Megastorm Sandy: The Inevitable Problem Of Natural Disasters

Living in Florida there are many things to be worried about from alligators, hot heat, and the most important hurricanes. The first hurricane I experienced was in the first two months of me living in Florida. I moved here from New York and I had no idea what to expect when I heard that a hurricane was coming. It was like nothing I had experienced before, seeing a tree pulled from the ground by only water and wind was a devastating experience that I was something I did not expect to see. After the hurricane, my dad went to the store and bought as much; canned food, water bottles, candles, flashlights and batteries he could find to make sure that just in case another hurricane hit we would be prepared. After the hurricane, I started to wonder about better ways on how to prepare for another hurricane. Especially, living in Florida there are

There are two main concepts to prevent another devastating event as Hurricane Katrina which are plan/prepare and thorough disaster drills. First and foremost, we cannot prevent nor anticipate disasters; therefore, we shall prepare and practice for crisis as such. When everyone knows which critical functions are required for restoration then this could provide a tremendous amount of confidence in life-threatening situations. The very basic principles of planning we all should be familiar with could save the lives of millions. Next, conducting thorough disaster drills should always “be

Have you ever driven down the Garden State Parkway and seen car magnets that have “Jersey Strong” written on them? To summarize what “Jersey Strong” means in a few words is that no matter what obstacle strikes the Garden State, the people who live in New Jersey can get through anything together. In the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, New Jersey was hit by a deadly hurricane that left southern parts of the state in complete ruins. Not only were thousands of homes and businesses destroyed, but also over one hundred people were killed nationwide. This hurricane was a natural disaster that thousands of people could never forget about. The history making hurricane, Hurricane Sandy, did not only leave destruction in New Jersey, but also personal and economic troubles.

The U.S. has suffered from many Natural Disasters from Hurricane Katrina to wildfires in California. When it comes too natural disasters Hurricanes are by far one of the most devastating. The results can be catastrophic, possibly leaving the death tolls in thousands and leaving millions homeless. Even though the U.S. has responded to and recovered from Hurricanes, Meteorologists are presently not able to predict them early enough, and the U.S. government is unprepared financially, and responsively. Being well prepared for a hurricane is critical to saving peoples lives and their well-being. The government needs to do more not for just hurricanes but any disaster.

As the Assistant Administrator of National Preparedness with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (F.E.M.A.) when Super Storm Sandy made landfall on October 29, 2012, in New Jersey it brought with it storm surges of more than 11 feet, killing more than 100 people (including 43 in New York of which 34 occurred in Queens and Staten Island), destroying or damaging thousands of homes, and leaving more than 8 million people without power.

Being prepared for a hurricane is not just the responsibility of first responders like firefighters, law enforcement, and EMS. An entire community from one individual or a family all the way up to state and federal government personnel need to work together and do their part and everybody has their own role to play. It is very important for communities to have strong collaborative planning teams. These teams are made up of governmental, nongovernmental, private, and public organizations and agencies that need to be integrated and share information and also trained together during the planning phase to increase the successfulness of the response to a disaster. Having educated and informed citizens is key for a prepared community, for example they can create evacuation and family reunification plans, compile disaster kits, and engage in trainings and neighborhood preparedness activities so that during an emergency they are able to help themselves, their families, neighbors, and friends. Another way to lessening the effects of a hurricane is to implement mitigation

Even though FEMA has made progress, there is additional work needed in several areas. The response of the storm exposed challenges in how FEMA coordinated Federal agencies, State officials, and preparing and deploying it staff. For example, “difficulties with issuing mission assignment in a timely manner, implementation of incident management structures, and meeting the needs of survivors during the response phase” are some of the challenges that FEMA’s Sandy after action report identified. There were also challenges with delivering disaster relief and services to the seniors and individuals with disabilities trapped in public housing (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2013). The report revealed that FEMA had not worked with other federal

Junot Diaz once said “Disasters don’t just happen. They are always made possible by a series of often-invisible societal choices that implicate more than just those being drowned or buried in rubble” (Junot Diaz, 1). This quote introduces the idea of what is referred to as a social disaster. A social disaster can be a natural disaster such as earthquakes, tsunamis, or hurricanes etc. that are associated with some environmental, cultural, or political problem (Hovenac, 1). These societal problems can be a result of the natural disaster but more often issues that have always been there that are uncovered by the event of the natural disaster. When we look back at natural disasters that have occurred in United States, we notice that societal issues also arise with these events. A known example of this is when Hurricane Katrina hit the United States in 2005. As a result of the storm, researchers claimed that the socioeconomic status of those affected by the storm played a vital role in the damages that they face. This natural disaster brought attention to the pressing issue of the socioeconomic imbalance in our country and how it affects those in a natural disaster.

“Stronger than the storm”- Bushfire. Imagine living at the Jersey Shore all your life and every summer you would look forward to spending it on the beach. You vowed to never leave such a beautiful place where everyone is friendly and courteous to each other. Then within one night, your reality turns into your worst nightmare due to a natural disaster. On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy pounded the East Coast with record-setting floods and devastating winds. The outcome was catastrophic and disastrous. Homes, businesses, and other areas within New York and New Jersey were left powerless and dark. Miles of rail lines were twisted and torn apart and New Jersey’s most valuable industry was facing a serious threat - losing tourism at the Jersey

Since Hurricane Sandy there are a few preventative steps being taken to try to avoid damage from a flood like the one Sandy gave Staten Island. One preventative thing being done is in New Dorp Beach there are now sand dunes to try and stop water from rushing in. The photo below shows the dunes on the right. These sand dunes are built with tarp and sand packed in the inside and sand covering the top and sides. Also in many spots the dunes are covered in beach grass to anchor the sand. Another way Staten Island is trying to prevent damage from a flood again is raising houses on to piers in the hopes that the flood will never touch the actual house.

Back in 2012, the Eastern Coast of the United States of America suffered the wrath of Hurricane Sandy, otherwise known as Superstorm Sandy, or Frankenstorm. The hurricane caused colossal damage and urban flooding to many people living in suburban areas and caused billions of dollars in damages. Like Superman of Metropolis responding to a villain, the American Red Cross responded almost immediately; providing 75,000 with overnight stays, and over 14,000,000 in relief items, including food and water. This made up for more than half of all items distribute in 2012 alone. Which is why your donation to the American Red Cross will benefit the millions of lives struck by similar natural disasters across the world every year.

Disasters, whether natural or manmade, can happen anytime and anywhere, without warning. An earthquake, hurricane, tornado, fire, or hazardous material spill or even an act of terrorism can happen

In today’s world, there has been one disaster or another, and hurricanes are one of those disasters that always happens. But, for one reason or another we are never prepared or understand the danger of any type of hurricane over a category one. Most of us have been through many hurricanes, like this learner who has lived in Miami, Fla. for over 30 years, and experienced her last hurricane which was Hurricane Andrew. Warnings are always given, first responders are trained to all ways be on alert, and FEMA is supposed to be ready to jump in once the storm has done its damage. But we can never be prepared, because hurricanes are unpredictable, and can become deadly for citizens and create millions of dollars in damages. Within this post we will discuss Hurricane Katrina, preparedness and Emergency management before and after the disaster.

We have experienced several abnormally-strong natural disasters within the last year. For one thing, we witnessed a major tsunami that killed 226,000 people and left 617,159 people homeless while leaving 6,425 people missing. A major hurricane also smashed into the gulf coast causing $75 billion worth of damage. This became the costliest hurricane in United States

Risk for disasters is a part of life; emergency situations occur more frequently than many people believe. A wise person plans for the worse, and hopes for the best. After a disaster, how well a community can recover will depend largely on how well they prepared in advance. Risk management includes identifying any potential risks to a community and proactively planning to minimize the threat. Proactive organization of resources and people to respond to emergencies can mean the difference between a community’s ability to regroup and recover, and the loss of life. To better