Hurricane Sandy

[xoxoxoBruce]

Where did I say "massive damage"? So you've got a bone to pick with the media, cool. I agree they were over the top. But that doesn't mean a lot of people didn't get their shit fucked up. They did, no place to live, and many lost their wheels too. So don't dismiss them as media hype.

[tw]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

and many lost their wheels too. So don't dismiss them as media hype.

Could a Governor and Weather Service not make the obvious any more obvious? On a barrier island, you either evacuate. Or expect to lose the car. Many lost cars because they stupidly stayed. So, yes, that is not just media hype. That is also an ignorant resident.

A few days later, go home. No damage. It was just another inconvenient storm. Reality - few lost their home. Enough to spend a full 45 seconds in a news report.

Where is that New Orleans, Japan, or Aesch type damage? Mythical. Be critical of news reports - the local gossip - devoid of any useful or valid perspective.

It's a barrier island. It has and it will periodically flood. That is not a disaster. And not worth 24 hours of continuous news reports. Sandy was only an inconvenient storm. Expected inconvenience made irrelevant by proper preparation.

So maybe the unreported news should have detailed so many who ignored the Governor and did no proper preparation. No. That would not create hype and increase ratings.

[richlevy]

Really?
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1012/83105.html

FEMA Director Craig Fugate had a blunt response on Wednesay to his Bush-era predecessor who criticized President Barack Obama’s early preparation for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.
“It’s better to be fast than to be late,” Fugate said on NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

“In the context of the election, I simply said he should have waited,” Brown said. “The storm was still forming, people were debating whether it was going to be as bad as expected, or not, and I noted that the president should have let the governors and mayors deal with the storm until it got closer to hitting the coastal areas along the Washington, D.C.-New York City corridor.”

Way to go Brownie! Thanks for sticking your head up and reminding all of use of your astounding success and the stellar qualifications that got you appointed to the job.

Fugate worked under Jeb Bush as is considered to be a) non-partisan and b) one of the best disaster guys out there. In Florida he handled many hurricanes, which is what brought him to the attention of Obama.

I cannot freaking believe Brown had the balls to second guess this.

TW, Hoboken NJ is not a barrier island. Neither is NYC. If you want to debate whether some serious effort should be made to shore up defenses against natural disasters instead of being reactive, then I agree. I would not downplay something that has had this much impact in NYC and made so many houses in NJ unlivable.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by tw

Could a Governor and Weather Service not make the obvious any more obvious? On a barrier island, you either evacuate. Or expect to lose the car. Many lost cars because they stupidly stayed. So, yes, that is not just media hype. That is also an ignorant resident.

There was a hell of a lot of people affected that weren't on barrier islands, both with flooding and car loss.

A few days later, go home. No damage. It was just another inconvenient storm. Reality - few lost their home. Enough to spend a full 45 seconds in a news report.

No damage? You have obviously never suffered the aftermath of water/sewage flowing through your house. Although the house looks intact, the damage is extensive and expensive, making the house uninhabitable until it's cleaned/repaired.

Another tw rant about the TV media coverage, which nobody is denying.

[orthodoc]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

There was a hell of a lot of people affected that weren't on barrier islands, both with flooding and car loss.

No damage? You have obviously never suffered the aftermath of water/sewage flowing through your house. Although the house looks intact, the damage is extensive and expensive, making the house uninhabitable until it's cleaned/repaired.

Thanks for this combination of fact, opinion, and emotion, Bruce. Amazing how the three make for an extremely effective post.

[tw]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

No damage? You have obviously never suffered the aftermath of water/sewage flowing through your house.

Where are all those houses so low as to have sewage backing up inside? They are on stilts. No sewage or flood waters inside a house - except where built defectively. But again, to repeat the point. If this lesser storm caused that damage, then what would one do when an actual serious storm occurs?

So every car on every street was destroyed by falling trees? Nonsense. Isolated cars crushed by trees is not even a news event. Routine loss that many suffer in a storm. While most others do not. I even had a cement truck take out one. Three fire trucks, electric trucks, cable trucks, three police cars, etc were all on the scene. It was a traffic jam. Why not reported by the local gossip? Cars destroyed by falling trees: just another car crash. Not even a news story.

Household destruction (ie sewage in the building) begs the obvious question. What were you going to do when a really serious storm approaches? That (and not the hype) is a news story not reported by local gossip.

Other more responsible news sources are reporting what may actually become a major problem. Not trivial damage on the Jersey coast. Extreme damage to NYC's electrical infastructure. Key details include two major substations at 14th Street and 23?rd Street. A news story about something that was a concern even before New Orleans. Things that NYC's 'powers that be' need 20+ years to address. Well apparently they will now get more attention. Because a Nor'easter located over 100 miles away demonstrated why technical people were so accurately concerned. Damage, in part, because the 'powers that be' did not sufficiently address this problem. A news story unreported by local gossip's 24 hours of 'end of the world' reporting.

Crushed cars pictures are relevant to those who want to be emotional - ie orthodoc who took the bait. Even to homeowners, it is only a routine event in life. Sewage inside a house is the warning for homeowners who need to get prepared for an actual hurricane. Proper perspective also means viewing what may become a real news story. Electrical problems in NYC and in Northern NJ. Far from South Jersey where the 'end of the world' was being hyped. Over 100 miles from Sandy's eye.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by tw

Other more responsible news sources are reporting what may actually become a major problem. Not trivial damage on the Jersey coast.

You're so wound up about the news coverage, you dismiss all the people who suffered losses from this storm that don't live on the Jersey coast.