Katrina & Sandy Why?

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

This is NJ today.
Why is the rest of the country so unaware of the devastation that Sandy has caused? Katrina was on the news in the Tri-State area for a very long time.

 

[Southernmiss]

This is NJ today.
Why is the rest of the country so unaware of the devastation that Sandy has caused? Katrina was on the news in the Tri-State area for a very long time.

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Coming from a Katrina area, I want you to know that we do still get Sandy news and updates. We also still have Katrina updates and Katrina hit August 2005.

Our area is not the same as it was before and never will be. We still have places that should be torn down, etc.

I like to think that because we have had horrible weather events our media and people of our area are more attuned and compassionate to compromised areas.

Just know that I feel for y'all. The media has moved on to the Oklahoma and other area's disaster news--as it should have.

Devastation is never easy and takes a lot of time to heal from.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Part of it, I think, is "catastrophe fatigue." The media gets all they can out of the story and move on.

I think part of the reason the Katrina hurricane spent so much time in the media had to do with the 1,464 deaths.

I also think there were "other issues" that lead to the media ignoring followup stories about Sandy, but I would prefer not going into details because I don't want points.

 

[Lorelei Lee]

Because as bad as Sandy was, Katrina was worse in terms of destruction abd displacement of people. Not to mention, failure of government on every level.

And don't forget that since Sandy we had Newtown, the Boston Marathon, the factory in Texas and the tornado in Oklahoma.


Not that it makes a difference to those still trying to rebuild their homes.

Sent from my SCH-I800 using DISBoards

 

[HelenePA]

I have a diser from Jersey on facebook and she shows the other side of the devastation thru her pictures. She shows the rebuilding, the boardwalk being open, the beaches... we are not unaware. We've not forgotten.. but other disasters have happened since Sandy

 

[Lorelei Lee]

I also think there were "other issues" that lead to the media ignoring followup stories about Sandy, but I would prefer not going into details because I don't want points.

Completely disagree with you on that one.

FYI Brian Williams did a whole "Rock Center" on Sandy about a month ago.

Sent from my SCH-I800 using DISBoards

 

[Luv Bunnies]

We still get Sandy news out here in California. There was TV coverage of Prince Harry's visit to the affected areas. The Today Show was just at the Jersey Shore last week and they covered the rebuilding process. The news definitely runs in cycles, with the most recent events getting the bulk of the coverage. However, I do feel that Sandy is still getting a share of media time. I'm seeing it out here on a fairly regular basis.

 

[hereyago]

Welcome to the life goes on and other things happen. It happens to all disasters. It isnt meant to be a snark, but i know first hand

And let us not forget how massive Sandy was, so it wasn't just NJ hit.

Eventually the volunteers go home, some of the out of state power and construction companies leave. Insurance companies and contractors are backed up . Some didn't have insurance or the right kind so no work can be done.

 

[Southernmiss]

Another note about recovery and rebuilding--Don't know if Sandy affected areas are dealing with extreme insurance costs yet. But we are. Our homeowners has quadrupled and we are 11 miles inland and not near any body of water. We had minimal damage, but because we are in an affected county, it's the way it is.

Cost of insurance has prevented a lot of people from rebuilding.

There are also new costly building codes and modifications.

The insurance cost is a very sore subject in our region.

 

[beaucoup]

Because as bad as Sandy was, Katrina was worse in terms of destruction abd displacement of people. Not to mention, failure of government on every level.

And don't forget that since Sandy we had Newtown, the Boston Marathon, the factory in Texas and the tornado in Oklahoma.


Not that it makes a difference to those still trying to rebuild their homes.

Sent from my SCH-I800 using DISBoards

Exactly what I was going to say. The media hops from one big story to the next, and there were many afterwards. I am in MA, not all that far away from damage in RI & CT, not to mention NY & NJ, and we hear little. We heard that the boardwalk was aiming to reopen soon - maybe this weekend? When that is what they air, yes, it makes it sound as though everything is just great down there.

My FIL in CT had just finished a nice remodel of his house, 2 months later was flooded out by Irene, and had just finished rebuilding AGAIN, was back in house only a few months when it was all flooded about by Sandy. He's moved out again of course, and he is done. Not going to rebuild it for yet a 3rd time in 3 yrs & will probably sell it as is for the value of land. Most of his neighbors are doing the same after 2 storms in short time wiped out their street....and these houses were already elevated above flood zones heights requirements.

 

[CaliforniaDreamin]

Also, the death toll from Katrina was almost 2 thousand people. Not making the deaths of those associated with Sandy any less significant, but it was much, much less. 117 people lost their lives.
And the cost of damage from Katrina is double that of Sandy.

The pictures of the damage from Sandy are horrible, and we know there is a lot more work ahead. But you can't compare the two. It's not about picking one or the other.

 

[tvguy]

Sadly, nearly 8 years after Katrina, victims are still waiting to settle claims.

And then there's what some have called the "forgotten hurricane", Rita. It hit 3 weeks after Rita, and was the fourth worst hurricane in U.S. history. All the resources and attention were focused on Katrina. Some of those folks are STILL waiting for FEMA to process their claims to find out IF FEMA will be offering aid, and some are still living in FEMA trailers.

So, Sandy isn't forgotten, sadly, all the hurricane victims ahead of them in line have to be helped first.

 

[skatalite]

No media outlet wants to be scooped, so when something big happens, they flock to it.

When something new happens, they then flock to that.

Resources are finite, too. The likes of Tom Brokaw can't be everywhere at once.

I'm an Oklahoman journalist, currently trying to enjoy my one day off of a two-week stretch. The past week has been the most difficult of my professional career. Everyone in the newsroom becomes a reporter, photographer, videographer and editor, and it's all hands on deck. Which means, sadly, some other "smaller" things don't get the attention they would otherwise get, or fully deserve.

We don't mean for it to happen, but it's the nature of the business at times.

 

[hereyago]

As for recent coverage, I saw Prince Harry and Gov. Christie walk the board walk and the old rollercoaster will be replaced by a ride called Superstorm:

 

[iheartdisney]

Because as bad as Sandy was, Katrina was worse in terms of destruction abd displacement of people. Not to mention, failure of government on every level.

And don't forget that since Sandy we had Newtown, the Boston Marathon, the factory in Texas and the tornado in Oklahoma.


Not that it makes a difference to those still trying to rebuild their homes.

Sent from my SCH-I800 using DISBoards

Not to mention a failure of person responsibility on every level.

My first thought re: sandy vs. katrina coverage is the death toll. Then the string of tragedies that have overwhelmed the nation since then.

 

[Aliceacc]

I will agree that the past 7 months have taught me a lot about not forgetting the victims after the news teams leave.

We were amazingly lucky; all we lost was part of our roof. I work with a number of people, and have I don't know how many students, who are still displaced.

And it has made me remarkably attuned to these tragedies, and to the need to help someone at the grass roots level. I have a check upstairs to mail today to a Catholic Church in Moore OK. Not a national organization, but someone local who will put the money to good use without administrative costs.

This year we're also doing a Stay-cation, and I want to hit the Freeport Nautical Mile as often as I can to support the small businesses who have reopened.

Probably what made me angriest was in the immediate aftermath of Sandy, before election day. A big name politician arrived in Massapequa (I think, it may have been another area devastated by the storm) to survey the damage. She had a winter coat on, and got out of a heated car, then pressed the flesh as she saw how bad it was. And all I could think as I saw the coverage was: those people are so very cold, with no coats or blankets-- we had 6 inches of snow about a week after the storm. And this politician walked among those people-- to do what??? She wasn't handing out coats or blankets or Clorox or Hefty bags, she was seeing what a hurricane can do to an oceanfront community. Was she unable to tell that from the pictures?? The money that was spent getting her into NY, the money that was spent on her security detail, the gas that was spent at a time when we were waiting 2 hours (or more, I got lucky) for gas-- what a tremendous waste it was!! And waste, particularly at a time when resources are stretched so very tight, makes me angry.

Anyway, I'm far more attuned to the needs of those people in the pictures. At Christmas, for my annual Christmas party with my sisters and friends, we had a housewarming for one of the teachers in my school who lost everything in Sandy. (She's still displaced, but had finally found a rental apartment and was starting from scratch. She hopes to move back home this summer.) My husband and I went VERY light with each other so we could give a small donation to the people at work who had lost their homes. It wasn't much, but it was a little.

I've learned a lot about the value of a lot of people each doing a little. And then... and it's the important part... continuing to do a little more.

While I'm still on a roll here, let me tell you about another friend. She and her husband didn't wait for the FEMA check to come, they sunk every dime they had into rebuilding their home. They moved back over Easter vacation. And found out shortly afterward that, in spite of having done all the paperwork through Long Beach, Long Beach had changed the rules and their house needs to be raised something like a foot or two. So their brand new, barely used house, isn't to code, even though they filed all the correct paperwork. Yes, they've hired a lawyer.

Forgive me for rambling. This is obviously a topic that hits close to home.

 

[bunkkinsmom]

We did a drive for Sandy here in my kids' school in NC. I know a lot of stuff went to the Red Cross from all over the country, but we donated directly to the Rockaway Beach Fire Station. Some kids from our school have a dad who is a firefighter there. He was on duty when Sandy hit and said it was like a war zone. His wife was here in NC watching CNN all night trying to get a glimpse of his engine. The devastating thing was how long through the winter some of these folks went without power. He said it was amazing to see how well all of the people came together. They sort of made their own community with Camp Fires in the streets. We sent two tractor trailers directly to the fire station with cleaning supplies, tarps, all the stuff that they asked for.

I heard once that if you bring a fire station patch to Disney's Fire House, they have a place to put it up on their wall. My friend is bringing me one from Rockaway for my upcoming trip.

 

[Aliceacc]

We did a drive for Sandy here in my kids' school in NC. I know a lot of stuff went to the Red Cross from all over the country, but we donated directly to the Rockaway Beach Fire Station. Some kids from our school have a dad who is a firefighter there. He was on duty when Sandy hit and said it was like a war zone. His wife was here in NC watching CNN all night trying to get a glimpse of his engine. The devastating thing was how long through the winter some of these folks went without power. He said it was amazing to see how well all of the people came together. They sort of made their own community with Camp Fires in the streets. We sent two tractor trailers directly to the fire station with cleaning supplies, tarps, all the stuff that they asked for.

I heard once that if you bring a fire station patch to Disney's Fire House, they have a place to put it up on their wall. My friend is bringing me one from Rockaway for my upcoming trip.

Thank you!

The Rockaways were badly hit, and the village of Breezy Point particularly so: they had a fire in the midst of the hurricane. There was no power, and the firefighters were unable to save a lot of houses. Most were built as beach bungalows, so they were close together and ionce the fire started it was a nightmare.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Not to mention a failure of person responsibility on every level.

My first thought re: sandy vs. katrina coverage is the death toll. Then the string of tragedies that have overwhelmed the nation since then.

It wasn't one person that failed. Just like all the scandals of today. It isn't one person responsible, but many on every level.

I think it was odd to see the re-opening of Jersey Shore juxtaposed with the devastation.

 

[AntePrincess]

As someone who lives in NJ and spent a week without power (we were very lucky and we had the place full of people who had no power or water), I think it's simple fatigue, even right here next door to the disaster areas. My husband's family spent half of every year on the shore, now all their memories are underwater or burnt to ash. He hasn't wanted to look at the damage since he took one virtual tour of his old town and found it completely destroyed. So I'm saying that, even as people who live here and donate here, we're guilty of looking for other news too.

That said we're also staying at home this year and we also plan to visit the shore frequently, if not that one town.