Hurricane Sandy that hit the US East Coast on Tuesday, October 30, 2012, has caused devastation that has no parallel in the history of natural disasters in the United States of America, in 100 years. New York City and a major part of the eastern United States struggled with massive flooding and power outages. Hurricane Sandy flooded parts of New York’s subway system and Manhattan’s Wall Street district, bringing a halt to all financial activities in the business hub of New York.
Sandy’s impact has been colossal. It has brought innumerable homes under water, uprooted trees and damaged power lines up and down the Atlantic coast. The situation in New Jersey has been comparatively much worse. Houses and businesses on the New Jersey shore have been extensively damaged by the battering of the catastrophic storm. A glance through the pictures available on the net, vividly depict the magnitude of the damage that Sandy has caused to the American city of New Jersey. It wouldn’t be wrong if one said that the damage done is inconceivable.
It is estimated that the destruction caused by Sandy has accrued a loss of over $20 billion to the American exchequer. This means that an expenditure of $20 billion or more would have to be incurred by the US government to undertake rehabilitation and repair work in areas badly affected by Hurricane Sandy. According to reports in the media 40 people lost their lives in the storm. Though not a very large number, loss of valuable human lives is indeed heartrending.
Needless to say that in this hour of grief the entire world should stand by the American people. World nations which have grievances against the US government and bitterly dislike its hegemonic policies must also bury their feelings of hatred and support the American nation, in whatever manner they can, in their hour of tribulation. In doing so, those who have lost their valuable lives in the devastating storm must specially be remembered. They should be remembered in good words and their next to kin should be sincerely supported to face this irreparable and tragic loss with patience and fortitude.
M FAZAL ELAHI
Islamabad
