1.
Introduction
1.1.Background
At the end of October 2012, America encountered a
great calamity named Hurricane Sandy.
This calamity is mentioned by the media as the "Superstorm Sandy" in
relation to its dreadful impacts throughout some countries of America. Some
unusual phenomena such as great material loss, killed ones, power outages,
flood until floor trading shutdown gave a great shock to America and the World.
The eighteenth named storm has left some suffering felt by all elements of
society.
In regard of the
starting point, exposing some Hurricane-Sandy-related information is
interesting. This way, the writer concerns on the humanistic side of America,
which is somewhat matchless compared to other countries in the world.
1.2.Objectives
The objective of the paper is to expose some
Hurricane-related information from the scientific definition of Hurricane Sandy
to the post-calamity relief.
2.
Hurricane
Sandy Information from Calamity to Relief
2.1 Definition
According to Wikipedia, Hurricane Sandy was a hurricane that devastated portions of the
Caribbean and the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, with lesser
impacts in the Southeastern and Midwestern states and Eastern Canada, in late
October 2012.
As reported by
Boston.com, Hurricane Sandy caused extensive damage along the East Coast this
week. Sandy made landfall in southern New Jersey and brought with it major
flooding, travel disruption, structural damage, and power outages. New York
City was especially hard hit. The storm system was so large - nearly 1,000
miles wide at times -- it brought blizzard conditions to West Virginia and 20
foot waves to Lake Michigan. It is projected Sandy will have caused about $30
billion in damages in the United States. To date, the storm claimed more than
100 lives.
2.2 Chronological Development
The chronological development of Hurricane Sandy
according to Wikipedia is as below.
On October 22, Sandy developed from a tropical wave
in the western Caribbean Sea, quickly strengthened and was upgraded to Tropical
Storm Sandy six hours later. Sandy moved slowly northward toward the Greater
Antilles and gradually intensified.
On October 24, Sandy became a hurricane, made
landfall near Kingston, Jamaica, a few hours later, re-emerged into the
Caribbean Sea and strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane.
On October 25, Sandy hit Cuba, then weakened to a
Category 1 hurricane.
On October 26, Sandy moved through the Bahamas.
On October 27, Sandy briefly weakened to a tropical
storm and then restrengthened to a Category 1 hurricane.
On October 29, Sandy curved north-northwest and then
moved ashore near Atlantic City, New Jersey as a "post-tropical
cyclone" with hurricane-force winds.
2.3 Calamity-Affected Countries
a. Jamaica, Carribean
Trees and power lines were snapped and shanty houses
were heavily damaged, both from the winds and flooding rains. Stones falling
from a hillside crushed one man to death as he tried to get into his house in a
rural village near Kingston.The country's sole electricity provider, the
Jamaica Public Service Company, reported that 70 percent of its customers were
without power. More than 1,000 people went to shelters.Jamaican authorities closed
the island's international airports, and police ordered 48-hour curfews in
major towns to keep people off the streets and deter looting.Most buildings in
the eastern portion of the island lost their roofs.Damage totaled $55.23 million
throughout the country.
b. Hispaniola, Carribean
In Haiti, which at least 54 people have died, and an
estimated 200,000 were left homeless as of late Monday October 29, as a result
of four days of ongoing rain from Hurricane Sandy. Heavy damage occurred in
Port-Salut after rivers overflowed their banks. In the capital of
Port-au-Prince, streets were flooded by the heavy rains, and it was reported
that "the whole south of the country is underwater". Damage in Haiti
was estimated at $74 million (2012 USD).
c. Cuba, Carribean
At least 55,000 people were evacuated before
Hurricane Sandy's arrival. While moving ashore, the storm produced waves up to
29 feet (9 meters) and a 6 foot (2 meter) storm surge that caused extensive
coastal flooding. There was widespread damage, particularly to Santiago de Cuba
where 132,733 homes were damaged, of which 15,322 were destroyed and 43,426
lost their roof. Electricity and water services were knocked out, and most of
the trees in the city were damaged. Total losses throughout Santiago de Cuba province
is estimated as high as $2 billion (2012 USD).
d. Bahamas, Carribean
A NOAA automated station at Settlement Point on
Grand Bahama Island reported sustained winds of 49 mph (74 km/h) and a wind
gust of 63 mph (102 km/h). Portions of the Bahamas lost power or cellular
service, including an islandwide power outage on Bimini. Five homes were
severely damaged near Williams's Town.
e. Bermuda, Carribean
Owing to the sheer size of the storm, Sandy also
impacted Bermuda with high winds and heavy rains. On October 28, an F1 tornado
touched down in Sandys Parish, damaging homes and businesses. During a
three-day span, the storm produced 0.98 in (25 mm) of rain at the L.F. Wade
International Airport. The strongest winds were recorded on October 29:
sustained winds reached 37 mph (60 km/h) and gusts peaked at 58 mph (93 km/h).
f. United States
The hurricane caused tens of billions of dollars in
damage in the United States, destroyed thousands of homes, left millions
without electric service, and killed at least 131 people in eight states,
including 53 in New York, 37 in New Jersey, 13 in Pennsylvania, 11 in Maryland,
six in West Virginia, five in Connecticut and three each in Virginia and North
Carolina. Due to flooding and other storm-related problems, Amtrak canceled all
Acela Express, Northeast Regional, Keystone, and Shuttle services for October
29 and 30. More than 13,000 flights were canceled across the U.S. on October
29, and more than 3,500 were called off October 30. From October 27 through
early November 1, airlines canceled a total of 19,729 flights, according to
FlightAware
g. Florida, South East
High winds and waves washed sand onto coastal roads
in southeastern Florida. The storm left power outages across the region, which
left many traffic lights out of order. The Coast Guard rescued two sea men in
Volusia County off New Smyrna Beach on the morning of October 26. Brevard and
Volusia Counties schools canceled all extracurricular activities for October
26, including football.
h. North Carolina, South East
North Carolina was spared from major damage through
the late evening hours of October 28, though winds, rain, and inland snow could
affect the state through October 30. Ocracoke and Highway 12 on Hatteras Island
were flooded with up to 2 feet (0.6 m) of water, closing part of the highway.
i. Virginia, South East
On October 29, snow was falling in parts of the
state. At Sandy's peak, 200,000 customers were without power, and in Northern
Virginia where most of the outages occurred 92,000 customers were still without
power on October 30; the local utility intended to restore full service by 1
November. As of late night November 2, there had been two Hurricane
Sandy-related fatalities.
j. Mryland and Washington, D.C, Mid-Atlantic
Due to high winds, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the
Millard E. Tydings Memorial Bridge on I-95 were closed. During the storm, the
Mayor of Salisbury instituted a Civil Emergency and a curfew. Interstate 68 in
far western Maryland and northern West Virginia closed due to heavy snow, stranding
multiple vehicles and requiring assistance from the National Guard. Workers in
Howard County tried to stop a sewage overflow caused by a power outage October
30. Raw sewage spilled at a rate of 2 million gallons per hour. It was unclear
how much sewage had flowed into the Little Patuxent River. As of the morning of
November 2, 28,600 are without power, down from 365,700.
k. Delaware, Mid-Atlantic
At 4 p.m. on October 29, Delmarva Power reported on
its website that more than 13,900 customers in Delaware and portions of the
Eastern Shore of Maryland had lost electric service as high winds brought down
trees and power lines. About 3,500 of those were in New Castle County, 2,900
were in Sussex, and more than 100 were in Kent County. Some residents in Kent
and Sussex Counties experienced power outages that lasted up to nearly six
hours. A wind gust of 64 mph (103 km/h)
was measured at Lewes just before 2:30 p.m. In Dewey, flood waters were 1 to 2 feet
(0.30 to 0.61 m) in depth.
l. New Jersey, Mid-Atlantic
In the early morning of October 30, authorities in
Bergen County, New Jersey, evacuated residents after a berm overflowed and
flooded several communities. Police Chief of Staff Jeanne Baratta said there
were up to five feet of water in the streets of Moonachie and Little
Ferry. At least 24 people in the state were
killed.
m. Pennsylvania, Mid-Atlantic
All major highways in and around the city of
Philadelphia were closed on October 29 during the hurricane due to high winds.
More than 1.2 million were reportedly left without power as a result of the
storm. As of the morning of November 2, 372,000 customer is without power, down
from 1.2 million On November 4, Pennsylvania reported 14 deaths believed to be
related to Sandy according to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.
n. New York, Mid-Atlantic
Storm impacts in Upstate New York were much more
limited than in New York City; there was some flooding and a few downed trees.
Rochester area utilities reported slightly fewer than 19,000 customers without
power, in seven counties.Sea water flooded the Ground Zero construction site.
Gas shortages throughout the region led to an effort by the U.S. federal
government to bring in gasoline and set up mobile truck distribution at which
people could receive up to 10 gallons of gas, free of charge.
o. New England
Wind gusts to 83 mph were recorded on outer Cape Cod
and Buzzards Bay. Over 385,000 customers were without power in Massachusetts,
and roads and buildings were flooded.
Over 100,000 customers lost power in Rhode Island. Most of the damage
was along the coastline, where some communities were flooded. Mount Washington, New Hampshire saw the
strongest measured wind gust from the storm at 140 mph. Over 200,000 customers lost power in the
state.
p. West Virginia, Appalachia and Midwest
By the morning of October 31, there were still 36
roads closed due to downed trees, powerlines, and snow in the road. More than
200,000 customers lost power during the blizzard conditions. It is still
difficult to assess the damage in the remote areas, accessible only by
impassable back roads, that lost power and communications, but there are
reports of collapsed buildings in several counties due to the sheer weight of
the wet, heavy snow.
q. Ohio, Appalachia and Midwest
On October 30, at least 247,000 in northeast Ohio
were without power, mostly in the Cleveland area. Many schools were closed or
delayed as the hurricane brought high winds and the season's first snow to some
parts of the state overnight.
r. Michigan, Appalachia and Midwest
DTE Energy said that more than 120,000 customers
lost power, and Consumers Energy reported the same for 1,200 of its customers.
The National Weather Service said that waves up to 23 feet high were reported
on southern Lake Huron. As of the morning of November 2, 5,000 customers are without
power, down from 154,000.
s. Kentucky, Appalachia and Midwest
More than a foot of snow fell in eastern Kentucky as
Sandy merged with an Arctic front.
t. Canada
The remnants of Sandy produced high winds along Lake
Huron and Georgian Bay, where gusts were measured at 105 km/h (63 mph). A 121
km/h (72 mph) gust was measured on top of the Bluewater Bridge. One woman died
after being hit by a piece of flying debris in Toronto. At least 145,000
customers across Ontario lost power as of the morning of October 30, and a
Bluewater Power worker was electrocuted in Sarnia while working to restore
power. Around 49,000 homes and businesses lost power in Quebec during the
storm, with nearly 40,000 of those in the Laurentides region of the province,
as well as more than 4,000 customers in the Eastern Townships and 1,700
customers in Montreal. Hundreds of flights were canceled. Around 14,000
customers in Nova Scotia lost power during the height of the storm.
2.4 General Causalities and Damages
These are some general, most common damages that
happened during and after Hurricane Sandy as reported by New York Times.
Snow. Hurricane
Shandy left snow in Appalachia, power failures in Maine and untreated sewage
pouring into the Patuxent River in Maryland after a treatment plant lost power.
Flood and Fire.
Explosions and downed power lines left the lower part of Manhattan and 90
percent of Long Island in the dark. The New York City subway system — a
lifeline for millions — was paralyzed by flooded tunnels and was expect to
remain silent for days.
Paralyzed Subway Network.
New York’s subway network, which suffered the worst damage in its
108-year-history, faced one of its longest shutdowns because the problems were
so much worse than expected. Water
climbed to the ceiling of the South Ferry subway station, the end of the No. 1
line in Lower Manhattan, and debris covered tracks in stations up and down
other lines after the water rushed in and out. Mr. Lhota said that seven subway
tunnels between Manhattan and Brooklyn were flooded.
Floor Trading Shutdown.
Connecticut, New Jersey and New York reopened many closed roads and bridges,
and the New York Stock Exchange made plans to resume floor trading on Wednesday
after a two-day shutdown, its first because of weather since a blizzard in
1888.
Paralyzed Airports.
Airports, too, took a beating. More than 15,000 flights were canceled, and
water poured onto the runways at Kennedy International Airport and La Guardia
Airport, both in Queens. Officials made plans to reopen Kennedy, the larger of
the two and a major departure point for international flights, on Wednesday.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said La Guardia would remain closed “because of extensive
damage.”
Power Outages.
In New Jersey, Public Service Electric and Gas said it had 1.3 million electric
customers in the dark, including 500,000 without power because a surge in
Newark Bay flooded substations and other equipment. Another New Jersey utility,
Jersey Central Power and Light, whose territory covers many shore towns, said
almost all of its customers had lost power in some counties, including Ocean
and Monmouth. More than one-third of Connecticut Light and Power’s 1.2 million
customers had no electricity, either.
2.5 Government, Organization, or
Citizen Initiated Relief
a.
Government-Initiated
Relief
President Obama approved disaster declarations for
New York and New Jersey, making them eligible for federal assistance for
rebuilding. “All of us have been shocked by the force of mother nature,” said
the president, who plans to visit New Jersey on Wednesday. He promised “all
available resources” for recovery efforts.
Rescuers looked for
survivors in the wet rubble in places like Atlantic City, and state and local
officials surveyed wreckage. Utility crews began working their way through a
wilderness of fallen trees and power lines. And from Virginia to Connecticut,
there were stories of tragedy and survival — of people who lost everything when
the water rushed in, of buildings that crumbled after being pounded hour after
hour by rain and relentless wind, of hospitals that had to be evacuated when
the storm knocked out the electricity.
From southern New
Jersey to the East End of Long Island to the northern suburbs in Connecticut,
power companies spent Tuesday trying to figure out just how much damage the
storm had done to their wires, transformers and substations. The work will take
at least a week, possibly longer, because the damage was so extensive, and
utility companies called in thousands of crews from all around the country to
help out. Consolidated Edison reached to San Francisco to bring in 150 workers
from Pacific Gas and Electric. Even with the additional manpower, Con Edison
said it could still take more than 10 days to complete the repairs. Con Edison
had more than 285,000 customers in Manhattan who were in the dark on Tuesday,
and more than 185,000 in Westchester.
There were no traffic
signals on the walk from Fifth Avenue to the East River. Police officers were
directing traffic; here and there, bodegas were open, selling batteries and
soft drinks. Buses began running again on Tuesday afternoon, and the mayor
ordered a ride-sharing program for taxis. There were 4,000 yellow cabs on the
streets by Tuesday afternoon.
b.
Organization-Initiated
Relief
Care2.com reported that at City Harvest in New York
City, for example, the storm caused about $100,000 of damage to some of their
trucks. The Community Food Bank of New Jersey in Hillside is sheltering
employees and their families whose homes have been damaged or who have no
power.
Member food banks continue to provide food and other
supplies to those effected by Hurricane Sandy and are now preparing for more
displacement that could come as the result of the nor’easter storm that is
threatening the region.
Food banks and other
relief organizations, on the other hand, are able to take generous donations
from supporters and use them in the most efficient, effective way possible to
aid disaster relief. Ultimately, even when facing the effects of a disaster
themselves, relief organizations and food banks like Feeding America are well
prepared to get to work and help people back on their feet after a hurricane
like Sandy.
c.
Citizen-Initited
Relief
Citizen also played an important role in
post-disaster relief through social networks. At least four Facebook pages were
created to reunite people with photographs, kayaks, wedding invitations and
other cherished mementos they thought were lost during Superstorm Sandy. People
who find photographs and articles can scan or photograph them and upload the
images, along with details of where the items were found and other identifying
characteristics.
Jeanne Esti started the
Facebook page For Shore after going to her parents' home in Mantoloking, which
sustained broken windows and minor property damage. While assessing it, she saw
pieces of people's lives strewn in the backyard. The sites underscore the
pivotal role social media has been playing after the storm, disseminating news,
connecting people and organizations, soliciting information and organizing
volunteer efforts.
The Federal Emergency
Management Agency and Red Cross also have used social media during and after
the storm. FEMA has people on the ground writing and answering Tweets and
inquiries, a spokesman said. Kathleen Schmidt started the New Jersey Needs
Facebook page as a way to connect people who needed assistance with those who
wanted to help. She plans to continue the site as a clearinghouse for
information. She wants to help families who can't provide for Christmas and
keep the Jersey Shore in the front of peoples' minds, especially as fall fades
into winter and the months pass.
3. Conclusion
Hurricane Sandy is, as the media said, “Superstorm
Sandy”. America suffers from a great shock and spent much time, money, mind and
energy for the relief. Interestingly, the paralysis in some aspects of the national
life in the United States was simply contemporary and took no longer time. All
elements of the society namely government, social organizations and citizens
are all doing good at reacting the dreadful calamity. The national relief
movement makes America stronger than it looks like.
4. Bibliography
“Hurricane Sandy” Wikipedia. 28 November 2012.
“Hurricane Sandy: The Superstorm”. 31 October 2012
Boston. 28 November 2012.
“Hurricane
Sandy victims find hope by finding lost items online”. 24 November 2012 New
Jersey. 28 November 2012.
“In
the Aftermath of Sandy, Food Banks’ Disaster Relief Efforts Are Put to the
Test”. 24 November 2012 Care2. 28 November 2012.
Barron,
James. “After the Devastation, a Daunting Recovery”. 30 October 2012 New York
Times. 28 November 2012.
Image credit: http://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov
0 comment:
Post a Comment