Sandy: The Frankenstorm | PKKH.tv
PKKH Editorial
The massive megastorm Sandy, that made landfall on Sunday afternoon, devastated half a dozen states including New York, Virginia, Connecticut and Pennsylvania on Monday and turned further inland on Tuesday, is being speculated as the one of the worst storms in Americas history. What many are calling a Frankenstorm was a frightening mix of rain, snow, wind and blizzard.
So far, there have been 85 confirmed dead throughout Caribbean, US and Canada from the hurricane and the number is increasing. The higher estimates are declaring over 10 million people without power and hundreds of thousands who had to be evacuated.
Parts of two nuclear power plant were shut down late Monday and early Tuesday, while another plant was put on alert after waters from Superstorm Sandy rose 13 feet above sea level. Early Tuesday a levee broke in a northern New Jersey flooding at least 3 towns. Tuesday a foot and more of snow was reported in lower elevations of West Virginia, where most towns and roads are blocked, more snow and blizzards are expected as the storm turns inland.
A 3 metre onslaught of seawater that could swamp lower Manhattan, flood the subways with water from the ocean and damage the underground network of electrical and communications lines, more than 7500 flight have so far been cancelled.
Disaster modeling company Eqecat estimated that Sandy would cause $5 billion to $10 billion in insured losses and $10 billion to $20 billion in economic damages. Others have estimated as much as $100 billion in damages. The real cost is probably somewhere in the middle. Peter Morici, a business professor at the University of Maryland is estimating up to $45billion in loses by comparing Sandy to Hurricane Irene when it also hit the northeast in 2011.
All this reminds us of 2005 superflood Katrina that claimed over 2000 lives and an estimate of $150 billion, but what was more distressful was the reaction of the US government at this devastation when residents of New Orleans where seen on television, without water, food or shelter, and the deaths of several citizens by thirst, exhaustion, and violence days after the storm itself had passed. After mandatory evacuation orders, approximately 120,000 people in New Orleans who did not have private mobility, were left stranded without help. Two-thirds of the residents of New Orleans were black, primarily attributed to decades of white flight. New Orleans was one of Americas poorest cities, with more than 25% of residents and 40% of children living at or below the poverty line. Within the city itself, the poorest, who are mostly African-American, tended to live in the lowest parts that are most vulnerable to flooding. Critics alleged that rescues and supplies were deliberately slowed down because of racial discrimination.
Though it seems like the US government is taking much precautions in dealing with rescue operations in this storm, but it is yet to be seen how the matters turn out in some time and how much the damages have actually been. President Barack Obama declared an emergency in the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Rhode Island and New Jersey. Our sympathies are with the common people affected by the devastation of this storm and we are hopeful that this time the common people of these areas will not be victim of US double policy of connivance and loot they are habitual to play across their boarders.
Source
PKKH Editorial
The massive megastorm Sandy, that made landfall on Sunday afternoon, devastated half a dozen states including New York, Virginia, Connecticut and Pennsylvania on Monday and turned further inland on Tuesday, is being speculated as the one of the worst storms in Americas history. What many are calling a Frankenstorm was a frightening mix of rain, snow, wind and blizzard.
So far, there have been 85 confirmed dead throughout Caribbean, US and Canada from the hurricane and the number is increasing. The higher estimates are declaring over 10 million people without power and hundreds of thousands who had to be evacuated.
Parts of two nuclear power plant were shut down late Monday and early Tuesday, while another plant was put on alert after waters from Superstorm Sandy rose 13 feet above sea level. Early Tuesday a levee broke in a northern New Jersey flooding at least 3 towns. Tuesday a foot and more of snow was reported in lower elevations of West Virginia, where most towns and roads are blocked, more snow and blizzards are expected as the storm turns inland.
A 3 metre onslaught of seawater that could swamp lower Manhattan, flood the subways with water from the ocean and damage the underground network of electrical and communications lines, more than 7500 flight have so far been cancelled.
Disaster modeling company Eqecat estimated that Sandy would cause $5 billion to $10 billion in insured losses and $10 billion to $20 billion in economic damages. Others have estimated as much as $100 billion in damages. The real cost is probably somewhere in the middle. Peter Morici, a business professor at the University of Maryland is estimating up to $45billion in loses by comparing Sandy to Hurricane Irene when it also hit the northeast in 2011.
All this reminds us of 2005 superflood Katrina that claimed over 2000 lives and an estimate of $150 billion, but what was more distressful was the reaction of the US government at this devastation when residents of New Orleans where seen on television, without water, food or shelter, and the deaths of several citizens by thirst, exhaustion, and violence days after the storm itself had passed. After mandatory evacuation orders, approximately 120,000 people in New Orleans who did not have private mobility, were left stranded without help. Two-thirds of the residents of New Orleans were black, primarily attributed to decades of white flight. New Orleans was one of Americas poorest cities, with more than 25% of residents and 40% of children living at or below the poverty line. Within the city itself, the poorest, who are mostly African-American, tended to live in the lowest parts that are most vulnerable to flooding. Critics alleged that rescues and supplies were deliberately slowed down because of racial discrimination.
Though it seems like the US government is taking much precautions in dealing with rescue operations in this storm, but it is yet to be seen how the matters turn out in some time and how much the damages have actually been. President Barack Obama declared an emergency in the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Rhode Island and New Jersey. Our sympathies are with the common people affected by the devastation of this storm and we are hopeful that this time the common people of these areas will not be victim of US double policy of connivance and loot they are habitual to play across their boarders.
Source
