Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- The latest word is that it will take at least four days to get power back on in Manhattan and Brooklyn. It could take longer in other boroughs, on Long Island and in Westchester. Governor Cuomo warns that the recovery from Sandy will take weeks or even months.
There is so much to do, but it looks like clearing downed trees and limbs from power lines is the fist step, that way utility crews can start the huge task of restoring power.
Superstorm Sandy knocked out power in many spots downstate and left 90 percent of Long Island in the dark. Governor Cuomo has been out touring the hardest hit areas. He says lower Manhattan and the South Shore of Long Island took a tremendous blow. The emergency response and recovery will be very expensive, which is why Cuomo says he’s been in constant communication with the President.
"The Federal government will, I believe, reimburse the overwhelming majority of the government costs. That's emergency costs and reconstruction costs," Cuomo said.
Cuomo says sparing New Yorkers the bulk of the cost is crucial, especially with the state already facing a billion dollar budget gap.
The Governor also says the cost to private business has not been calculated. The New York Stock Exchange will re-open Wednesday after being closed for the past two days.
