October 31, 2012

PRESS STATEMENT FROM COMPTROLLER GEORGE MARAGOS ON THE DAMAGE CAUSED BY HURRICANE SANDY

Beginning early on Tuesday (Oct. 30th) and Wednesday I toured numerous communities throughout the County and witnessed firsthand the widespread devastation. No community was spared. I saw the despair of hundreds of our residents in shelters who wisely had to abandon their homes. Thousands of our homes have been flooded, possessions destroyed and most of our homes and business are still without power.

My heartfelt condolences to those who lost loved ones; and my gratitude to the emergency responders and all who have been working around the clock and risking their lives helping our neighbors.

The economic damage will be significant for our residents, for our local business and for the County. We will be working to assess the full economic impact and take full advantage of State and Federal assistance. My office stands ready to assist all our residents in any way we can.

In the meantime I urge Nassau County Residents to be patient and remain off the streets, if possible, so that the emergency personnel and LIPA repair crews are able to remove fallen trees and restore power as quickly as possible.

I am confident that we will recover, and become stronger and more resilient.