Sandy costs top $51.3b in New York: Governor

NEW YORK (AFP) - Superstorm Sandy ran up a super bill of US$42 billion (S$51.3 billion) across New York, causing more damage than the infamous Hurricane Katrina, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday, appealing for federal emergency funds.

Mr Cuomo told a news conference that Sandy's impact had by some measures been worse than Katrina, which caused devastation along the US Gulf Coast in 2005.

Although Katrina's death toll at 1,833 was far higher than the approximately 110 killed during last month's hurricane-strength Sandy, the damage to property and businesses was worse this time round, he said.

The total bill in New York and neighbouring New Jersey was "62, 61 billion dollars," Mr Cuomo estimated, although that number seemed sure to rise when including extra funds needed for protection against future storms.