The $100 Billion Storm: 17 Things
You Should Know About Hurricane Sandy
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com
http://albertpeia.com/17thingsaboutsandy.htm
Meteorologists
are warning that Hurricane Sand
y could potentially be the worst storm to hit the east coast of the
United States in 100 years. Do you remember "the perfect storm"
back in 1991? That storm was so bad that Hollywood made a blockbuster
movie starring George Clooney about it. Well, this storm is going to be
much worse. When I first heard about Hurricane Sandy, I didn't make that
much of it. I figured that the east coast would get some wind and some
rain and that they would whine about it a bit but that everything would be just
fine. But then I started looking into this storm a bit more. It
turns out that this storm is even larger than Hurricane Katrina was. The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has categorized the destructive
potential of this storm to be 5.8 on a scale that goes from 0 to 6. So
don't be fooled when you hear that this is only a "category 1 storm"
or that the maximum winds will only be around 80 MPH. It is the
unprecedented size of this storm and the mind boggling storm surges that it is
producing that truly make it dangerous. It is being reported that
Hurricane Sandy is more than 1,000 miles
across from one end to the other. Meteorologists have never seen
anything quite like this before, and we are most definitely in unprecedented
territory. One meteorologist is already projecting that this megastorm
could cause 100 billion dollars in damage, but the true amount of devastation
will likely not be fully known for weeks. If you live in the northeast
part of the United States, you definitely want to buckle up because you are about
to get absolutely hammered.
The following are 17 things that you should know about Hurricane Sandy...
#1 Hurricane Sandy has been dubbed "the
Frankenstorm" and many believe that this could be the worst storm to hit
the east coast in 100 years.
#2 This is an absolutely massive megastorm. It is
being reported that tropical storm-force winds can be felt 520 miles away from the center of
the storm.
#3 It is being reported that the sheer size of this
storm is absolutely unprecedented...
Since records of storm
size began in 1988, no tropical storm or hurricane has been larger, reports
meteorologist Jeff Masters of the Weather Underground.
#4 Hurricane Sandy has already forced the cancellation
of over 5,000 flights.
#5 Mayor Bloomberg has announced a mandatory evacuation for all
New York City residents that are living in "Zone A".
#6 It is being projected that the storm surge from
Hurricane Sandy could be up to 15 feet above sea level in
some areas of New York City.
#7 New York City could potentially experience wind
speeds of 80 MPH or higher.
#8 Subway service in New York City is being shut down at 7 PM on Sunday evening. There is a
very real possibility that the New York City subway system could be severely
flooded by this storm. That could be quite crippling, because about 4.3
million people ride the subway in New York every single day.
#9 It has been announced that all public schools in New
York City will be closed on Monday.
#10 Schools in Boston will be shut down on Monday as well.
#11 The trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange
will be closed on Monday.
#12 50,000 people living along the coast
in Delaware have been ordered to evacuate.
#13 Some parts of Kentucky, West Virginia and North
Carolina could get up to 2 feet of snow.
#14 It is being estimated that 10 million people living along
the east coast could lose power thanks to Hurricane Sandy.
#15 A state of emergency has already been declared in
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.
#16 Approximately 50 million people live in the
areas that will be directly affected by this storm.
#17 Meteorologist Mike Smith of AccuWeather Enterprise
Solutions is projecting that Hurricane Sandy could potentially cause a total of
100 billion dollars in damage
to the U.S. economy. That would make it a far more costly disaster than
Hurricane Katrina.
Many meteorologists are calling this storm a "worst case
scenario". If you live along the east coast, please take the
warnings that you are getting from public officials very seriously.
According to NPR, conditions are absolutely perfect
for this slow moving giant storm, and it is going to take quite a few days for
it to exit the region...
In this case, seas will be
amped up by giant waves and full-moon-powered high tides. That will combine
with drenching rains, triggering inland flooding as the hurricane merges with a
winter storm system that will worsen it and hold it in place for days.
Louis Uccellini,
environmental prediction chief for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, told The Associated Press that given Sandy's due east-to-west
track into New Jersey, that puts the worst of the storm surge just north in New
York City, Long Island and northern New Jersey. "Yes, this is the worst
case scenario," he said.
Please do not underestimate this storm. This is unlike anything
that any of us have ever seen before.
If you live in a part of the country that is being affected by this
storm, please feel free to leave a comment and let us know what you are seeing
in your area. It is going to be a crazy couple of days.
Sandy
Is The Biggest Storm Ever To Hit The Northeast
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com
The biggest storm to ever hit the
northeast United States is creating a tremendous amount of havoc up and down
the eastern seaboard. It is hard to describe how gigantic this storm
actually is. From end to end, Hurricane Sandy is more than 1000 miles
across. It is twice the size of the state of Texas, and meteorologists
are calling this storm a "worst case scenario".
It is currently coming ashore in New Jersey, but this is just the
beginning. A winter storm approaching from the west is going to combine
with Hurricane Sandy, and the combined storm is projected to hammer the
northeast with wind and rain all the way through the end of the week.
Meteorologists all over the nation are saying that they have never seen
anything like this. Hurricane Sandy is the biggest storm in modern U.S.
history, and earlier today the storm pressure was recorded to be even lower
than the Long Island Express Hurricane of 1938. In fact, Hurricane Sandy
has the lowest pressure ever recorded for any storm north of the state of North
Carolina. On Monday evening it was packing maximum sustained winds of
about 90 miles per hour, and hurricane-force winds could be felt as far out as
175 miles from the center of the storm. To say that this storm is a major
disaster is a tremendous understatement.
On Monday night, it is projected that wind speeds in New York City could
reach 80 miles per hour. But that is only part of the story. The
higher you go, the more intense the winds will be. For example, if you
live 30 stories above New York, a gust of wind at 80 miles per hour on the
ground will be close to 100 miles per hour for you.
New York City has never seen anything quite like this. Anything
that is not completely secured is in danger of being picked up by the wind and
hurled down the streets. The damage that will be caused by flying
projectiles alone is likely to be immense.
On Monday afternoon it was being reported that a giant crane working on
the top of a new skyscraper known as One57 had broken because of the wind and was
in danger of totally collapsing. One57 is going to have some of the most
beautiful apartments in New York City. In fact, the penthouse recently
sold for $90 million. But this just shows us that despite our great
advances we are more vulnerable to nature than we might like to think.
But of course wind is not the only problem that New York City will be
facing. Hurricane Sandy is pushing a massive wall of water in front of
it. It is being estimated that water levels could reach up to 11 feet
above normal along Long Island Sound and in New York Harbor. A lot of
areas that have never been under water before will experience tremendous
flooding as a result of this storm.
Overall, it is being projected that 60 million Americans will be affected
by this storm. So far, about 14,000 flights have been
cancelled and more flight cancellations are anticipated.
More than 2 million homes and businesses have already lost power, and by
the end of this disaster it is estimated that up to 10 million people could
lose power. Once people do lose power, they might not get it back for a
week or more.
Essentially, the entire northeast will be shut down for most of this
week. This is going to be a storm that nobody will forget any time
soon. It is going to take many months to clean up the mess that this
storm will create.
But if you don't live near the coast don't think that you will be able to
escape the worst of this storm. The center of the storm is projected to
stall somewhere over Pennsylvania, and some areas to the west are going to get
tremendous amounts of snow.
For example, it is being forecast that some areas in the mountains of
West Virginia could see up to 3 feet of snow before
this is all over.
This is an extremely unusual storm. Connecticut Governor Dannel
Malloy says that this is "the most
catastrophic event" that his state has had to deal with...
"This is the most
catastrophic event that we have faced and been able to plan for in any of our
lifetimes."
Stu Ostro, the senior director
of weather communications at The Weather Channel, says that this is "the big one"
that meteorologists dream of...
"When I was a young
boy growing up in the Northeast (New Jersey) and obsessed with the weather, I
used to wonder what it’d be like when the big one comes. Well, we’re about to
find out."
The storm is just now starting
to come ashore, and it has already done a tremendous amount of damage all along
he east coast. For example, earlier today an 80 foot section of the
Atlantic City boardwalk was spotted floating free down the streets of
Atlantic City.
In New York City, large sections
of Battery Park, Brooklyn and Wall Street are already underwater. There
are some that even believe that parts of LaGuardia airport could be underwater
before this is all over.
The New York Stock Exchange will
be closed once again on Tuesday, and many are hoping that it
will be able to reopen on Wednesday. But at this point that looks like it
will be quite a challenge.
The power of this storm is being
felt over a vast area of the country. Just check out what meteorologists
are saying conditions will shortly be like along the Great Lakes...
A gale warning has been
issued for Lake Huron from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, with waves expected to
reach a maximum of 17 to 24 feet. The National Weather Service in Chicago on
Sunday issued a gale warning for Lake Michigan, predicting waves as high as 33
feet by Tuesday. Vessels were advised to seek safe harbor.
33 foot high waves on Lake
Michigan?
That is crazy.
And obviously the economic
impact of this storm is going to be absolutely massive. Some are
projecting that this storm will cost the U.S. economy 10 billion dollars a day. Others
believe that it will be even worse. As I noted yesterday, one meteorologist believes that this gigantic
storm could potentially cause a total of 100 billion dollars in damage
to the U.S. economy.
If you live in an area that is in
the path of this storm, please do your best to stay safe and stay dry.
This is definitely not a storm to be taken lightly.
So what are you seeing in your
area? Please feel free to post a comment with your thoughts on the storm
below...
How To Prepare For A Hurricane? Some Lessons That Preppers Can Learn
From Hurricane Sandy
By
Michael, on October 28th, 2012
If
you are just starting to prepare for Hurricane Sandy, the truth is that you are
already too late. Most of the essential supplies have already been
stripped from store shelves. If you don't have an emergency generator,
you might be without power for quite some time. It is being estimated
that up to 10 million people could lose power during this storm, and it is
already being projected that some people may end up being without power for a
week or more in the worst hit areas. Hopefully you have already boarded
up your windows. They can be broken very easily during a hurricane, and
you certainly don't want to be dealing with a broken window during the worst
moments of the storm. Those that have prepared ahead of time are likely
to be in good shape to ride this storm out, but sadly the reality is that most
people have not prepared ahead of time. Every time a
major storm or natural disaster strikes, we always see the same thing
happen. Hordes of half-crazed people storm into the stores hoping to find
the things that they need, and many of them end up leaving disappointed because
what they were looking for has already sold out. Thankfully, most of our
"disasters" have typically only lasted a few days at most, but what
will happen someday if a disaster ends up being permanent? What if there
is a disaster that is so bad someday that things never return to
"normal"? Would you and your family be able to survive on only
the preparations that you have made so far?
Hopefully Hurricane Sandy will be a wake up call for a whole lot of
people. It is being projected that this storm will affect about 50
million Americans, and it is already been called "worse than Katrina" by some
meteorologists. It is an absolutely gigantic storm. It is more than
1000 miles across and it is the largest hurricane to hit the U.S. since records
of storm size began to be kept back in 1988. According to the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the destructive potential of this storm
is rated 5.8 on a scale that goes from
0 to 6. So needless to say, referring to this storm as "the
Frankenstorm" does not quite do it justice. It is being touted as
the worst storm to hit the east coast in 100 years.
According to Stu Ostro, a senior meteorologist at the
Weather Channel, this is truly a history making storm...
"History is being
written as an extreme weather event continues to unfold, one which will occupy
a place in the annals of weather history as one of the most extraordinary to
have affected the United States."
So a lot of Americans are about to find out exactly how prepared they
really are for a major natural disaster.
High winds of 80 MPH or higher are going to take down power lines all
over the northeast over the next few days. Along the coast, some people
could see a storm surge that is up to 15 feet above sea level in
some areas. Other areas will see nightmarish flooding as a result of very
heavy rain.
So there will certainly be a lot of challenges. The good thing
about a hurricane is that you typically have at least a few days in advance to
make preparations. Hopefully people have been making good use of the
time.
Unfortunately, most Americans do not even have a short-term supply of
food and water stored up. A lot of people run out to grab some food and
water from the stores at the last minute, only to find that there is none left.
For example, it is being reported that store shelves all over New York
City have already been picked clean of bread and other
essentials.
In Arlington, Virginia it is being reported that some supermarkets are
already sold out of water. If the
worst happens and some people end up spending a week without tap water they are
really going to wish that they had made some preparations ahead of time.
But food and water are not the only things in high demand.
According to CNN, other emergency supplies have been
flying off the shelves as well...
Generators, flashlights,
water, batteries -- these are just some of the emergency supplies that are
running out in many stores in the Northeast.
Nearly a third of the
country's northeast is preparing for Hurricane Sandy, which expected to make
landfall on Sunday and Monday. Customers who have been flocking to stores may
be coming home empty handed.
Fortunately this is only a temporary emergency, but what if we have a
"permanent" emergency someday?
What will people do if they can't find the things that they desperately
need all of a sudden?
According to Fox News, one store in Ohio is
reporting that people are actually calling from other states to see if they
still have any supplies...
An assistant manager at a Lowes
store in Columbus, Ohio, told 10TV.com that people were calling in from West
Virginia and Maryland to ask for supplies.
And in northern Virginia,
a cashier at Pitkins Ace Hardware in Dale City said batteries, flashlights and
candles were flying off the shelves, PotomacLocal.com reports.
When will people learn?
You don't wait until the last minute to get necessary emergency supplies
like plywood, hurricane shutters, tarps, sump pumps, ice chests, candles,
flashlights, batteries and battery-powered radios.
For a hurricane, you need to be prepared to be able to survive for at
least a week without any help from the outside world. In the most extreme
situations (such as in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina) the state of
emergency created by a hurricane can last even longer.
So exactly how should one prepare for a hurricane?
Ready.gov provides the following list of tips...
To prepare for a hurricane,
you should take the following measures:
·
To begin preparing, you should build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan.
·
Know your surroundings.
·
Learn the elevation level of your property and
whether the land is flood-prone. This will help you know how your property will
be affected when storm surge or tidal flooding are forecasted.
·
Identify levees and dams in your area and
determine whether they pose a hazard to you.
·
Learn community hurricane evacuation routes and
how to find higher ground. Determine where you would go and how you would get
there if you needed to evacuate.
·
Make plans to secure your property:
·
Cover all of your home’s windows. Permanent
storm shutters offer the best protection for windows. A second option is to
board up windows with 5/8” marine plywood, cut to fit and ready to install.
Tape does not prevent windows from breaking.
·
Install straps or additional clips to securely
fasten your roof to the frame structure. This will reduce roof damage.
·
Be sure trees and shrubs around your home are
well trimmed so they are more wind resistant.
·
Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and
downspouts.
·
Reinforce your garage doors; if wind enters a
garage it can cause dangerous and expensive structural damage.
·
Plan to bring in all outdoor furniture,
decorations, garbage cans and anything else that is not tied down.
·
Determine how and where to secure your boat.
·
Install a generator for emergencies.
·
If in a high-rise building, be prepared to take
shelter on or below the 10th floor.
·
Consider building a safe room.
A recent CNN article included a list of supplies
that you should have on hand in the event that a hurricane is on the way...
-- A three-day supply of
water, one gallon per person per day.
-- Three days of food,
with suggested items including: canned meats, canned or dried fruits, canned
vegetables, canned juice, peanut butter, jelly, salt-free crackers,
energy/protein bars, trail mix/nuts, dry cereal, cookies or other comfort food.
-- A can opener.
-- Flashlight(s).
-- A battery-powered
radio, preferably a weather radio.
-- Extra batteries.
-- A first aid kit,
including latex gloves; sterile dressings; soap/cleaning agent; antibiotic
ointment; burn ointment; adhesive bandages in small, medium and large sizes;
eye wash; a thermometer; aspirin/pain reliever; anti-diarrhea tablets;
antacids; laxatives; small scissors; tweezers; petroleum jelly.
-- A small fire
extinguisher.
-- Whistles for each
person.
-- A seven-day supply of medications.
-- Vitamins.
-- A multipurpose tool,
with pliers and a screwdriver.
-- Cell phones and
chargers.
-- Contact information for
the family.
-- A sleeping bag for each
person.
-- Extra cash.
-- A silver foil emergency
blanket.
-- A map of the area.
-- Baby supplies.
-- Pet supplies.
-- Wet wipes.
-- A camera (to document
storm damage).
-- Insect repellent.
-- Rain gear.
-- Tools and supplies for
securing your home.
-- Plastic sheeting.
-- Duct tape.
-- Dust masks.
-- An extra set of house
keys.
-- An extra set of car
keys.
-- An emergency ladder to
evacuate the second floor.
-- Household bleach.
-- Paper cups, plates and
paper towels.
-- Activities for
children.
-- Charcoal and matches,
if you have a portable grill. But only use it outside.
But in the final analysis, preparation is going to look a little bit
different for every family.
If you live along the coast, there is a good chance that you will need to
evacuate. If you live farther inland, you will probably be able to hunker
down exactly where you are.
Hurricane Sandy will come and go, but hopefully millions of Americans
will learn some lessons about preparation from this crisis. One of these
days we may have a disaster that lasts much longer such as a major economic crisis, an EMP attack, a nightmarish pandemic or a major war.
If we cannot handle a disaster that lasts for just a couple of days, what
chance are we going to have at surviving something that lasts for months or
even years?
That is something to think about. Hopefully we will all reflect on
emergency preparedness over the next few days. Our world is becoming
increasingly unstable, and eventually there will come a point where we will
find ourselves totally dependent on the preparations that we have made.
