All the elements have been involved in the impact of the hurricane and its aftermath – air, fire, water, and earth and Spirit too – and it has been amazing to see the power of the elements on such visible display. As dense sand dunes sit where highways ran and fish swim in subway tunnels, nature has been as disturbed as much as man, but is likely to recover more quickly.
Whenever a natural disaster occurs, such as a major forest fire, there is concern and sadness for the loss of something very precious but, unless there is invasive and unsuitable intervention, the area recovers always, more robust than ever before. So it can be for the United States and all other places which have been and will be overwhelmed by elemental force.
Already some people are calling Sandy a once-in-a-lifetime superstorm, but they are wrong. In the UK, for years it was claimed that the devastating floods or snows which took us by surprise on a regular basis were, each time, once in a lifetime events too – but they kept on repeating themselves until now it is accepted that unusual weather is a norm and must be prepared for. (Whether enough is being done to address key issues like building on flood plains is another matter.)
The costs to the American people of Sandy are enormous in so many senses and, as Sandy moves across the country still, they may be in shock and grief as the enormity of the enormity of what happened becomes clear, or just struggling to keep warm or find somewhere to live. As they start to look ahead to rebuilding shattered towns and cities, it may be they will decide, this time, to co-operate with nature and to accommodate her needs rather than trying to defy her. It is an opportunity to think about how power lines can best be sited; what are simpler, safer alternative sources of power; where can buildings safely be sited and how should they be built; can public transport be simpler and safer – and so on. To try to put these damaged communities back to the way they were could be costly in the long run, for there will be more storms. Sandy has taught much, and not just to America.
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