Obama visits New York, pledges help with Sandy recovery

NEW YORK — President Barack Obama paid a visit to New York on Thursday, visiting Staten Island and Queens where he consoled victims of Superstorm Sandy and surveyed the damage.

The New York and New Jersey region is still struggling to recover from the storm's devastation some 17 days later, Reuters reported. 120 people were killed and thousands have lost their homes.

"There’s still a lot of cleanup to do, Obama said. "People still need emergency help. They still need heat. They still need power; they still need shelter; kids are still trying to figure out where they’re going to school," The Washington Post wrote.

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Speaking at a press conference with New York City Major Michael Bloomberg and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Obama pledged to come back in the future.

“I’m very proud of you, New York,” Obama said. “You guys are tough, you bounced back just as America always bounces back. The same is going to be true this time.”

The president also said he was appointing Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, as the "point person" to oversee the New York area's rebuilding process, Reuters reported.