Hurricane Sandy was predicted early on to take a toll on the Mid-Atlantic and North East of the U.S., but the actual impact was still just as shocking and frightening. Tremendous effort was put in to prepare for such a storm. Barricades were erected and sand bags lined the coast in order to keep the waters at bay. Houses near the shore, who have known for years of the dangers of tropical storms, were constructed high off the ground. The public was notified and told to prepare. Everyone knew it was coming and they battered down and awaited the eminent. Despite the attempts to prepare, however, the damage was disasterous. Entire towns were submerged under frigid waters as the hurricane whipped through. The sand bags did little to nothing to keep out the waters. Power lines and tree limbs lay scattered across the roads. And worst of all, thousands of people are left homeless or trapped. We were not prepared.
The economic toll grows by the day and the toll on human life was even greater. Ahospital was forced to evacuate newborns in intensive care because the infrastructure would not stand the storm. Thousands are trapped in their homes with no power of heat because roads are destroyed. So what, if anything, can we walk away from this disaster with? We must be better prepared. With each storm, our infrastructure takes a greater hit. Already the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the aging United States infrastructure very low marks. We must rebuild and revolutionize. Old methods cannot withstand the pressures of a growing population, more traffic, not to mention a hurricane of this magnitude. Houses near the coast must have better flood protection such as reenforced supports higher off the ground. Sandbags should be replaced by newer solutions like the HydraBarrier made of industrial vinyl which is lighter, reusable, but can greater resist flood waters. Natural disaters are out of our control, but preparing for them isn’t. We cannot lay down to the forces of nature, we must resist and continue on.
Resources
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/10/29/how-to-properly-prepare-for-hurricane-sandy/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/30/hurricane-sandy-infrastructure_n_2045860.html
http://www.hydrabarrier.com/?gclid=CPzQ9v_dsLMCFUQw4AodxG4AqA