Revving up for the World Trade Center. (Christopher Brennan)

The press cameras started clicking when the chug of the motorcycle became louder and louder, nearing the room's front entrance. Paul Teutul Jr., the mustachioed and baseball-hatted owner of biker merchandise company Paul Jr. Designs, revved and wobbled his motorcycle through the door up to the speech podium on the first floor of 90 West Street, a dowdy Financial District building not far from the Battery.

Mr. Teutul was soon joined by Governor Andrew Cuomo, World Trade Center contractor Dan Tishman and 9/11 Memorial president Joe Daniels. They all praised the return of the bike to its place in the 9/11 Memorial Visitor Center, which had come under four feet of water one month ago during Hurricane Sandy and had been the chopper’s home since October of last year.

The motorcycle, which includes gold plating and parts modeled after the design of the new World Trader Center buildings, was completely submerged except for a tiny piece of its handlebars. To repair the damage done by the saltwater, Teutul took the bike back to his workshop upstate, from where it made its triumphant return today.

“In many ways this is to me a metaphor for exactly what we’re doing right now," the governor said. "The 9/11 site was badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy. I saw the water filling the site from every direction imaginable.” He said that New Yorkers recovered and “We come back better than before. This bike is just a perfect symbol and metaphor for that.”

Though a motorcycle is perhaps an odd recovery symbol for a city where the majority of residents don’t own a car, the best way to get to the southern tip of Manhattan until recently may still have been by motorcycle, as PATH trains began running again this morning and some subway stations around Battery Park remain closed. Also, it may be an especially fitting symbol for the governor, as he is an avowed gearhead.

Apart from using an outlaw-style motorcycle as a visualization for the rebuilding of downtown, Mr. Cuomo spent time praising the bike’s artistry to the audience, which was an odd mix of men in suits, men in motorcycle hoodies and press. He repeated that he is a “motorcycle aficionado,” saying that he rode on Thanksgiving because he rides even in the cold.

The governor, who some progressives may associate with the churlish and rogue stereotype of bikers for his refusal to voice definitive support for a Democratic majority in the State Senate, did not straddle the motorcycle, to the disappointment of pretty much everybody. Mr. Cuomo’s lack of staged motorcycle photos differentiates him from his fellow New York pol, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who probably has a smaller collection of refurbished bikes.

Bloomberg wants $19 billion. (NYC Mayor's Office)

As New York continues to grapple with closed subway stations and an overcrowded shelter system following Hurricane Sandy's late October destruction, the City is looking for a little help from its friends in Washington. Mayor Michael Bloomberg sent a letter to members of New York's Congressional delegation today, estimating the damage caused by late October's superstorm at $19 billion in public and private losses.

The Mayor's request to Congress includes a breakdown of the City's losses caused by the storm, including $5.7 billion dollars in lost gross city product and $4.5 billion spent by city agencies in the storm's wake. Mr. Bloomberg wrote that "the city will struggle to recover in the long term unless expedited federal funding is supplied." How much funding? Bloomberg is angling for $9.8 billion in additional money to supplement the $5.4 billion in FEMA assistance and the $3.8 billion dollars of damage that was covered by private insurance. FEMA money does not cover challenges like long-term housing solutions and shoreline restoration.

The number tops Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's post-storm estimate of damage totaling somewhere between $15 billion and $18 billion.

The damage in the greater New York area is expected to be much larger, with Governor Andrew Cuomo saying that he would be asking for at least $30 billion in aid several weeks ago. Governor Cuomo met with members of New York's Congressional Delegation today in Midtown Manhattan to discuss his request for aid.

Read Mayor Bloomberg's letter below:

                                                                                    November 26, 2012

Dear New York Delegation Member:

As you are well aware, Hurricane Sandy caused extensive damage to the City of New York, impairing our infrastructure and displacing tens of thousands of people. While the impact of the storm will be felt for some time and the challenges are great, I am confident that the City will rebound and emerge stronger than ever.

Throughout this period the City has worked productively with New York State, and I am hopeful that together with our partners in the federal government, we will be able to secure the necessary resources for a successful recovery. Therefore I am requesting your assistance in securing supplemental and expedited funding for the City of New York.

We estimate total public and private losses to New York City from Sandy to be $19 billion. After subtracting private insurance of $3.8 billion and FEMA reimbursement of $5.4 billion, the net cost to repair the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy will be approximately $9.8 billion. This assumes a FEMA reimbursement rate of 75 percent of covered costs and necessary Congressional appropriations. Federal legislative action will be required to address the budget gap that will result once available FEMA funds and insurance proceeds are drawn down. This funding will be needed to address the significant local expenses that have been and will be incurred, including costs that are ineligible under FEMA such as hazard mitigation, long-term housing solutions, and shoreline restoration and protection.

Initial cost assessments include the following components:

• $4.8 billion in uninsured private losses
• $3.8 billion in insured private losses
• $4.5 billion in losses to and costs incurred by City agencies
• $5.7 billion in lost gross City product
• $0.2 billion for US Army Corps of Engineers

The City will struggle to recover in the long term unless expedited federal funding is supplied. Congress has long funded the response and recovery from natural disasters in supplemental appropriations. In the past decade Congress has authorized supplemental appropriations after hurricanes, floods, and tornados including $120 billion worth of aid in several bills passed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

New York City agencies worked around the clock to implement preparatory measures to mitigate the effects of the storm as well as respond to its aftermath. Because of the sheer impact of destruction, many City agencies are only now beginning to focus on the recovery. For example, the Department of Transportation is estimating $1 billion in incremental costs, including nearly $800 million for street reconstruction alone. Additional federal assistance is required to ensure that the storm costs, currently estimated at $4.5 billion for City agencies, do not compromise the services and operations that New Yorkers rely on the City to provide.

Whether it was a small retail store in Coney Island that lost its inventory in a flood or a restaurant in Staten Island forced to close due to a loss of power, Hurricane Sandy caused an estimated $5.7 billion in lost gross product in the City. These businesses are crucial to the City’s economy and to the communities that rely on their services, and the work of recovery will not be complete until they are back in business.

Four weeks ago, as Sandy was approaching our shores, President Obama committed federal resources to this storm and its recovery. Since then we have worked closely with his Administration on everything from cleanup to temporary housing. With our combined efforts, I am confident that we can secure the funding needed to ensure the swiftest and smartest recovery for New York City. Thank you for your leadership on this issue.

Sincerely,

Michael R. Bloomberg

Mayor

 

Raul Rodriguez of Picture the Homeless. (Christopher Brennan)

The winds of Hurricane Sandy caused massive damage to the New York area when it made landfall at the end of October. But the gusts of the superstorm blew more than just debris, dislodging New Yorkers from their homes and into a constellation of already full shelters. Yet in spite of the issue of overcrowding both before or after the storm, there may actually be large amounts of space to house people in the city.

Hoping to capitalize on the renewed awareness of homelessness and the dire situation in the city's shelters, advocacy group Picture the Homelesss and a number of its allies held a rally Friday morning in Harlem to draw new attention to its regular reports on vacant properties in the city. Picture the Homeless has long argued that landlords across the city have left properties vacant while they wait for property values and rents to rise. The practice, known as warehousing, is legal, but it robs the city of precious living space at the same time.

“If you were able to pull out the money for Sandy, you were able to pull out the money before Sandy,” Raul Rodriguez, an organizer with Picture the Homeless, declared, criticizing the city's failure to capitalize on rundown properties.

Mr. Rodriguez was standing in front of one such building, a boarded-up rowhouse on 129th street between Adam Clayton Powell and Malcolm X boulevards. Supporters, bundled up against the cold morning air, stood behind him and chanted slogans such as “Vacant buildings are a crime, landlords need to do some time."

The vacant building he was standing in front of was owned by the city and was spraypainted with the large letters "H.P.D.," for the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the agency responsible for creating low-income housing in the city. Picture the Homeless’s report counted 3,551 vacant buildings with the estimated ability to house 71,707 people and 2,489 vacant lots that could be developed to house 128,873 additional people. Manhattan and Brooklyn had the largest numbers of vacant buildings, with 987 and 1623 respectively.

According to Mr. Rodriguez the group picked this location because of the large number of city-owned buildings in Harlem that could be more easily converted to affordable housing than privately owned buildings or lots. The report’s findings said that 10 percent of vacant property is publicly owned.

The group also contrasted potential rent assistance and affordable housing with the tough reality of the city’s shelter system. Though the event ended up relating little to the problems of those homeless after Hurricane Sandy specifically, Kendall Jackson, a homeless shelter resident and member of Picture the Homeless, said that the $1,800 per month that the FEMA offered to give landlords to house homeless residents was a much better deal for taxpayers than the estimated $3,500 dollars per month that it costs the city to support someone with a shelter.

Mr. Rodriguez, now in his 40s, has been in and out of the shelter system since he was 14. Though currently not living in a shelter, he told The Observer, “Everybody that’s been in the shelter system goes through all the avenues to try to find housing, but all they find is nothing.”

Even before Sandy, the City’s shelter system was overcrowded, prompting Mayor  Bloomberg to open 10 new homeless shelters in recent months. Picture the Homeless says the number of those seeking shelter every night before the storm was between 46,000 and 48,000, including 20,000 children. Add to that the tens of thousands the city predicts may be homeless in the wake of Sandy, and New York is staring down a serious housing crisis.

They're working today. Are you? (Mayor's Office)

While some employees may have off for today’s Veteran’s Day holiday, others have become veterans of the post-Sandy recovery effort.

Along with the traditional New York City school closings, several of the City’s offices were closed on Monday, such as the Department of City Planning and the Landmarks Preservation Commission, as might be expected on a federal holiday. But for offices dealing with the ongoing recovery effort from Hurricane Sandy, the holiday was just another day of trying to restore power, heat, and hot water to those still without it, another day to clean up and safeguard New Yorkers ravaged by the storm.

The Office of Emergency Management has been functioning nonstop since before Sandy made landfall two weeks ago, and that goes for today, too. "It's 24 hour shifts around the clock no matter what day it is,” OEM spokeswoman Nancy Greco said. The New York City Housing Authority said in a statement that recovery efforts “are moving forward without regard to the holiday. NYCHA has maintained sufficient frontline staff and contractors to continue recovery efforts without interruption.”

The Department of Sanitation's workers also are working, though they would normally be given the holiday off. Many of New York City's Strongest removing storm debris and catching up on recycle service which resumed yesterday. The Department of Buildings has also continued inspecting buildings on Staten Island with its full force of inspectors in spite of the holiday. Firefighters were at their normal levels of staffing with additional workers aiding the Hurricane Sandy recovery.

Other city departments have returned to normal after working long hours during the immediate Sandy aftermath. The NYPD is allowing any officers and workers who are veterans to take the holiday off of work. Then again, the Police Department does not normally get off for the holiday, so this is mostly business as usual.

The non-holiday extended beyond government offices. Chris Olert, a ConEdison spokesman said that the nature of the utility company means that people are constantly working no matter the day—but today they are working even harder than normal due to the holiday, with almost no one getting off. “Are there 14,000 people here?" Mr. Olert said. "We have 14,000 working at ConEdison. It’s pretty close to that today because of the restoration work.” A spokesperson from the Long Island Power Authority said that LIPA’s workers, including over 10,000 linemen and tree trim crews, were “all hands on deck.”

The extra manpower is necessary as, even two weeks after the original wallop of the storm, thousands remain without power. ConEd announced Monday morning that it was wrapping up power restorations to customers who were not in flooded areas of Brooklyn, Queens,and Staten Island. Some 16,000 ConEd customers are still without power throughout the city.

LIPA reported Monday morning that 28,000 customers outside of flooded areas, mostly in Nassau County, remained without power while 46,300 were powerless in flooded areas of the Rockaways and Nassau and Suffolk counties because of the need to survey flood damage in the buildings.

So maybe in addition to saluting our veterans today, New Yorkers might also want to take a moment to celebrate the heroic efforts of all the city employees who are out there helping us recover. No doubt they've all developed their fair share of war stories.

Sandy surely was an exceptionally powerful storm. But who would claim that it simply was a freak of nature? Who would contend that New York and New Jersey need only to clean up and move on?

Sandy must become a call to action. New York harbor, it is clear, will no longer serve as protection against 21st-century weather patterns. New York’s infrastructure has been exposed for what it is—one of the great wonders of the 20th century. 

The immediate tasks of burying the dead, caring for survivors, housing up to 40,000 homeless people and making necessary repairs surely take top priority. But after we have done our best to make the region whole again, after the trains are running on schedule and schools are places of learning again rather than places of shelter, after every immediate crisis has been addressed and resolved—after all of that, New York must come to terms with the new reality of 21st-century weather patterns.

It will not be easy. It will be costly. And it will require leadership, vision and determination.

The man who takes the oath of office in January will have something to say about the task of reconstruction. Federal funding will help address immediate priorities. But a bold vision for recreating and reimagining New York harbor will have to start closer to home—in City Hall, to be sure, but even more so in Albany, where an ambitious, hands-on governor finds himself in the unique position of rebuilding not for tomorrow, but for the next century.

Andrew Cuomo exhibited sterling qualities of leadership during the crisis. And he sounded the exact right note when he reminded New Yorkers that Sandy is only the latest “storm of the century” to cause havoc and devastation in the area. In fact, Mr. Cuomo noted that in his two years in office, he very likely has confronted more natural disasters than his father, Mario Cuomo, did during his 12 years in office from 1983 to 1994.

The governor self-consciously declined to attribute the rash of storms to global warming because, he said, the phrase has become far too politicized. But he rightly asserted a simple, undeniable truth: our weather patterns are changing. We now face forces of nature that New Yorkers in the past associated with the wider world beyond the Hudson River.

In the 21st century, New Yorkers must figure out how to defend themselves against nature’s ferocity and cruel whims. These are not phenomena that happen to other people—to those unfortunate enough to live in the path of tornadoes or on geological fault lines. Because we paved over hills and filled in marshes and bridged our rivers, we have presumed victory over nature. We forgot one very significant fact—millions of us live on islands, slender islands, close to a great ocean.

Now we will have to defend those islands as never before. It is not enough to rebuild. It is not enough to restore. It is not enough to get back to normal, because there is a new normal. And we’re simply not prepared for it.

Mr. Cuomo’s father was fond of stating that challenges were better viewed as opportunities. The present Gov. Cuomo now faces a truly exceptional opportunity: the opportunity to reshape the city’s waterfront and rebuild the city’s infrastructure for the new weather patterns of the 21st century.

Nearly a century ago, Andrew Cuomo’s favorite governor (other than that other governor named Cuomo), Al Smith, saw an opportunity to modernize state government—and he took it. His reconstruction of the governor’s office in the 1920s brought Albany into the 20th century and paved the way for a succession of powerful chief executives in New York.

The circumstances today are vastly different, but the opportunity facing Mr. Cuomo is not unlike the one Mr. Smith faced. Mr. Cuomo has the opportunity to transform New York’s physical infrastructure so that when the next superstorm hits—and it will, sooner rather than later—there will be no repeat of the last 10 days.

In a sense, New York has no choice. The city and state simply cannot afford the economic toll that Sandy, Irene and other storms are taking with depressing regularity. Last October, Professor Klaus Jacob of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and School of International and Public Affairs told a group of architects that changing weather patterns will wreak havoc on the city’s economy. That prediction already has come to pass. Sandy will cost the region billions upon billions in lost revenue and reconstruction.

What, then, should come next? New York should first see how other coastal cities, including storm-prone Norfolk, Va., have sought to keep the sea out of the streets. Low-lying areas of Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Lower Manhattan clearly require 21st-century engineering projects to protect them from 21st-century superstorms.

Achieving that goal is up to engineers and other professionals. But it is within the purview of elected officials and business leaders to devise a 21st-century plan to pay for all of this. That’s where Mr. Cuomo and other officials need to be creative.

Quite simply, Albany and City Hall do not have the resources to take on the enormous task of updating our coastal defenses and reimagining our waterfronts. The job will require partnerships with the private sector—and, yes, that means creating opportunities for entrepreneurs.

The public-works projects that will be required to keep the sea out of subway tunnels and away from homes in the Rockaways simply won’t get done if they are carried out as they traditionally have been. The problem is that public-private partnerships are anathema to many special interests, including the public-sector unions that wield far too much power with both major parties in New York. Unions and others will argue that somehow New York can pick up the tab for the work that so desperately needs to be done.

But that, frankly, is the equivalent of denying the reality of changing weather patterns. Neither view recognizes simple facts.

Elected officials like to say that New Yorkers come together in a crisis, and that no crisis is too big for this city. Those are fine sentiments, but they will ring hollow if the work of truly rebuilding New York becomes stalled in special-interest politics.

The crisis has not passed, and it will not pass until New York is prepared for the reality of 21st-century weather. Mr. Cuomo will be a pivotal figure in creating those needed preparations, for he very likely will be in a position of influence (either in Albany or in that other capital city down near Virginia) for the next decade or more.

Mr. Cuomo knows that New York can’t simply rebuild. It must be reimagined, and that will take the intellect and the capital of all New Yorkers.

Drita D'Avanzo filming during the Sandy relief effort.

According to a volunteer helping to distribute resources to victims of Hurricane Sandy last Friday, Drita D'Avanzo of VH1's reality show Mob Wives, and her camera crew made a surprise appearance at a place where volunteers were distributing supplies to victims of Hurricane Sandy on Staten Island. According to a volunteer with the relief effort who spoke to The Observer, her arrival was "not well received."

"So she walked up and volunteers thought it was another news crew filming people helping out. " the volunteer said, providing a photo of the occasion. "But then a boom mike lurked over our heads. Notice in the picture everyone turning their backs on her and walking away. She was not well received and was able to clear a hot coffee stand on a cold day in 2 seconds."

Parts of Staten Island were among the most damaged in Sandy's aftermath, and despite its relatively small population, the borough contained more than half of the city's storm-related casualties. The volunteer said those who were participating in the relief effort there felt it was inappropriate for Ms. D'Avanzo to take advantage of the damage to film her show.

"Keep in mind this was 50 feet from where people died and bodies recovered," the volunteer explained. "As she was filming her reality show, about 100 students and faculty from IS34 were a few feet away cleaning debris, not show boating for the news cameras, and reminding the world why Staten Island is a pretty good community to live in."

Jenn Graziano, of Just Jenn Productions, a producer of Mob Wives, said the show has taken steps to ensure they are not interfering with those affected by the storm. However, they didn't want to ignore the situation on Staten Island.

"This tragedy is a part of the reality these women are experiencing, and we can't ignore it. We are working carefully not to intrude or interfere with anyone," Ms. Graziano said. "But we do want to show what's happened on Staten Island through the eyes of all of our cast members who are all out trying to help their neighbors through this difficult time."

Click to enlarge or click here for the full .PDF

At a press conference at the 69th Regiment Armory in Manhattan this morning, Governor Andrew Cuomo and MTA Chairman Joe Lhota announced most subway service in New York City will be returned by the end of the day. Notably for some commuters from Queens and Brooklyn, trains will now be traveling into Manhattan for the first time since before Hurricane Sandy struck last week.

"In literally under one week, 80% of the subway service has been restored from what was horrendous damage, and the worst damage the subway system had ever seen," Mr. Cuomo said. "So that is just a great, great job. The service between Brooklyn and Queens and Manhattan is being restored immediately. The 4, 5, 6 and 7 trains will immediately begin to run. The F, J, D [and] M will run later this afternoon. The Staten Island Railway will have limited service beginning later today."

According to the MTA website:

 service will operate between Woodlawn and New Lots Ave operating as an express in Manhattan only.

 service will operate between Eastchester/Dyre Ave and Flatbush as an express in Manhattan only.

 service will operate between Pelham Bay and Brooklyn Bridge as a local

 Flushing Line service will operate full local service between Main St – Flushing and 42^nd St – Times Square.

Staten Island Railway (SIR) will operate limited hourly service between St. George and Tottenville.

Flooding of the Gowanus Canal could require toxicity assessments, according to the comptroller's report. Photo by Hunter Walker.

Economic costs related to Hurricane Sandy could top $18 billion in New York State, Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said today in a statement. Those costs include the disruption of business and loss of property and wealth, though estimates remain in flux due to the continued power outages, especially in lower Manhattan.

"Our daily infrastructure of highways, power, sewer and water—the elements of modern life that we take for granted—have all been altered by this storm," Mr. DiNapoli said in the statement. "Though the rebuilding effort may offset some of these losses, we must continue to monitor what the long-term economic impact to New York will be."

The catastrophe modeling firm Eqecat is estimating total U.S. economic costs from Hurricane Sandy at between $30 to $50 billion.

Some other highlights from Mr. DiNapoli's report:

Despite the closure of U.S. markets for two days at the beginning of the week, ongoing disruption to the financial sector is expected to be limited, though the importance of the industry to the state's economy would amplify the effects of further disruption in Sandy's wake.

The storm may prevent New York City's tourism industry from breaking records for spending and attendance, while the state—already projecting total tax revenue $436 million below initial projections—is like to see reduced revenue due to the storm.

Damage to infrastructure, meanwhile, including highways, airports, seaports and sewer and water systems is estimated in the tens of billions of dollars, though much of those costs will be covered by insurance or federal aid.

And flooding may raise health concerns, including potential need for toxicity assessments at such sites as Newtown Creek or the Gowanus Canal.

The new estimates, which were calculated after the storm landed on Monday, derive from larger-than-expected utility and electrical losses, which in turn triggered greater business interruption costs than Eqecat's pre-landing model predicted. Subway outages and closed roadways, including river crossings, also led to the higher estimates.

Eqecat's estimates for insured losses, meanwhile, climbed to $10 to $20 billion from $5 to $10 billion. At the upper end of the estimates, that would make Sandy the fourth most expensive U.S. hurricane for insurance companies, after Katrina (2005; $74.7 billion), Andrew (1992; $25.6 billion) and Ike (2008; $21.2 billion).

The damage in Sea Gate, Brooklyn. Photo by Hunter Walker.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo inserted himself into a potential tug-of-war between insurance companies and policy holders yesterday, declaring that insurers should not trigger hurricane deductibles for damages incurred during the storm that rocked New York this week.

If invoked, hurricane deductibles would prove costly for New York's homeowners, with the deductibles typically ranging from 1 to 5 percent of a home's value. At the higher end, a policyholder would be responsible for the first $25,000 of damages on a $500,000 property.

While Sandy was no longer carrying hurricane force winds when it landed in New York State on Monday, the way in which insurance companies define storms can be a contentious issue, Stephen Appelbaum, a senior analyst covering the property and insurance industry for Aite Group told The Observer yesterday: "It depends whether the insurance industry decides to play cute."

In addition to New York, Connecticut and New Jersey government are attempting to short-circuit controversy over how insurers characterized the storm. Bob Hunter, the director for insurance at the Consumer Federation of America, told The Observer that it remained to be seen whether insurance companies would honor states' decrees.

"They might say, 'We’re not going for that, there were 80 miles-per-hour winds even if it wasn't technically a hurricane,'" Mr. Hunter said. "If someone gets a claim for the hurricane deductible, they should scream to governors."

 "Homeowners should not have to pay hurricane deductibles for damage caused by the storm and insurers should understand the Department of Financial Services will be monitoring how claims are handled," Governor Cuomo said in the statement.

The Department of Financial Services, which regulates insurance companies operating in the state, also offered the following advice to policyholders:

DFS urges homeowners who experienced property losses to file insurance claims with their insurers promptly and as soon as possible after losses occur. It is important to provide policy numbers and all information relevant to the loss. To best document losses, homeowners should to take photos or videos showing the extent of the losses before cleaning up damage.

Homeowners should make only necessary repairs to prevent further damage to property, like covering broken windows. Permanent repairs should not be made until after insurers have inspected losses. Damaged personal property should be kept until after an insurance settlement has been reached.

In addition, homeowners should cooperate fully with their insurer and keep a diary of all conversations with the insurance agent, including the agent's name, as well as the times and dates of all calls or visits.

Insurance modeling firm Eqecat is estimating insured losses of $5 to $10 billion from the storm.