The unexpected, and what seemed to be impossible, happened in New York recently. Hurricane Sandy has severely damaged our precious state and has left a great impact. Thousands of New Yorkers were in shock- as harsh winds, pouring rain, and freezing weather were imposed on us. New Yorkers were advised to stock up on food and batteries, and if they lived near water, they were told to spend the night with a friend, relative, or at a shelter. Many took the precautions- but some chose to wait it out. Those were the ones that felt the full force of the hurricane. Hurricanes are a serious matter and should not be taken lightly.
Hurricane Sandy left some very severe affects on New York. Some of the affects of Hurricane Sandy included the flooding of many streets, tunnels, and the subway system. Many New Yorkers lost electricity for a few days and about fifty three people died as a result of the hurricane. New York had an economic loss of nearly 18 billion dollars!
New York was a rough place to live for a few weeks after Hurricane Sandy. The city that never sleeps had little to no means of transportation, because the MTA tunnels were flooded and there was a lack of gas. Gas station lines were about a mile long in some places. Schools were also closed for at least a week because of the lack of transportation, damage, and many schools were used as shelters for the homeless, like FDR.
As young environmentalists, there are many questions that we need to have answered. Is the increased frequency of hurricanes in New York City a product of global warming? Is this going to be a yearly event? Don’t forget Irene a year ago! Given the impact to our coast line, do we need to build sea walls or develop a new system to control flood waters? Are New Yorkers going to move toward hybrid cars due to the gas shortages after the storm? These are just a few of the many debates to follow in the months ahead. Hopefully, we will learn a little from this last disaster.