Hurricane Sandy (part 3)

IMMEDIATE DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS

As Superstorm Sandy began to diminish across the north east US, weather.com reported a 'top 5' things that were developing from the storm as of Wednesday afternoon (10-31).

1. Millions without power.
- over 5.9 million were still without power. A total of 8 million reported power loss, even northern Ohio was affected.

2. Numerous fatalities
- falling trees was the main cause of the 47 reported deaths within the US. 69 in the Caribbean, where the storm originated, were also reported.

3. Damages
- at least $10 billion in damages is expected, and up to $50 billion when considering lost business time. Though this number is huge, it did not top Hurricane Katrina.

4. Chilly weather
- the low cold air trough continued to move east and into the affected area, making temperatures in the 30s and 40s. These areas are still without power.

5. Snow!
- 3 feet of snow fell near Richwood, West Virginia, Tennessee and Maryland also saw large amounts.

A link to a ton of pictures showing the destruction of Sandy:
http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/hurricane-sandy-pictures-photos2-20121025


NYTimes created a breakdown of damages as well.

Subways:
- All seven of the main subway tunnels under the East River were flooded in the storm, but three would be up and working within the next few days. This is a major transportation system for the metro area, so it will definitely pose a problem for those who will be trying to get to work in the following weeks.

- After the city removes the water from the tunnels, officials need to inspect, clean, and repair ALL of the electrical units that allow the subway system to run efficiently. Saltwater deposits are corrosive to these elements, especially the electric third rail that conducts energy to the trains. A second major element that needs to be inspected are the signal systems that detect where trains are to prevent collisions.

- Lower Manhattan took the hardest hit in terms of flooding for NYC. The 14 foot storm surge topped out subway entrances. October 30th will mark the beginning of work on the subways.


Wastewater:
- 5 out of 14 of NY's wastewater treatment plants are located in the low lying parts of the city. These five also are included in the mandatory evacuation zones before the storm hit. When these plants get filled past capacity, stormwater and sewage mix and then flood the streets and buildings.

- All 14 of the plants ended up being located in a evacuation zone.

> Follow the NYTimes source link for the complete breakdown, along with some great visuals for the damages.



sources:
weather.com breakdown:
http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/sandy-top-five-20121028
NYTimes breakdown:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/10/30/nyregion/hurricane-sandys-aftermath.html