Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, visited the New York region once again on November 11. This time the Secretary went to Staten Island to meet with state and local officials and to view the ongoing response and recovery efforts to Hurricane Sandy.

“Across New York and all the impacted states, one of our top priorities continues to be providing access to shelter for residents whose homes were severely damaged or destroyed by the storm,” said the Secretary. “Together, we have made progress, but we know the road ahead will be long and recovery will take time. Our commitment is to be here for the duration – to work with impacted communities throughout the region and ensure they emerge even stronger.”

During her visit, the Secretary toured the U.S. T.S. Kennedy (T-AK-5059). The U. S. T.S. Kennedy is a troop ship of the United States Navy and training vessel of the United States Maritime Service that was deployed to New York harbor following Hurricane Sandy. While onboard, the Secretary met with members of the DHS Surge Force, a force of more than 3,000 DHS employees who have volunteered to be sent to disaster areas to assist in response and recovery efforts.

On November 15, President Obama also visited New York again to view the recovery process. The president has also been in daily communication with Governor Christie of New Jersey ever since Hurricane Sandy came ashore in the northern part of the state to check on the recovery progress and to help to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks where possible.