"Frankenstorm" : Hurricane Sandy

[Acey]

Sandy damage estimates now at $50B, still less than half Katrina at $108B but definitely ahead of Ike (formerly second place) at $37B.

[Cowperson]

The late decision to cancel the New York City Marathon is probably the most interesting "human element" story we've seen out of this . . . . .

47,000 runners (20,000 from outside of NYC) who spent an average of $1,750 to attend the event.

300 charities affiliated with the race and depending on it for fundraising.

8,000 volunteers

1,000 employees

2 million spectators.

Poof. Gone.

It was due to be run this morning. The decision to cancel came so late that most runners were en route before they heard.

Because so many come from outside of the area, it would have provided a $340 million economic benefit locally.

An NY Times story that attempts to quantify the costs:

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/11/04...1457AAC54?f=22

Meanwhile the NY Road Runners club which runs the race blames the media for working the public up into a lather while the NY Post calls for the head of the Road Runners.

The only reason I would agree with a cancellation is the potential diversion of first responders to handle crowds and the like for the event, resources that might be better served looking for survivors in hard hit areas. The marathon also uses a number of generators.

Lots of people gathering at Columbus Circle this morning to do 26.2 miles in Central Park.

Cowperson

[T@T]

It would have been ignorent to run the Marathon, I think the start is still on Staten Island, a part of NYC that was ravaged is still mostly without power..leave it till next year.

[Cowperson]

The marathon followup from this morning. Running anyway and helping too.

http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/spo...ate=2012-11-04

Cowperson

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by Ducay

I think that it wasn't really the biggest storm of our lifetime on any sort of scale. It just happened to hit such an immensely populated and important area in the USA.

Way worse cyclones hit the Carribean nations, Gulf area, and Pacific countries on a much more regular basis. This one just got a lot of media attention because of where it hit. (Not downplaying the gravity of Sandy).

Set the record for lowest pressure of any storm that far North to make landfall, the cause of a record storm surge in that area, the largest storm in Atlantic storm history based on diameter, and ranked 2nd in modern history for holding the most kinetic energy at landfall. In other words, the only reason it only reached cat 1 was because of the sheer size of the thing distributing its massive amounts of energy over a very large area. Also, before making landfall it was the most energetic tropical cyclone in recorded history.

So, in some ways, not the biggest storm of our life times (thus far). In other ways, it definitely was (thus far). The fact that it was that powerful making landfall that far north this late in the year is extraordinary, though likely to be less so as the years go on. Just look at the size of this thing!



It's bigger than most countries!

[Nyah]

The HMS Bounty, sinking in the Atlantic Ocean during Hurricane Sandy about 90 miles southeast of Hatteras, N.C., on Oct. 29. Crazy.

Photo by Tim Kuklewski.

[chemgear]

http://jezebel.com/5957860/craigslis...dy-fuel-crisis

Have you found yourself saying, "Who do I have to blow around here to get gas?" in the wake of Hurricane Sandy's fuel shortage? Maybe it was a rhetorical question, but Craigslist has some literal answers. In a market of low-supply and high-demand, enterprising individuals have taken to the classified site to advertise their willingness to switch over to a new bartering system: ass for gas.

It's become increasingly difficult for people in New York and New Jersey to find gas to power their cars or generators—pumps are not working due to lack of electricity at some stations, while others have simply run out. The stations that do have gas are experiencing lines that sometimes go on for several blocks, with police directing traffic. It's so bad that a black market for gasoline has popped up.

[MrMastodonFarm]

[valo403]

For anyone who thinks running the marathon would have been a good idea.

New York Roadrunners, the organization responsible for the NYC Marathon, had "been in touch" with the owner of a Staten Island hotel—at that point housing pro bono those who were flooded, without power, or both—about "possibly kicking some people out so the marathon runners [could] come and stay" at the hotel. (The owner, Richard Nicotra of the Hilton Garden Inn, refused.)

On Sunday morning, more than 10,000 New Yorkers woke up in Red Cross shelters and now, on Tuesday, the city's Board of Elections is scrambling—and not necessarily succeeding—to ensure that New York still gets to participate in democracy like the rest of the country.

http://deadspin.com/5957999/no-it-wa...l-the-marathon

[seattleflamer]

^^^
I love the sport and I also get the economic impact to the city but the tone deafness of the mayor and organizers was stunning. Chalk the reaction to cancelling the event as a first world problem.