Nov. 17: A sign in a Staten Island storefront tells a lot. It was still closed because of the damage done by Superstorm Sandy in late October.

Many in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic couldn't get to stores and were out of work for at least a short time because of the destruction Sandy wrought. That dampened spending and cut into incomes.

The economic effects of Superstorm Sandy continue to be felt. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, consumer spending edged down 0.2 percent in October from September, and personal income dipped 0.1 percent.

As Bloomberg News says, "Sandy kept some in the Northeast from getting to work or from shopping at malls and car dealerships."

Economist Chris Christopher at IHS Global Insight tells Bloomberg that "holiday sales will be a little weaker than we originally thought" because Sandy "took out some of the momentum."

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