US declares major disaster in NY after Sandy

Barack Obama, the US president, has declared a "major disaster" in New York state and freed up federal aid for those who lost homes or businesses, after "super storm" Sandy swept through the Eastern Seaboard. At least 15 people were reported to have died in New York, after one of the biggest storms to ever hit the country made landfall on Monday night in New Jersey. The storm, which dropped just below hurricane status before striking land, which has left 33 people dead across several US states. It had already killed more than 60 people in the Caribbean. Al Jazeera's Kristen Saloomey reports from New York.