NEW YORK – Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez told high ranking public officials from the New York metropolitan region on Tuesday that they responded well, for the most part, to the effects of Superstorm Sandy.

Mendez addressed the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council telling the officials the Federal Highway Administration, and the entire US Department of Transportation, stands ready to assist when there is a need.

“I think the message is clear: the people of New York and the Northeast are not alone, and we remain ready to help you as we continue to evaluate the needs,” Mendez said. “Unfortunately, Hurricane Sandy is not the only extreme weather event that has had significant impact on transportation here in recent years. We have a long list and that includes, for example, Washington DC, where I live. In the year, we had that big blizzard. We called in Snowmageddon; pretty amazing.”

The Metropolitan Council includes the Lower Hudson Valley counties of Westchester, Rockland and Putnam.