Obviously you don’t ask your friend to loan you a few bucks when she’s just finished talking about how she’s too strapped to go on vacation this year, yet the MTA announced it’s finished submitting claims to be reimbursed for Hurricane Irene-related expenses just as the nation is waiting to see if Isaac proves to be a serious threat or just an annoyance for Republicans.
The agency claimed $65 million in losses related to the storm, which includes $27.7 million already approved by FEMA, according to the New York Times. The rest of the claims are mainly going to insurers. The MTA says suspending service on New York City transit cost $14 million in lost revenue and $8 million in employees’ overtime costs to prepare. Metro-North Railroad suffered the most, with $27 million in losses. In the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean, the storm caused roughly $15.8 billion in damage, making it the fifth most expensive U.S. hurricane on record.
The latest forecast has Isaac becoming a Category 2 hurricane by the time it hits land early Wednesday, making it less powerful than Irene or Katrina. On Tuesday some residents of Louisiana’s coast boarded up their homes and headed for shelter, though officials insist that this time New Orleans’s levees can withstand the storm.
