Is it just me, about Sandy? (Houston: law, vs, stations)

[nana053]

Originally Posted by fitzy24

Just got a CNN Breaking News Alert - US Death toll from Sandy is now at 50.

60 in the US and still rising.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by 14Bricks

Yes, it makes you a typical northerner d bag. Which is why I have very little sympathy for the coast coast right now.

Has nothing to do with "coasts"
It's about how far those areas are from where you are.

If I hear of a landslide in Alaska, I really wouldn't give a .....
unless it happened in Wasilla (I just had to throw that in there)

[DeadSpeak]

Originally Posted by Queen Palm

DeadSpeak,

Thank you for sharing this. I want to apologize to you or anyone if I have offended you guys. I sincerely do NOT, I repeat, I do NOT have a problem with the extensive coverage. I think it is necessary in these kinds of situations. The word needs to get out regarding those who have been devastated by these disasters. My problem is with the media, and their lack of balance and cherry-picking who or what regions and peoples renders coverage. Please, please keep us informed.

Believe me I do agree with you, I feel the media is putting more into what happened because it was a major city, and because this area is a major financial/tourists destination. This is not to take away from what has happened in the past Ike was a horrible disaster and the media should have covered it as much as they covered this storm. I think the other reason why this storm was covered more was because of how much of an oddity it really was, I mean what are the chances that New York of all places would get hit with a Cat 1/Tropical Storm and even more than that on a full moon when the tide was going to be higher. There are major portions in this state right now with no power still, and while this story maybe reported more they seem to be focusing mostly on Manhattan and queens and little on one of the more harder hit areas like Staten Island.

[nana053]

The death toll is still rising

Hurricane Sandy: West Virginia, New York, Maine, And Many States In Between Recover From Superstorm

The massive storm that started out as Hurricane Sandy slammed into the East Coast and morphed into a huge and problematic system, killing at least 90 people in the United States. Power outages now stand at more than 4 million homes and businesses, down from a peak of 8.5 million. Here's a snapshot of what is happening, state by state.

Remember that there were already 69 deaths in the Carribean, too.

Twelve states are affected. Economic losses are estimated at 50 to 60 billion dollars. Only Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 were worse economic disasters. The environmental damage is overwhelming. Sandy’s fury washed away toxic materials from Superfund sites like the Gowanus Canal and Newtown Creek in Brooklyn. In fact, West Virginia just asked to be added to the disaster list making 13 states.

[Sampaguita]

What happened to NY/NJ is unprecedented. Hurricanes are foreign to the tri-state. Blizzards...sure! But not hurricanes. As others have said, it would be akin to Houston getting hit by an LA-sized earthquake or a Buffalo-style blizzard.

When I was still living in SoCal, we watched Katrina coverage round the clock. Rita was big news. Ike received a large amount of coverage - I remember it well as we were scheduled to move to Houston just 2 months later. Even my family in the Philippines watched coverage of all 3 of these events.

My hometown of Staten Island has been devastated by Sandy. I didn't hear from my elderly parents until 0700 today. We have been worried out of our minds since Monday night what with not being able to get through to them. The mounting death toll on SI is shocking. My parents still have no idea how badly hit SI is - no internet or cable access; electricity and heat back early this morning. Frankly, I didn't even know how bad it was there. I was telling them all about Hoboken this morning not realizing the calamity just a few miles from their own house. Don't forget: the majority of people in these areas don't have hurricane preparedness kits. Most families don't have generators sitting in their garage waiting for hurricane season. Aside from buying water, non-perishable foods, batteries and candles, they really didn't know what to expect.

I don't know...maybe the cynicism stems from the fact that when you're in the thick of it, you're not seeing the coverage the way everyone else around the country is.

[catfancier]

Originally Posted by Sampaguita

What happened to NY/NJ is unprecedented. Hurricanes are foreign to the tri-state. Blizzards...sure! But not hurricanes. As others have said, it would be akin to Houston getting hit by an LA-sized earthquake or a Buffalo-style blizzard.

When I was still living in SoCal, we watched Katrina coverage round the clock. Rita was big news. Ike received a large amount of coverage - I remember it well as we were scheduled to move to Houston just 2 months later. Even my family in the Philippines watched coverage of all 3 of these events.

My hometown of Staten Island has been devastated by Sandy. I didn't hear from my elderly parents until 0700 today. We have been worried out of our minds since Monday night what with not being able to get through to them. The mounting death toll on SI is shocking. My parents still have no idea how badly hit SI is - no internet or cable access; electricity and heat back early this morning. Frankly, I didn't even know how bad it was there. I was telling them all about Hoboken this morning not realizing the calamity just a few miles from their own house. Don't forget: the majority of people in these areas don't have hurricane preparedness kits. Most families don't have generators sitting in their garage waiting for hurricane season. Aside from buying water, non-perishable foods, batteries and candles, they really didn't know what to expect.

I don't know...maybe the cynicism stems from the fact that when you're in the thick of it, you're not seeing the coverage the way everyone else around the country is.

YES! Excellent post. I watched the special on "Rock Center" with Brian Williams last night and my heart just broke for all those people on Staten Island -- just as it did watching Katrina devastation and ALL the TV coverage of that. I moved here to Houston from the NYC metro. Cheryjohns (whose posts I usually applaud) in her puzzlement about the Sandy TV coverage said Houston "just picked itself up" after Allison and went on... Let me tell you, New Yorkers are hardy and wrote the book on picking themselves up (I lived there during 9/11) -- but this storm is UNPRECEDENTED. NYC is the largest metro in the U.S., the financial capital, the headquarters of most media, a tourist mecca... of course it's going to get this coverage. I wish I had more time to watch it all.

[thenewtexan]

Originally Posted by cheryjohns

Or is the hysteria that is being generated because the NE area of the USA being hit with a hurricane - over-kill? No one bats an eye when it is one of the Gulf states anymore - but you would think the country is on the verge of collapse if one goes near the NE, according to the over-abundance of news coverage. Florida residents have got be laughing their fannies off, much less in the Houston area.

Use a little common sense. Look at the weather forecast first. There is no fuel, no power, no heat. It is by far the most densely populated part of the country, and this is by far the most costly disaster in U.S. history.

[blkgiraffe]

Originally Posted by catfancier

YES! Excellent post. I watched the special on "Rock Center" with Brian Williams last night and my heart just broke for all those people on Staten Island -- just as it did watching Katrina devastation and ALL the TV coverage of that. I moved here to Houston from the NYC metro. Cheryjohns (whose posts I usually applaud) in her puzzlement about the Sandy TV coverage said Houston "just picked itself up" after Allison and went on... Let me tell you, New Yorkers are hardy and wrote the book on picking themselves up (I lived there during 9/11) -- but this storm is UNPRECEDENTED. NYC is the largest metro in the U.S., the financial capital, the headquarters of most media, a tourist mecca... of course it's going to get this coverage. I wish I had more time to watch it all.

You cannot compare 9/11 to a hurricane. However, point taken.

[Glucorious]

Let's not beat around the bush here. It's Houston. Nobody cares about Houston. Hence, there's barely any coverage when a Hurricane hits. It's easy.

[feufoma]

Hurricanes hitting that area are not at all unprecedented. Memories are apparently short. Horrible all the same; and now Bloomberg is diverting resources away from the tragedy to support a stupid marathon of all things...while people dumpster dive for food. Wow, just wow!