Large Nor'Easter + Hurricane set to impact eastern US

[Heskett]

Damages from Sandy are estimated upwards to $20 billion, which would make it the 5th costliest Atlantic hurricane on record.

[gigawuts]

I expect that number to fall and rise in the coming weeks, but in a few years when that number is more refined I expect it to be much higher. And that would be initial damages, I'm not counting long term effects on local economies, families being forced to move, etc.

This storm wasn't even that bad of a hurricane, but that isn't what made it dangerous. What made it dangerous was the lack of preparedness, buildings not being built to hurricane codes, the abundance of complacency, the mentality of untouchability, and just the landscape itself such as hills and trees that aren't typically subjected to these kinds of forces all meant this would be very bad. Unfortunately, I was right. Maybe more people will take this sort of thing seriously in the future.

All you see on the news is people saying they didn't think it would be this bad, and they can't believe it happened to them. Well fuck, when everyone's telling you a storm is going to be dangerous and to get the fuck out of dodge you'd think they'd get the idea, but no. It takes people dying and houses being destroyed in their neighborhood for gears to turn in some peoples' heads.

The only thing more infuriating than the damage this has caused is how many lives could have been saved if they'd just fucking listen.

edit: Actually, even more infuriating than that is when the next major disaster strikes somewhere else, and people are told to get prepared, they'll be exactly as belligerent that they've seen it all and just aren't convinced that water can do much damage to them where they live because it hasn't happened before.