Port Authority Details Sandy’s Damage to Ports

Ships have been unloading cargo at the Port of New York and New Jersey since a week after Hurricane Sandy, but a full return to normal operation could take a lot longer.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said Friday 25 percent of trucks that service the ports and possibly as many as 2,000 containers were damaged. More than 700 containers were damaged in one location where the water and high winds toppled stacks onto each other.

Port commerce deputy director Dennis Lombardi says some railroad tracks were washed out and cranes and cargo handling equipment were damaged. The storm surge reached about 13 to 14 feet and winds hit 80 to 90 mph.

Lombardi says a future priority will be to safeguard the ports' electrical systems.

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