Obama to visit Sandy victims in New York
President Obama will head to New York on Thursday to view the state's efforts to recover from Superstorm Sandy, the White House said today. He'll meet with families impacted by the storm, first responders and local officials.
Eleven days after Sandy hit land, hundreds of thousands of New York and New Jersey residents remain without power. More than 100 people died because of the storm, and damages could reach up to $50 billion.
Soon after the storm, Mr. Obama toured storm damage in New Jersey with Republican Gov. Chris Christie. He also offered to visit New York City, but Mayor Michael Bloomberg turned down the offer, saying the visit would complicate recovery efforts.
So far, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided more than $327 million in housing and other assistance needs to impacted residents and business owners in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, the agency said today.
