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As the Atlantic coast continues to recover from Hurricane Sandy, the National Guard is playing an increasingly large role in the cleanup process. Approximately 10,000 Guardsman from 13 states have been activated, many of whom headed to New York to lend a much-needed hand, according to Stars and Stripes.

More than 2,200 Guardsmen have headed to New York where they are using Humvees to help clear the debris and rescue residents who have been stranded by the floodwaters. Additionally, the military has supplied 10 Blackhawk helicopters to assist with aerial surveillance and lend support to first responders. Army engineers are looking at how to remove water from flooded tunnels and subways.

The National Guard effort was equally strong in New Jersey, where more than 2,000 troops have been activated. In hard-hit towns like Hoboken, Guardsmen were going through the flood streets block by block to assist residents.

"We're pretty much going to go through town like a centipede," Joel Mestre, the city's deputy office of emergency management coordinator, told the Los Angeles Times.

As of Thursday morning, Sandy had claimed the lives of at least 75 people in the United States, and the financial toll could climb as high as $50 billion.