Natural Disasters

Brisbane, Queensland — We have just come from helping two of our members move their furniture and belongings to a safe place before the anticipated floods arrived. It was two years ago that these same two lost most of what they owned to the February 2011 floods. Those floods were more severe and more of our members were affected. The loss was enormous for the general population, including damage to their homes. This time, a lot of prevention went into prevention-planning and much of the damage was averted.

We watched this storm develop several days in advance. As it approached the coast it was apparent the forecasters were not wrong in their predictions. 90 mile an hour winds lashed New York City and the New Jersey coastline. The water surge flooded subways and tunnels. Power is out to millions. It is stunning to realize the world's financial capital is shut down because of a natural occurrence. In our recent memory the only thing that has done this is was 9/11.

Hurricane Sandy has already moved through the Caribbean (reports indicate that over 60 people have died in that region) and is moving up the eastern coast of the United States.  The hurricane is forecasted to bring life-threatening storm surges that would affect millions of people living along the eastern seaboard. Many cities and low lying areas along the coast have already been evacuated in anticipation of the coming storm surge. Other areas of the Eastern United States could be affected with torrential rains, high winds and heavy snows.