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Hochul gave the update during a news conference on Thursday, Aug. 2, at the Great Neck Long Island Rail Road station in Nassau County.
Hochul said the Port Washington Line was disrupted and workers and trying to restore the tracks so they'll be safe again.
"What we saw last night was nothing short of unprecedented. I cannot imagine a community having gone through this before," she said. "In fact we were told it was a 500-year event. I'm not sure how they know that; I'm not sure who was here 500 years ago to tell us that but that is the scale we're talking about."
The governor said next steps for the state will be to immediately assess loss of life. She said the state received reports of nine New Yorkers dying in the storm.
"We also are concerned about the damages," Hochul said. "A short distance from here the flooding in basements, people's most prized possessions washed away, family photos of their babies. I lost pictures of my kids when they were born in floods myself. I know how sad this can be. Our businesses have been affected."
Hochul added that once the state has worked to resolve immediate issues, officials will look into preparation plans for the next storm.
President Joe Biden told Hochul that he will grant the resources the state asks for, the governor said. Hochul said the state is doing FEMA assessments to determine the scope of the expenses that have been incurred by municipalities, homeowners and businesses.
She said the state is working to bring more infrastructure dollars to make overdue improvements to storm sewers and drainage systems. Hochul also said the state is committed to fighting climate change by transitioning to carbon-neutral energy.
"The future we spoke about in dire terms? That future is now," Hochul said. "It's happening now. We're losing lives, we're losing property, and we cannot continue on this path."
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