Frank Blake thanks hurricane-area employees

While pointing to sales and earnings growth in the third quarter, Home Depot CEO Frank Blake also thanked employees who continue to work in communities impacted by Hurricane Sandy in the Northeast. 

"I particularly want to thank all of our associates who are helping the communities impacted by Hurricane Sandy," Blake said. "They are working under difficult circumstances, often with their own lives and homes disrupted by the storm, and their efforts exemplify our core values."

Estimates of Hurricane Sandy's damage are in the neighborhood of $50 billion. Many people in New York and New Jersey remain displaced or without power, weeks after the storm's initial touchdown.