Federal task force issues recommendations based on lessons learned from Hurricane Sandy

Yesterday, President Obama's Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force released its rebuilding strategy to serve as a model for communities facing greater risks from extreme weather.

The strategy contains 69 policy recommendations, many of which have been adopted, that will help ensure entire communities can withstand and recover from future powerful storms.

"We have cut red tape, piloted cutting edge programs and strengthened our partnership with state and local officials," Obama said in a prepared statement. "While a great amount of work remains, we will stand with the region for as long as it takes to recover."

Among the recommendations that will have the greatest impact on federal funds is a process to prioritize all large-scale infrastructure projects and map the connections between them.

Obama appointed the task force, chaired by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, in response to the devastating impact of Hurricane Sandy, which struck the Northeast coast in late October 2012.

As part of the federal government response to the disaster, the Federal Transit Administration made available more than $5.7 billion in funding and the Federal Highway Administration, more than $500 million for recovery efforts.