New York declared major disaster area in the wake of Sandy

NEW YORK (AP) -- President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in New York and Long Island.

The declaration makes federal funding available to people in the area. It bore the brunt of the sea surge from a superstorm that hit the East Coast on Monday.

The National Hurricane Center said that as of 5 a.m. Tuesday, the storm was moving westward across Pennsylvania and was centered about 90 miles west of Philadelphia.

It lost its hurricane status on Monday and is now considered an extratropical cyclone.

It is expected to move into western New York on Tuesday night and move into Canada on Wednesday.

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