Though Hurricane Sandy, which evolved into Nor'Easter Sandy and then Superstorm Sandy, has already been labeled "historic, unprecedented and a once-in-a-lifetime event," such storms have surely lashed the Northeast many times in the past. One need only look at the landscape to see the erosive force of glaciers, floods, high winds, waves and storm surge. While our planet has been evolving for 4.6 billion years, modern, reliable meteorologic records span less than 200 years and weather satellites have only been available for the past 60 years.
Nevertheless, Sandy was a massive, powerful storm that, once again, highlighted the risk of residential and commercial development along floodplains and shorelines; as sea levels rise in concert with global warming, that risk will only increase. Fortunately, modern communication and advances in meteorology provided an early warning of the potential devastation and mass evacuations saved many lives. But Sandy proved that our current infrastructure is no match for the power of nature and reminded us that, despite our advancing technology, we will always be at the mercy of natural forces.
Yet, we will rebuild along the coast and on the floodplains, convinced that this was a freak event, never to recur in the course of our lives. We will refuse to learn from this devastating storm and will fail to respond to its message. It may be centuries before another hurricane or massive nor'easter decimates the Northeast; then again, it might be next year.
