New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Monday substantially lowered estimates of the number of people needing emergency shelter after superstorm Sandy to a maximum of 10,000.
Bloomberg earlier had said he feared the number could be 30,000 to 40,000, but he told a news conference that “a good guess will be less than 10,000.”
The 40,000 figure, he said, was “the worst scenario.”
The hurricane-strength storm wreaked major damage on the New York area, mostly through coastal flooding. Entire neighborhoods were inundated and in some cases buildings were structurally damaged or totally destroyed.
One week later, city officials say there are 4,880 people living in 14 shelters.
In addition, 200 warming centers have been set up for people without heat to escape the growing chilly weather, and 12 food distribution points are working in the worst hit zones.
On Sunday, some 600,000 meals were handed out to about 200,000 people, as well as 100,000 liters of water, the mayor’s office said.
Other items handed out Sunday included 800 toothbrushes, 5,000 batteries and flashlights, and 1,000 shampoo bottles.
The mayor’s office said Monday that medical supplies had been sent to two areas in Queens and Brooklyn that saw among the worst cases of flooding and where few stores, particularly pharmacies, are open. Staten Island, which also suffered, will get supplies Tuesday.
New York lowers figure of Sandy homeless
