Hurricane Sandy, Modern Technology And Choices
By Gloria
We are fortunate to live in a time when there are satellites and instruments that can help people know when a major weather pattern is on its way, like Hurricane Sandy. For days, as Sandy was making her way up the Atlantic coast, information was available everywhere about preparing for her arrival and what provisions you should have on hand if the power was to go out for extended periods of time.
This early detection of a major weather event gave everyone the opportunity to use the time before the storm’s arrival to prepare for the worst. It gave us all choices: either to prepare or do nothing; to listen to the forecasts or to ignore them.
Fortunately many people made the choice to take the advice offered in the news to fill their cars with gas; to purchase water, ice, generators and batteries; and to have cash on hand.
Then Sandy made landfall.
Our home was very close to the eye of the storm and we came to realize Tuesday morning that our immediate area was spared the wrath of Sandy, while other areas were less fortunate.
Later on Tuesday we ventured out and I heard a few people say, “oh there was too much build up before this storm, too much hype”. That is one way to look at it, BUT I am grateful for the meteorologists who study weather patterns and help us to know what might happen in the days to come as they did with Hurricane Sandy. Sure it can be overload if you listen to the news all day long. But we all have the option of accessing these reports via live broadcasts on the radio, TV or phones: whereas people in earlier days did not have this option.
Years ago before all the technological gadgets and the ability to see the beginnings of major weather disturbances, there was often no warning. People would probably see the storm approach way off in the distance and then scramble to gather their loved ones to a safe place and ride out the storm.
When Sandy was approaching I could not help but think of the scene in the Wizard of Oz where Dorothy was away from her home with Toto and she did not make it back in time to the shelter underground where her family was safe from the approaching twister. There simply was not enough warning for her to make it home in time to be safe with Auntie Em underground.
I am grateful for the early warnings we received due to technology and that we were able to have a choice in how we would greet Hurricane Sandy. We chose to heed much of the advice given: battened down the hatches and rode out the storm in a safe place.
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