Obama declares major disaster in New York as Sandy kills 28, causes major flooding and fires

The remains of burned homes in Breezy Point in Queens. (Keith Bedford / Reuters)

Story by NBC News
Written by Miguel Llanos

President Barack Obama declared a major disaster in the New York City area Tuesday as Superstorm Sandy pounded the Northeast, killing at least 28 people, sweeping homes into the ocean, flooding large swaths of coastal areas, crippling public transit, and leaving millions without power.

As the East Coast woke up, residents faced the prospect of up to a week without heat, light or refrigeration, while authorities tried to measure the full wrath of the once-in-a-generation hurricane.

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