The death count is the figure that most people will look to, and unfortunately, this Hurricane has not failed to leave its mark in this regard. So far, at death count stands at 16, and I hope it will go no higher, but in a situation such as this, where the real damage is yet to be assessed, I fear that will not be the case. With 7 million people losing power as the 900-mile spanning storm slammed into the Atlantic coast, some people are saying that the death toll could have been significantly higher, but it is always sad to see any number higher than 0.
Economic damage
Early forecasts suggest the total damage may reach $20 billion in terms of economic damage. This is damage to local businesses, particularly coastal ones hit by flooding, in Manhattan, there was a 13ft surge. The airlines were also hit hard, with over 12,500 flights grounded by US officials.
US stock trading is closed through to Wednesday, this is the first back-to-back closure for weather since 1888, and technology has come a long way since then.
It is thought that 5 to 10 billion dollars worth of losses were insured, a high figure, but that could account for only 50% of the total damages. Many businesses may never recover from this storm.
Combination Effect
Experts said that this storm was of such sheer magnitude, along with the snow, the surges, the full moon and the high tide, it combined to take the situation to a whole new level. 2.1 million homes were without power before the storm had even made landfall, the force of the wind and rain having that much effect.
What Next
Early on Tuesday, President Obama declared a national disaster in New York (the hardest hit area), Long Island and New Jersey, meaning that federal funding will be available to people affected in those areas.
As the waters slowly subside, areas such as Atlantic City, which was almost totally submerged in water, can begin to finally assess the damages and begin the rebuilding processes. Volunteers will be rallying themselves for a big task ahead and people will be thinking about how to pick up the pieces and move on.
One of the reasons I moved into having an online business was because of wanting to be able to work anywhere and not be tied down to one place, I hadn't thought of being able to avoid natural disasters at the time, but now I am thinking it was a lucky bonus.
Working from home, I got barely any work done as I watched the news and was left in awe by the destruction. Many of the people in my online community were affected by the hurricane, but fortunately they were able to get online and let us know that they were OK. I hope everybody you know in those areas affected were equally lucky.
I think recent years and improved technology have increased people's awareness of of these situations and almost everybody in the affected area would have possessed some form of hurricane survival kit.
Post a Comment