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Sandy's NY Pricetag Reaches $33 Billion, Cuomo Says

By  Paul DeBenedetto and Jill Colvin | November 1, 2012 4:17pm | Updated on November 8, 2012 3:32pm

NEW YORK CITY — Hurricane Sandy's wave of devastation across the five boroughs will cost New York a whopping $33 billion dollars in damage and economic loss, Gov. Andrew Cuomo estimated Thursday.

The storm, which pummeled the city last week with brutal winds and historic storm surges caused massive power outages, flooding and loss of life across the region, including hard-hit areas of Staten Island, Coney Island and the Rockaways in Queens.

“That is a staggering number, especially with the financial situation we’ve been in," Cuomo told reporters at a press briefing at his Midtown office, referring to the state's already shaky budget situation.

He estimated the total cost to the region would top $50 billion.

For more on how the storm has affected the city, below is a look at Hurricane Sandy's impact by the numbers.

According to the comptroller's office, that price tag included:

  • $12 Million for heavy equipment and construction.
  • $750,000 for structural engineers.
  • $7 Million for sanitation equipment.
  • $30,000 for laptops being used at City Hall.
  • $12,150 on refrigeration trailers for the Chief Medical Examiner.
  • $5 Million for water pumping equipment.
  • $3.2 Million for oxygen tanks, ambulances, emergency meals, sandbags, vacuum trucks and other emergency services.