From his Austin office, Steve Mostyn looks east. Immediately before him, he sees the Texas Capitol, the domed building in which the state’s most powerful politicians have toiled for more than a decade to hobble the business of trial lawyers like himself.
Much farther east, Mostyn sees potential riches on the horizon. The lure of New York, and all those insurance claims spawned by the destructive wrath of Superstorm Sandy, is irresistible for an ambitious litigator with political connections, piles of money and a fearsome reputation.
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Costliest Texas Storms
1. Hurricane Ike Sept. 2008 Galveston Island $12.8 billion
2. Tropical Storm Allison June 2001 Houston $4.6 billion
3. Hurricane Rita Sept. 2005 Sabine Pass $3.3 billion
4. Hurricane Carla Sept. 1961 Port O’Connor $2.5 billion
5. Hurricane Cecilia Aug. 1970 Corpus Christi $1.9 billion
And No. 19
Bastrop wildfire Sept. 2011 Bastrop County $361 million
Cost of Hurricane Sandy: $50 billion
Sources: Insurance Council of Texas and National Hurricane Center
Note: Texas storms cost In 2012 dollars
CORRECTION: In a previous version of this story, a statement that Steve Mostyn keeps his office to watch over the Democratic lawmakers he has bankrolled was incorrectly attributed to him.

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