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Superstorm Sandy
by Tony Mannino
The super storm Sandy had been classified as a
hurricane. But that was before it’s collision with arctic air. This
super storm wrecked the northeast coast and inner northern states this
past week. The storm, which had previously travelled through the
Caribbean Islands while gaining strength, had approached the upper part
of the United States early last week. The damages to the cities proved
the claim that this storm would be a “1 in 100 year storm”.
As the newly demoted Sandy rolled through the Atlantic
cities of northeastern America, 8.2 million people were left without
power as cable lines were ripped down by high speed winds and pelted
with either freezing rain or feet of snow. The same winds that damaged
the power lines whipped across the landscape, allowing nothing to escape
its path. A torrential downpour flooded Manhattan and other areas of
the Atlantic cities. Not only were the streets flooded in the Atlantic
coastal cities, but the public transport systems of D.C. and New York
City were flooded, shutting down many of the underground subways. The
stock market and other public offices closed and have only recently been
reopened.
On Tuesday, the President declared that Sandy had created a
major disaster are in the states of New Jersey and New York. The death
toll has risen over 180 as more deceased have been pulled from the
rubble. This is including over 70 deaths accounted for in the Caribbean
Islands. The total cost in damages of the storm is still being assessed,
but projections show that the storm has caused over $18 billion in
damage.
Superstorm Sandy as she approaches the north east.