I'm not fond of building or rebuilding in easily storm-damaged areas, but you don't just screw over people who were already in such a place who get wiped out. If you don't want them to be able to rebuild, you 'eminent-domain' the areas, but give them the cash so they can build somewhere safer. You don't just say 'tough luck, no money for you!'

Of course, part of what's so disgusting is that people were STILL waiting for Sandy Aid money. Money should have been distributed to those with damaged or destroyed property within a month or two tops after the storm.

By Richard Moody

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says a bottom-up approach to recovery is the best strategy in post-Superstorm Sandy New York. To prove it, he invited elected officials, business leaders and environment and community planning experts from Staten Island to the Schoharie Valley to a forum in Albany last week to present plans to make their communities more resilient to extreme weather.

At Cuomo's New York Rising Spring Conference last week, state and local officials listened to local planners from Staten Island, Queens, Brooklyn, Long Island, Delaware and Madison counties and the Schoharie Valley about local recovery and resiliency plans, which addressed key issues such as coastline protection, floodwater drainage and displacement, energy and local economies. At the end of the conference eight New York Rising Planning Committees each received a $3 million grant to implement their recovery and resiliency plans.

http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2014-04-28-87720.113122-Communities-share-stories-of-rebuilding-after-Sandy.html