New Yorkers are still cleaning up from Superstorm Sandy's aftermath.

Reports dating back to 1978 warned New York politicians to create a regularly updated plan for restoration of vital services after the storm went mostly unheeded.

Reports in 2005, 2006 and 2010 reinforced that warning, the AP reported. In the 2006 Assembly report cautioned “It’s not a question of whether a strong hurricane will New York City, it’s a question of when.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that the storm was something that was very hard to anticipate. 

"I don't know that anyone believed," Gov. Cuomo said this past week. "We had never seen a storm like this. So it is very hard to anticipate something that you have never experienced."

A $30 billion request has been sent to President Obama from Cuomo to finance the first phase of recovery  and an additional $9 billion for preventive measures to better protect the area for the next big storm, the New York Times reported.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the city would reassess its current measures to ensure that the New York coast will be protected in the future should another Sandy present itself, USA Today reported.

Read more of Neon Tommy's coverage of Sandy here.

Reach executive producer Jackie Mansky here.