A worker uses a torch while helping to construct a new sea wall along the beach in the Belle Harbor neighborhood in the Rockaways on January 2, 2013 in the Queens borough of New York City. Criticism, including by President Barack Obama, has been directed at the Republican House's decision to adjourn without passing a Hurricane Sandy aid bill. According to early estimates, Hurricane Sandy inflicted at least $50 to $60 billion in damage across the Northeast, making it one of the most destructive storms ever. Photo: Spencer Platt, Getty Images / 2013 Getty Images