In response to our posting about Hurricane Sandy we received many messages appreciating our difficulties and wishing us well. We thank our readers for their concerns and good wishes.
Only now the real damage is becoming visible and the original damage estimate of US$20 has to be revised upward closer to US$100 billion. The damage to the infrastructure is so huge that it cannot be fixed within days. When there is no electricity, one cannot pump gasoline, hence people will not be able to move about. It is as simple as that.
Our contributing editor Dr. Chris Kuehl of Armada Corporate Intelligence made an interesting observation of how the Sandy aftermath is being judged in other parts of the world: International press agencies in countries like Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia, and parts of Europe are focused on the lack of food, electricity, and gasoline along the US East Coast. That’s perhaps pointing fingers at the US’ inability to provide the basics to sustain life – something that those countries would love to rub in a little bit. It’s just an interesting take in the international press and is primarily the extreme news stories from the region.
Despite that, the resiliency of East Coasters is strong – and they are pulling through of course. Sandy will be a story for years – and will become a footnote in many economic reports for the next couple of years at the least.
