Tag Archives: Hurricane Sandy

Sandy in One Year

This NOAA satellite image, taken October 30, 2012, at 10:45 A.M. EDT, shows Sandy moving westward while weakening across southern Pennsylvania.  Roughly 1,000 miles, Sandy was the largest Atlantic system on record.  Photo courtesy National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

This NOAA satellite image, taken October 30, 2012, at 10:45 A.M. EDT, shows Sandy moving westward while weakening across southern Pennsylvania. Roughly 1,000 miles, Sandy was the largest Atlantic system on record. Photo courtesy National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Today marks the first anniversary of Hurricane Sandy’s arrival on the New England coastline.  After forming as a tropical wave in the Caribbean on October 19, 2012, Sandy quickly grew to hurricane strength and wreaked terror across 7 countries, from Jamaica to the U.S., ultimately killing 286 people.

Variously called “Superstorm” and a “Frankenstorm,” Sandy truly was a freak of nature.  As it began its march up the east coast, it sucked in other weather systems to create a hybrid of sorts; thus, its official meteorological moniker of “Post Tropical Cyclone Sandy.”  Physically, it was an immense storm: roughly 900 to 1,000 miles wide.  Although its maximum sustained winds (those winds around the eye) were about 115 miles per hour, Sandy generated snow storms along the Great Lakes region and tidal surges up to 32 feet on Lower Manhattan.  It also produced the lowest air pressure of any hurricane north of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina: 940 millibars (27.76 inches).  The previous record was 946 millibars from the infamous “Long Island Express” hurricane, a category 4 behemoth that tore up New England in September 1938.  Sandy is also only the second “S” named storm to be retired.  The first was Hurricane Stan, which struck México in October 2005.

With a $65 billion price tag and thousands of structures still sitting wrecked on various New England coastlines, Sandy reiterated what we already understood with Hurricane Katrina: the U.S. government is almost completely inept when responding to these calamities.  As politics and red-tape bureaucracy remain entrenched, the American political machine often seems more reactive than proactive.

Sadly, most major disasters will take human lives; a cost that simply can’t be measured financially.

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121212 Concert a Success

Springsteen and Bon Jovi

Springsteen and Bon Jovi

Last night’s “12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief” in New York’s Madison Square Garden gathered some of popular music’s most notable figures and so far has raised more than $30 million.  And, the money is still pouring in, with all funds directed towards the Robin Hood Foundation.  New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen opened the concert with “Land of Hope and Dreams” and “Wrecking Ball.”  Fellow New Jersey native Jon Bon Jovi later joined Springsteen for the latter’s beloved “Born to Run.”

The gathering of artists tilted in favor of rock music, but everyone seemed to have a good time and no one took themselves seriously.  Among the performers were Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Paul McCartney, the Who, Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones.  “This has got to be the largest collection of old English musicians ever assembled in Madison Square Garden,” Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger said.  “If it rains in London, you’ve got to come and help us.”  That’s a nice comparison to a storm that killed more than 100 people.

Aside from the great music, there was some comic relief, too.

“I know you really wanted One Direction,” comedian Christ Martin said of the popular British boy band.  “But it’s way past their bedtime.”

“You can feel the electricity in the building,” host Billy Crystal noted, “which means that Long Island Power is not involved.”

“When are they gonna learn you can throw anything at us,” said “The Daily Shows” Jon Stewart, “terrorists, hurricanes; you can take away our giant sodas.  It doesn’t matter.  We’re coming back stronger every time.”

The concert was broadcast live on 37 U.S. television stations and more than 200 others worldwide.  Producers claim that up to 2 billion people across the globe watched.

Ironically, this concert came one day after the death of internationally renowned musician Ravi Shankar.  In 1971, Shankar held a benefit concert at Madison Square Garden for the victims of Cyclone Bhola, which struck Bangladesh on November 11, 1970 and killed over 1 million people.

You can still donate to the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund by going here.

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Saving Books, Too

Among the casualties of last month’s Hurricane Sandy, books are the least recognized.  The “Reach Out and Read Program” at New York City’s Bellevue Hospital was hit particularly hard, when they lost thousands of books to the storm.  Children visit a doctor’s office more than most any other place before they start first grade, so the “Reach Out and Read Program” aims to place children’s books in doctor’s offices.  There’s nothing more valuable than the ability to read and write, and providing a child a book can introduce them to a greater number of opportunities than they might otherwise encounter.  This nation has spent too much money on war and prisons.  As individuals, we can certainly make a difference by spending money on one book to donate to the program.

You can make a monetary donation here.

Or, contact Marie Betancourt at roramarie1@aol.com to find other ways to donate.  She’s already advised me, however, that Bellevue is currently closed because of the storm.  But, I think we can all still have a more positive impact on the lives of the patients it serves.

American Red Cross.

Image courtesy Literary Hoarders.

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It’s the Queers Again!

“The hurricanes of the last ten years are four times worse than the hurricanes of the 1990s and twelve times worse of the hurricanes of the 70s and 80s, now this is interesting because I would say that the United States has not been honoring God very much, am I out on a limb here?  The United States of America is more pro-abortion than ever before, certainly is funding more abortions than ever before; the United States is far more homosexual than it was in the 1990s, I mean there are hundreds of times more high school homosexual clubs and programs, and you’ve got California bringing all their pro-homosexual indoctrination into public schools.  This stuff was not happening in the 1980s and 1990s, it’s happening now, it’s been happening for the last twelve years.  America is not doing well in the macro-culture, okay?  There is a God in the heavens and in the past, sins like homosexuality and the shedding of innocent blood have really irritated Him.”

– Pastor Kevin Swanson, trying desperately to shed light on the causes of Hurricane Sandy.

If homosexuals caused Hurricane Sandy, you’d think they would have directed it to hit some place like Alabama or Texas, instead of New York.  When you can’t explain things, just blame the damn queers!  For the record, Swanson is the same lunatic who once said “Kermit the Frog” merited the death penalty.

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” – Luke 23:24.

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A Note for Humanity

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November 4, 2012 · 5:02 PM

Mitt Romney vs. Hurricane Sandy

Video courtesy Forecast the Facts.

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Humane Society Still Rescuing Animals After Hurricane Sandy

In the ongoing calamity that is Hurricane Sandy, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals remains determined to rescue vulnerable animals.  Here’s where everyone can help.  Text either ANIMALS to 20222 or PREVENT to 25383 to donate $10 to the ASPCA, or simply visit the ASPCA web site.

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Saving the Animals, Too

Unlike Hurricane Katrina, there has been a concerted effort to save animals along with people in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.  As many coastal residents evacuated ahead of the storm, they brought their pets with them to shelters.  And, for those trapped in their homes by the floodwaters, their pets are being rescued along with them.  This is in stark contrast to the Katrina debacle, when not only were animals refused entry into shelters, the Coast Guard and other rescue personnel forced people to leave their pets behind.

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Meanwhile, Out in the Cold…

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November 1, 2012 · 7:49 PM

More Stupidity in Action

“Obama’s making these phone calls, looking for somebody to play the role of a Greek column today, and he found Gov. Christie to do it.  Christie’s the only Republican not just praising Obama . . . Let’s just put it this way: Is it wrong for one man to love another man?  But that man-love out there is isolated in the state of New Jersey.”

– Rush Limbaugh on his radio show, condemning Chris Christie for working with President Obama on the Hurricane Sandy aftermath.

This is the downside of free speech: anyone with a microphone, computer or bullhorn can say just about anything they want – no matter how blatantly asinine.

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