New York City's Ellis Island, which greeted millions of immigrants to the United States, has reopened its museum doors, a year after Superstorm Sandy tore through much of the eastern half of the United States, killing scores of people and destroying tens of billions of dollars in property.
The successful reopening of the museum on Monday is a symbol of the resilience of the thousands of communities devastated by the storm. Yet, it is also an expression of what is still to be done. Many of its more than one million photographs and other artifacts are still in storage, and officials have not yet repaired computers the public can use to research ancestors.
The storm, the deadliest and most destructive of the 2012 hurricane season, slammed the New York and New Jersey shores on October 29, 2012, and moved through New England. It killed more than 100 people and caused an estimated $65 billion in damage.
The federal government has already spent more than $14 billion in assistance. Government relief and private funding worked together to rebuild.
New York's flooded subways and tunnels sprang back to life with surprising speed. New Jersey's beach boardwalks were restored, ready to welcome eager tourists, and many of the nearly 300,000 homes that were damaged or destroyed were rebuilt.
On Monday, federal officials unveiled plans for a second round of Superstorm Sandy disaster relief totaling $5 billion for five states and New York City.
Announced just one day shy of the anniversary of the storm's New York-area landfall, the funds will come from nearly $48 billion in federal funds earmarked for disaster recovery.
Officials said a third tranche could be allocated by the end of the year.
The successful reopening of the museum on Monday is a symbol of the resilience of the thousands of communities devastated by the storm. Yet, it is also an expression of what is still to be done. Many of its more than one million photographs and other artifacts are still in storage, and officials have not yet repaired computers the public can use to research ancestors.
The storm, the deadliest and most destructive of the 2012 hurricane season, slammed the New York and New Jersey shores on October 29, 2012, and moved through New England. It killed more than 100 people and caused an estimated $65 billion in damage.
The federal government has already spent more than $14 billion in assistance. Government relief and private funding worked together to rebuild.
New York's flooded subways and tunnels sprang back to life with surprising speed. New Jersey's beach boardwalks were restored, ready to welcome eager tourists, and many of the nearly 300,000 homes that were damaged or destroyed were rebuilt.
On Monday, federal officials unveiled plans for a second round of Superstorm Sandy disaster relief totaling $5 billion for five states and New York City.
Announced just one day shy of the anniversary of the storm's New York-area landfall, the funds will come from nearly $48 billion in federal funds earmarked for disaster recovery.
Officials said a third tranche could be allocated by the end of the year.