Recovery Costs ($ in millions)
Government Response	$1,627.30
Individual Assistance	$913.30
Housing	$9,672.00
Business Impact	$6,000.00
Health	$3,081.00
Schools	$342.70
Transit, Roads and Bridges	$7,348.10
Parks and Environment	$793.90
Water, Waste and Sewer	$1, 060.3
Utilities	$1,504.00
Government Operation Revenue	$461.50
TOTAL	$32,804.10

In Comparison to Katrina
	Sandy in  New York	Katrina & Rita in Louisiana
Housing units damaged or destroyed	305,000*	214,700
Power outages (peak)	2,190,000	800,000
Businesses Impacted	265,300	18,700
*This number only includes assessment to date; the number is anticipated to grow

The delegation and the Governor discussed seeking supplemental federal assistance to meet the repair and restoration costs.

The $9 billion in mitigation/prevention costs include "common sense" mitigation actions, such as flood protection for the World Trade center site and vulnerable road and subway tunnels, fuel supply system power generation, sewage treatment plant flood protection, and secondary power supply systems for health care facilities. 

The damage estimates have been developed in consultation with PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the PFM Group.

PFM's review notes that the estimates are generally conservative and some areas, including housing, may understate the degree of impact.