After the Floods - An FP Slide Show

Last night, the news from the New York metro area sounded apocalyptic: Water flooding the subways, cranes falling, a blakcout over lower Manhattan, and nuclear power plants forced to partially shut down. Today, as the flood waters recede and the rain begins to lighten, people are venturing outside and beginning to evaluate the damage. Hurricane Sandy was devastating by any measure, but beleaguered New Yorkers can take comfort: It could have been worse. Here's a look at some of the world's most devastating storms this year, often in places far less equipped to handle severe weather.

Above, a man and his family sit in front of their flooded home in Adagama town in Ughelli in the oil rich Niger delta region of Nigeria, on Oct. 13. Recent floods in the region, which have been the worst in decades, killed over 140 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless. The disaster could also yet spark a food crisis. 

EPA/GEORGE ESIRII