Hurricane Sandy Update

So far Sandy has caused much of the predicted damage forecasted before the storm hit. There was flooding in every state from North Carolina to Massachusetts coupled with wide spread power outages leaving 8 million without. Gale force winds damaged many homes and businesses; flights have been grounded and transit systems flooded. So far the death toll has reached 111people. Some estimates put an amount of $88 billion dollars worth of damage.

This naturally occurring event was mitigated in many ways, most notably the evacuations (mostly mandatory) that were called for. The federal government and FEMA were a bit more prepared for this event than they were for Katrina, bringing in machines to pump out the water that much of the coast is bathing in. What makes this event even more interesting is the fact that it happened just days before the election. Natural Disasters make or break governments because disasters like Sandy show how well a president or state official can govern. Looking back to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, former president George W. Bush was greatly criticized for his inaction during that disaster. This inability to govern and show leadership lowered his popularity ratings. Obama, as I stated earlier, handled this event quite well. The death toll of Katrina was roughly 1700, while Sandy as of now only killed 111. Had Obama not reacted with the right measures in a timely fashion, the outcome of this election may have been affected.

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