Hurricane Sandy strikes, awaking to the damage

Millions of people across the eastern seaboard waited for sunrise Tuesday morning to see the full extent of the damage wrought by megastorm Sandy. An estimated 6.2 million people in seven states were without power across the East and at least 17 deaths had been confirmed. President Obama has declared New York and Long Island federal disaster areas. The disaster declaration makes federal funding available to residents and businesses in the affected areas, which bore the brunt of the sea surge from the superstorm. Jeff Masters, meteorology director for Weather Underground, a private forecasting service, called the storm surges some of the highest ever recorded. Officials blamed at least 16 deaths on the storm " five in New York, three each in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, two in Connecticut, and one each in Maryland, North Carolina and West Virginia. Three of the victims were children, one just 8 years old. Sandy also killed 69 people in the Caribbean.