Discussion on:

In the future, Hurricane Sandy is invisible

Why isn't the infrastructure storm proofed after all these years? It's not like there weren't decades of surplus tax revenue to prepare for unusual weather events. Also, why is the stock market stopped? There should be alternate sites ready to roll. Or let's just move the stock market to Denver...
It's pathetic that we hear the whole country is at a standstill because of one hurricane finally making landfall.

It's very costly to bury power cables and maintain them. It's actually cheaper to take the hit from storms and repair what's damaged. The downside is that people are left without power, sometimes for several days.

As for the stock market, the electronic exchanges are still up. The real problem with the physical NYSE is that traders have to get to and from the stock exchange, which is very difficult and risks stranding traders at the exchange for days. Moving the exchange to Denver is not a solution. I live in the area, and there are several snowstorms a year where the city is shut down for at least a day.

Your claim is it's easier said than done. Cheaper to replace the damage! Only a bureaucrat would speak in such a manner. If you can't afford a remodel in total restoration, then you work on it a little bit at a time. Remodels can be accomplished is small sections as the companies not owned by Joe Public can afford. These cheaper to replace cost get passed onto the consumer WHO happens to be JOE PUBLIC. I giggled when I read your post because its about satellites not Wall Street. I ask what does Wall Street have to do with this subject? I would think Wall Street is the problem of why America has a "D" on every public system from roads, and dams, to power grids including "Satellites".

Your right on the need for fortifying our infrastructure but you miss understand the United State and what has and is becoming. With Romney wanting to "privatize FEMA" and Bush Jr. putting people he knew as head of it and not people with the training and capability, Wall Street will be everything.

Its all about short sighted fast profit thinking and if it does not fall into that category our infrastructure will over the next 2 decades falter. What should be interesting is how the Gov. handles the aftermath of this Cat 1 hurricane. Will be interesting to see which parts come up first. Wall Street (probably) or other areas with actual people. So with more and more rhetorics of privatizing FEMA (Wall Street) and a push for Business to be Persons everything seems to be looking in the directions of Wall Street.

He blasted the Mayor of Atlantic City for telling people it was ok to stay against the state issued evacuation order. Now thousands of people are trapped in city shelters by flood waters. At least 500 people are stranded on barrier islands.

Bush should have blasted New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Gov Blanco for their inept handling of their city and state preparedness before Katrina hit. He was too much of a gentleman not too.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2225072/Superstorm-Sandy-puts-Atlantic-City-shutdown-Shelters-filled-capacity-residents-told-boil-water.html

Christie told everyone to evacuate and sent busses to AC to help poor people get out... People started to question that order and then the Mayor of AC chose not to back Christie's evac order and went against it... The Mayor of AC told resident they didn't have to leave and could stay and set up shelters in very poorly chosen low lying places in the city)... Christie warned him that he would not allow rescuers to risk their lives until after the storm passed. (911 was evac'd along with everyone else, there was no 911 during that storm)

The Mayor of AC put lives at risk and pissed off a lot of people... It was a very stupid move.

Bush didnt do anything like that

You make my point perfectly.

To paraphrase your words.

The Mayor of New Orleans put lives at risk and pissed off a lot of people... It was a very stupid move.

Yet unlike Governor Christe, the Governor of Louisiana never blasted him or gave her own opinion on the situation before the storm. She let him fail and made matters worse with her own bad decisions.

Then the media let both of them set the political tone for the next 12 years when they blamed Bush for what was really their incompetence.

And the media lapped it up and made Bush a whipping boy for other peoples mistakes.

12 years later that slogan helped lead President Obama to reelection.

...was due to the fact that much of their infrastructure is underground:

"The most densely populated parts of the city, mostly in Manhattan and Brooklyn, are served by underground transmission wires. These offer protection from wind and falling tree limbs that plague overhead wires and make the suburbs far more vulnerable to outages.

But underground wires can flood and be more difficult to repair, especially in low-lying areas. It can be harder for workers to get to the wires because manholes flood. When water recedes, it can be harder to find problems, pull out wires and equipment, dry them, fix them, and slide them back into place."

http://news.yahoo.com/nyc-utility-prepped-big-storm-got-bigger-one-093221356.html

...for merely reporting facts. Typical.

They were warned many times. The most recent was in June of 2012.

"New York City could soon be home to the worlds longest aquarium, housed in its subway system. "

http://www.propertycasualty360.com/2012/10/29/nyc-the-most-dangerous-place-in-the-world-for-stor

For example, does it make sense to invest 10x the money to put all utilities underground to survive a 20-year event, if the expected life of the underground utility is only 40 or 50 years?

Back in the late '70s ('78 I think) a big storm hit Savannah, ga. We were without power in many areas for weeks. During recovery the city gov. decided to go ahead and bury all the power lines in town to prevent a repeat. The shock of that large of a problem that lasted that long helped get the population to support it. I had to relocate for a job soon after. So I don't know if they pulled it off, but if they did maybe it will be a good model for now. Yes it cost more in the short term, but in the long run?

I honestly have to say that this is the most media hyped up storm I have ever seen. I sat through this thing all day and have had full electrical service all day. The wind is blowing and the rain falling but it is nothing compared to Floyd, Katrina, Agnes, Donna, or Hazel. In fact a little while ago I went out for ice cream.
I have no idea why there was no mail delivery, trash pickup, recycling, or stock trading today. I went to my local bank and they were open. Streets were deserted for no good reason.
I honestly believe more people will die of medical neglect due to the fear of this storm than will die from the storm itself. People will be afraid to go out while having a heart attack and die at home instead of getting their blockages opened at the hospital.

dont know were you live but more than half my state has no power,sveral folks are dead.so take your i am ok so every one is ok crap and go back to your world.i went out for ice cream.what a load of crap just like your post

Im not sure if you are just a moron trolling for angst or you really are clueless