 |
| Breezy Point, post-storm fires via Atlantic Wire/Photo: Frank Franklin II, AP) |
Hurricane Sandy is on its way to being one of the most expensive disasters in history. Costs, expected in the billions, will come in the form of direct recovery expenses, such as the projected $8 million in damages to the boardwalk in Seaside Heights, NJ, as well as costs associated with the disruption to business and services. As of Tuesday morning, the Wall Street Journal reports that all four NYC area airports remain closed. Transit is disrupted throughout New York City and the tri-state area. New York public schools remain closed. The New York Stock Exchange will be closed until Wednesday, the first time since 1888 that the NYSE has closed two days in a row due to weather.
In a press conference appearance, Governor Cuomo said that New York is relatively well prepared for disasters, but that much of our infrastructure was designed without an understanding of many of the current risks. Some argue that these risks are increasing. In an October 6, 2011 presentation to the DFRR Committee, Klaus Jacob, of Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory & School of International and Public Affairs, predicted that the economic impact of storms to the city may increase dramatically when future storm surges are compounded by climate change-related sea level rise.
The New York Times has extensive coverage of the Hurricane Sandy aftermath, including the spread of power failures in the Northeast:
 |
| via the New York Times |
