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Most of the heavily damaged areas of Staten Island and all of the Rockaways were evacuation zones. People who chose to ignore evacuation orders sealed their fate. Now instead of spending resources on clean up, they have to spend them on search and rescue/recover. If people had gone to shelters like they were told to, they wouldn't be cold and hungry (or worse) right now.
Many were NOT evacuation zones. the surge came in much farther than anyone anticipated.
First of all, Bloomberg has nothing to do with the football game. Please look at a map. It's in NEW JERSEY, not NYC.
The reason he made the announcement about the marathon is because people were asking. It's a very big once a year thing. Over 40,000 runners come from out of town/state/country. Basketball games attract locals and maybe a handful of tourists and die hard fans. Basketball games are held in a single venue, not through all five boroughs. Basketball games require minimal public resources. Is this all really that difficult for you to understand?
Well it was cancelled, so everything you said earlier means nothing.
Because people love to complain. Not only they did not prepare properly for the storm, ignored evacuation orders but expect miracles. The runners are not gonna restore power, they are not electricians.
Being without power is nothing new and it sucks but it is what it is. I've been without power for 3+ weeks during Andrew and Katrina in August's 100+ degree heat index weather. There is nothing you can do, restoring power TAKES TIME, so does emergency help. People were told to buy food and water but there is always people complaining a few days after the storm they're starving. It happens in NY, FL everywhere. People love to go to the news stations blane the government and act like victims. I've see women complaining here in Florida two or three days after a hurricane blaming politicians and claiming children are starving
I can't say I'm surprised though. I see it all the time here in Florida. Use common sense people. News channels love drama and will exagerate some situations.
Because tents, food and generators are set up for the marathon, instead of helping people who still don't have power. many areas will be out for another WEEK!
Eh, it will take police who could be patrolling for looters, sanitation workers who could be assisting with cleanup, and EMS who could be working search and rescue. There's no getting around that.
Why were you "without power for 3+ weeks during Andrew and Katrina in August's 100+ degree heat index weather."?
Since you like to critique other people's preparedness and you live in a hurricane prone area, I would imagine you have a generator. So why were you suffering in the heat?
I can't speak for Where Is W - but our high rise condo in Coconut Grove didn't have power for about 3-4 weeks after Andrew (we were lucky to get power back so early - some of our friends down south had to wait for 6+ months - but we were on the same power grid as Mercy Hospital). And I can tell you why we didn't have power. We had water cooled emergency generators in the building (not enough power to handle everything - just emergency stuff like elevators). As a result of flooding - no power - water main breaks - etc. - we had no water. No water to cool the generators = no emergency power. Not to mention that we had a 15 foot storm surge that destroyed a lot of building/grounds infrastructure - our lobby imploded - most of the commercial roof on our building blew off and units were flooded - some units without storm shutters blew out (we had shutters - no problems there for us).
Anyway - we were ordered to evacuate - and we did (we've never had a death wish). Spent 2 nights in Orlando - and then 3-4 weeks in a Residence Inn in Boca Raton.* One of my objections to the marathon in New York was that the logistics of dealing with so many people needing hotel rooms (people whose houses were destroyed/are uninhabitable - relief workers - etc.) were simply impossible. But now you have the worst of all possible worlds. All those local people needing the hotel rooms - and the marathon people weren't called off early - so they're already in town. What a mess. BTW - you know the hotel situation is a total mess because the hotel the Pittsburgh Steelers were supposed to stay in is closed. And when the team tried to book new rooms - they couldn't find any. So the team is flying home after the game (presumably on a private or charter jet - a luxury most people don't have).
Note that although I don't live in the tri-state area (and haven't for 40+ years) - I have lots of family there in New York and New Jersey. No one - absolutely no one - has power (one niece has the misfortune to live on 39th Street - one block away from power). I think the only loss of property was a family member who owns a summer place at the Jersey shore. I spoke to some people I know here today. And even some of their families on Long Island who have electricity don't have have heat - because they get their heat from gas - and they don't have gas. Not a swell situation when temperatures this weekend are supposed to get pretty cold. Robyn
*The day we arrived at the Residence Inn - management put flyers in the rooms. They basically said we have had a terrible tragedy and people need these rooms because their houses have been destroyed/are uninhabitable. So - unless you absolutely need a room - get out (phrased politely). I think that was the right response under the circumstances.
It's just a matter of priorities...the city was ravaged by a Hurricane, you have people--men, women and children literally without homes, food, clothing, electricity, who haven't been found etc...and instead, the city is devoting massive personell and first responders as security for the race, in addition to staff running in the race itself (FDNY, NYPD Sanitation etc etc) who are paid on the public dole who could otherwise be working in the relief efforts. It's just not a good look overall.
Perhaps I am not understanding you correctly - but are police and fire people paid by the city when they're running in races? Robyn
Perhaps I am not understanding you correctly - but are police and fire people paid by the city when they're running in races? Robyn
It depends on how you look at it. The NYPD, FDNY and other 1st responders who are running, are there to represent their departments. They are given special privelege by the marathon comittee to do so because a certain number of slots are alotted to them for that reason.
Given the circumstances, if the event was canceled (and it is), they probably would have been working.
It's just a bad look and ironic at the same time that they are in the race to parade themselves around in favor of a ongoing crises that is occurring right at that moment.
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