The Securities and Exchange Commission is preparing to further extend filing deadlines for companies struggling amid the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

On Oct. 29, the Commission posted a notice on its website explaining that staff would handle requests for filing date adjustments "on a case-by-case basis.” The SEC staff announced on Monday that its staff is now preparing more specific relief measures that will likely extend deadlines for any filing due during the period from Oct. 29 to Nov. 20 for publicly traded companies, investment companies, investment advisers, accountants, brokerage firms, and transfer agents. Although not yet final, those deadlines are expected to be pushed up to Nov. 21. SEC staff will also consider requests for additional relief on a case-by-case basis.

Last week, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation also issued storm-related guidance for the financial institutions they oversee. Institutions that expect to encounter difficulty submitting accurate and timely regulatory report data for the Sept. 30 report date were advised to contact their primary federal regulatory agency to discuss their situation.

The agencies also said that they do not expect to assess penalties against institutions that take "reasonable and prudent steps" to comply with reporting requirements, but are unable to meet specified filing deadlines because of the storm.