President Barack Obama on Thursday empathized with Superstorm Sandy victims as he dispensed seasonal cheer at the lighting of the US National Christmas tree in Washington.
Obama and his family switched on the lights of a new tree, on the Ellipse just outside the White House grounds, which replaced last year’s version which died after only one year in the role.
“It was planted just days before Hurricane Sandy and it made it through the storm in once piece,” Obama said.
“We know that some of our neighbors to the north saw a more ruthless and destructive Sandy,” Obama said, but paid tribute to the “heroism and perseverance,” of ordinary Americans caught in the monster storm.
The October 29 storm flooded the subway train system in New York, damaged tens of thousands of houses on the northeastern US coast and knocked out electricity across a wide area and closed stores and businesses.
More than 110 people were killed and damage from the storm is expected to amount to more than 60 billion dollars.
The floods and wind also destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of homes, schools and hospitals, and created chaos in fuel supplies after refineries and gas stations were damaged.
Obama was joined at Thursday’s ceremony by his wife Michelle and daughters Malia, 14 and Sasha, 11, for a pageant of words and music at the ceremony, which included a performance from crooner James Taylor, on the Ellipse outside the White House.
He joked that the demise of the last two National Christmas trees in recent years, was symptomatic of life in the US capital.
“Just goes to show you that nobody’s job is safe here in Washington,” he said.
One recent tree was knocked down in a storm in 2010, while its replacement died from the shock of being transplanted.
Presidents traditionally turn on the lights on the National Christmas Tree, in a ceremony dating back to 1923.
As the First Lady threw the switch to light the tree in a burst of golden light, Obama said: Merry Christmas, everybody.”
Obama remembers Sandy victims at Christmas tree lighting
