HURRICANE RELIEF

Cuomo: Sandy Worse Than Katrina

Makes plea for billions in federal aid.

It’s the holiday season, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is hoping that the federal government is in a giving mood. Making a plea Monday for tens of billions of dollars in federal aid, Cuomo argued that the New York area needs the money because Hurricane Sandy was “more impactful” than the Gulf Coast’s deadly Hurricane Katrina. Cuomo acknowledged the higher death toll from Katrina, but said Sandy had a greater economic impact because it “affected many, many more people and places.” Comparing the two storms “puts this entire conversation, I believe, in focus,” he said, estimating that the storm could cost the state nearly $42 billion.