Extreme weather is here to stay. New York State governor, Andrew Cuomo on MSNBC recently stated that people will have to rethink their response to extreme weather. “We are having once in a lifetime floods every two years,” he commented to president Obama. The two were reviewing the devastating amount of damage and loss in the wake of Hurricane “Frankenstorm” Sandy.
Injuries and deaths have affected nearly 200 people, with nearly 100 of those so far in the U.S. Thousands and have lost their homes and businesses. Almost a million have been without electricity and heat. Billions of dollars of damage are still being calculated. Yet, people are still making brave efforts to return to normalcy. People are returning to work, commuting any way they can despite many cars unable to obtain fuel, and a flooded out subway system in many areas. And the question remains, is this the new normal?
Super storms like Sandy are rare even among the many climate change related disasters that are on the increase all over the world. But it is important to prepare for the worst of these inevitable disasters. Andrew Cuomo advises that people look into reassessing how infrastructure, disaster response and leadership will attend these colossal events, most of which still await in an uncertain future.
MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow, who interviewed Governor Cuomo on November 1, amid the ongoing clean up of the monster storm. Concerning the alarming reality of severe climate related disasters in regions across the nation, MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow said: “It is coming. If you do not feel it yet, just wait a minute, it is coming. We knew this was coming.” She said, reminding viewers that it is no longer an issue of ideology but of harsh reality. Rationing and check points and restrictions, if not already set up ahead of time, will be put into effect as they are now being done across the East coast.
Many scientists have warned for years now about increased frequency and severity of storms, floods, droughts and wildfires. Many find themselves agreeing with Cuomo and the science that Frankenstorm, the monster hurricane, was a fully predicted disaster. Being able to have a working FEMA system, state policies in place and a populace prepared are essential, commented Maddow, “If we are going to continue to have a New York City”. Maddow offered “arithmetic”, noting that protective high tech barriers to keep oceans out of subways would cost about five billion dollars each, whereas the rising costs of just this one storm is already up to over sixty billion.
Governor Cuomo, a climate change believer, trusts the science, but trusts the present reality of the disasters even more. He reminded viewers that you can argue about the cause, but the effect is inarguable, the water will come.
