Hurricane Sandy
My wife and I were in the Connecticut, Rhode Island and Cape Cod area last week. Weather was nearly perfect for vacationing. Waters were calm and beaches beautiful.
With Hurricane Sandy having already wrecked havoc in the Caribbean and threatening to impact severely on the lives of the citizens on the East Coast of North America, we were certainly happy that we were already scheduled to be leaving ahead of the storm. Some people we met on that trip were heading south to their homes directly in the path of the storm. We could do nothing to help them except to wish them well and hope that the storm would not be as severe as forecast.
I’m thankful that I’m able to be home watching TV coverage today in warmth and comfort with only a few gusts of wind buffeting my trees out on the fringe of this giant force of nature. I certainly hope that this “perfect storm” or Frankenstorm as some have labelled it does not take any more lives than it already has taken in New York City and nearby communities. Also, for the sake of all involved, I certainly hope that FEMA and the affiliated agencies can get relief to individuals more quickly than they were able to in the aftermath of Katrina in New Orleans.
FEMA in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans
From what I have gleaned from the news coverage available to me, it appears that coordination is better and FEMA response times quicker than they were in New Orleans. Apparently President Obama pre-authorized some of the steps and funding that would be needed for FEMA to be prepared to respond to Hurricane Sandy. Hopefully, that will help FEMA come to the rescue of those in need more quickly and save property from further damage and save people from additional suffering.
I often take a look at the photos posted on the White House’s photostream on Flickr and, during the response to this disaster, I continue to do so. I can only imagine how tired some of those individuals might be.
Kudos: I don’t personally know New Jersey’s Governor Chris Christie but I have seen a couple of his press conferences on TV this morning and am very impressed with how he has described the impact of the storm on his New Jersey constituents and outlined what he was hoping to do. Looked pretty tired but still clear and precise in his response to the media. My hat is off to any politician who can manage to do that in the such moments.
Sometimes it takes just one image to bring perspective into focus. For me, it was the sight of the oil tanker marooned on the shores of Staten Island, only blocks from where I had stood in June to photograph the Manhattan skyline, and look out at similar ships anchored in a fashion similar to how the marooned tanker would likely have been anchored.
Many of my photography contacts live in the areas where the storm hit and I certainly will be thinking about them. I hope that all is soon back to normal in their area of the country and they and their families have fared better than some.
