Sandy's devastation on Staten Island

Natalie Arellano, 12, right, hugs and lifts Isabella Carvalho, 8, after they met on the street in their neighborhood in Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 2, 2012. The two friends had not seen each other since their respective families evacuated because of Sandy, the massive superstorm that made landfall Monday, Oct. 29, 2012.

The massive storm that started out as Hurricane Sandy slammed into the East Coast and morphed into a huge and problematic system, killing at least 96 people in the United States. Power outages now stand at more than 3.6 million homes and businesses, down from a peak of 8.5 million. The cost of the storm could exceed $18 billion in New York alone.

Sheila and Dominic Traina hug in front of their home which was demolished during landfall of Sandy in Staten Island, N.Y., Friday, Nov. 2, 2012. The New York City borough was especially hard hit by the superstorm.

A woman stands in a street flooded by superstorm Sandy, on Oct. 31, 2012, in the Staten Island borough of New York. Sandy, the storm that made landfall Monday, caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 8 million homes and businesses.

The half of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge attached to Brooklyn is lit while the half attached to Staten Island is dark, Nov. 2, 2012.

The remains of a house destroyed by a storm surge due to superstorm Sandy rests submerged in a flooded depression, Nov. 2, 2012, in the Staten Island borough of New York. Sandy, the storm that made landfall Monday, caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 8 million homes and businesses on the East Coast.

Tara Reyes talks on the phone in the middle of her street in Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 2, 2012.

Volunteers sort through piles of donated clothes for Sandy victims at an impromptu aid station in Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 2, 2012.

Marina Sverdlov tries to clean out her flood on Nov. 2, 2012. Sandy, the storm that made landfall Monday, caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 8 million homes and businesses in several states.

Marina Sverdlov talks to a real estate broker while standing in her flood-ravaged home in Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 2, 2012. Sverdlov and her family are currently living with her mother in a one-bedroom apartment, so they are trying to find an affordable rental as quickly as possible.

Marina Sverdlov tries to clean out her flood-ravaged home in Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 2, 2012.

A passenger inspects the water level around his vehicle as multiple cars drive through a flooded street, on Oct. 31, 2012, in the Staten Island borough of New York.

A yacht rests beside two homes after it was driven inland by flood waters, on Oct. 31, 2012, in the Staten Island borough of New York.

A vehicle is submerged after being carried on Oct. 31, 2012, in the Staten Island borough of New York.

NYPD police officers perform a search in high grasses that were flooded during a storm surge, on Oct. 31, 2012, in the Arrochar neighborhood of the Staten Island borough of New York. Sandy, the storm that made landfall Monday, caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 8 million homes and businesses.

Rescue workers check a home for fuel leaks and other types of damage, on Oct. 31, 2012, in the Staten Island borough of New York. Sandy, the storm that made landfall Monday, caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 8 million homes and businesses.

Sheila Traina right and her granddaughter, Kate Traina, 14, look through small items recovered from Sheila Traina's home (rear), which was destroyed by superstorm Sandy in Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 2, 2012.

Michael Galante looks for some clothes that fit him at an impromptu aid station set up by local churches in Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 2, 2012.

Mike Cappucci, 46, of Staten Island, surveys the damage to his home after boats from a nearby harbor were driven inland by floodwaters, on Oct. 31, 2012, in the Staten Island borough of New York.

The New York City Marathon, originally planned to go on Sunday as planned, was canceled Friday by Mayor Michael Bloomberg after mounting criticism that this was not the time for a race while the region is still recovering from superstorm Sandy.

Left: Pedro Cabrera, who was working at the Staten Island starting line, stops setting up fence and secures his company's gear after the cancellation of the race, Friday, Nov. 2, 2012.

Sandra Finnegan places a sign against the marathon in front of her brother's house, which was destroyed by Storm Sandy, in Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 2, 2012. The NYC Marathon was cancelled after some New Yorkers say holding the 26.2-mile race would be insensitive and divert police and other important resources when many are still suffering from superstorm Sandy.

A sign about the marathon and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is displayed in a devastated section of Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 2, 2012.

Members of the Mid-Island Little League organize donated food stuffs at an impromptu aid station in Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 2, 2012. Sandy, the storm that made landfall Monday, caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 8 million homes and businesses.

A tanker rests on the southern shore after being swept onto land by a storm surge due to superstorm Sandy, on Nov. 2, 2012, in the Staten Island borough of New York.

Boats rest atop one another after being swept ashore by a storm surge due to superstorm Sandy, on Nov. 2, 2012, in the Staten Island borough of New York. Sandy, the storm that made landfall Monday, caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 8 million homes and businesses.

A NYPD police officer performs a search in high grasses that were flooded during a storm surge, on Oct. 31, 2012, in the Arrochar neighborhood of the Staten Island borough of New York. Sandy, the storm that made landfall Monday, caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 8 million homes and businesses.

Volodymyr Krupa takes a cigarette break on his street while cleaning out his flood-damaged home in the Staten Island borough of New York, on Nov. 2, 2012. A superstorm Sandy relief fund is being created just for residents of the hard-hit New York City borough. Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Borough President James Molinaro say the fund will help residents displaced from their homes.

Staten Islanders wait for fuel as supplies begin to dwindle throughout the area due to damage caused by superstorm Sandy, on Nov. 2, 2012, in the Staten Island borough of New York. When it came to fuel supplies and patience, the New York metro area was running close to empty Friday. From storm-scarred New Jersey to parts of Connecticut, a widespread lack of gasoline or electricity to pump it brought grousing, gridlock and worse, compounding frustrations as millions of Americans struggled to return to normal days after superstorm Sandy.

Customers form a queue to fill their gasoline canisters, on Oct. 31, 2012, in the Staten Island borough of New York.

A man waits for gasoline, on Oct. 31, 2012, in the Staten Island borough of New York.

The remains of a house swept away by a storm surge due to superstorm Sandy rest submerged in a flooded depression, on Nov. 2, 2012, in the Staten Island borough of New York. Sandy, the storm that made landfall Monday, caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 8 million homes and businesses.

People walk in the remains of a house destroyed by a storm surge due to superstorm Sandy rests submerged in a flooded depression, on Nov. 2, 2012, in the Staten Island borough of New York.

The remains of a house destroyed by a storm surge due to Superstorm Sandy rests submerged in a flooded depression, on Nov. 2, 2012, in the Staten Island borough of New York.

Homes damaged by a storm surge caused by superstorm Sandy stand along the southern shore, on Nov. 2, 2012, in the Staten Island borough of New York. Sandy, the storm that made landfall Monday, caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 8 million homes and businesses.

Homes look out onto beaches that were swept away by a storm surge caused by Sandy, on Nov. 2, 2012, in the Staten Island borough of New York. The commander of the Coast Guard for the Atlantic region says it's a monumental task to clean up hundreds of thousands of gallons of spilled fuel left by Sandy in the waters off New York and New Jersey.

Kate Traina, 14, looks over the rubble of her grandparents house in Staten Island, N.Y., on Nov. 2, 2012. Sandy, the storm that made landfall Monday, caused multiple fatalities, halted mass transit and cut power to more than 8 million homes and businesses.

Julie Traina tries to recover some personal items from her parents' destroyed home in Staten Island, N.Y., on Nov. 2, 2012. A superstorm Sandy relief fund is being created just for residents of the hard-hit New York City borough. Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Borough President James Molinaro say the fund will help residents displaced from their homes.

A man rinses his hands in flood water while cleaning out a house in a hard-hit neighborhood in Staten Island, N.Y. on Nov. 2, 2012.

James Traina climbs over the remains of his parent's house which was destroyed by superstorm Sandy in Staten Island, N.Y., on Nov. 2, 2012.

Christopher Traina tries to salvage some personal items from the basement of his parents' home which was destroyed during on Nov. 2, 2012.

Sheila Traina looks through some jewelry recovered from her destroyed home in Staten Island, N.Y. on Nov. 2, 2012.

Walter Traina, 6, drags a model plane out of the rubble near his grandfather's garage in Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 2, 2012.

James Traina climbs over the remains of his parent's house which was destroyed by superstorm Sandy in Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 2, 2012.

Joe Ciprello comforts Sandra Dietz while handing out sandwiches in a neighborhood devastated by superstorm Sandy in Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 2, 2012.

Eileen Miley takes a break from cleaning her home that was destroyed by flooding during Storm Sandy in Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 1, 2012. Three days after Sandy slammed the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast, New York and New Jersey struggled to get back on their feet, the U.S. death toll climbed to more than 100 (including 41 in New York City), and more than 4.6 million homes and businesses were still without power.

Brooke Clarkin tries to salvage some personal items from her mother's home in Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 1, 2012. Her mother's home was not only flooded to the ceiling, but was swept off its foundation and carried to the other side of the street. The National Guard and federal emergency management officials will deliver 1 million meals and bottled water to New York areas hardest hit by superstorm Sandy.

Brooke Clarkin tries to save some pictures in her mother's home in Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 1, 2012. Her mother's home was not only flooded to the ceiling, but was swept off its foundation and carried to the other side of the street.

Eileen Miley looks for magnets that might be salvageable at her home that was destroyed by flooding during superstorm Sandy in Staten Island, New York, on Nov. 1, 2012.

A 168-foot water tanker, the John B. Caddell, sits on the shore on Oct. 30, 2012 where it ran aground on Front Street in the Stapleton neighborhood of New York's Staten Island as a result of superstorm Sandy.

The Staten Island Ferry terminal at Battery Park in lower Manhattan remains closed, on Oct. 30, 2012, in New York. New York City awakened Tuesday to a flooded subway system, shuttered financial markets and hundreds of thousands of people without power a day after a wall of seawater and high winds slammed into the city, destroying buildings and flooding tunnels.