Eighteen months after Hurricane Sandy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency says it has given $8.7 billion to help New York recover.

The agency says the biggest chunk of money – $2.5 billion – went towards cleaning up debris and repairing infrastructure.

Another billion dollars went directly to individuals, largely to pay for transitional housing or other basic needs after the disaster.

The agency also says it gave out more than $250 million dollars in small business loans.

(Source: NY1)