Moonage Political Webdream

Subways and other spaces under major cities where people gather in droves are vulnerable to catastrophic flooding and city officials aren’t doing enough to prepare, researchers said today.

In many cities worldwide, major floods that might occur once a century or less have not struck since life’s gone underground.

Just a subtle way to get your attention.  However, they then go on to contradict themselves:

Nature has sent plenty of gentle reminders of the power she ultimately wields over humans. Manhattan subways have been flooded in the past by powerful storms called nor’easters, for example. In September, rain from the remnants of Hurricane Frances flooded subways in New York City, stranding some passengers aboard trains that had to be stopped by flooded tracks.

That storm’s glancing blow was minor compared to a hurricane taking direct aim on Manhattan, which weather experts say is likely to happen sooner or later.

A rare northward-racing hurricane in 1938 made a direct hit on Providence, Rhode Island. It sunk the downtown area under 12 feet of water. A similar scenario could play out in lower Manhattan, according to flood projections by the Army Corps of Engineers.

I put this under conspiracy theories because they take a leap of faith that city officials haven’t done enough to prepare, ie, the conspiracy is with the city officials.  They then somewhat justify that opinion based on the fact that it almost never happens.  They then tell of a few times it did happen.  Total casualties of those events that did happen?

0

They then go on to say that there are some disasters that go beyond what can be planned for.  Their example?  You guessed it:

The recent tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean revealed how vulnerable the world can be to the unexpected, said United Nations Under Secretary-General Hans van Ginkel.

There is an inherent risk in everything you do.  Man can only prepare for so much.  My fear in subways has never been flooding, it’s been earthquakes.  Earthquakes give absolutely no warning at all, flooding does.  If a tsunami had been heading for Manhatten, you can bet the subaways would have been evacuated two hours before it got there.  If it was so close that no time was allowed, the subways are just one of the many concerns "city officials" would have.  Earthquakes give no warning.

If there’s a flood situation, evacuate the subways.  It’s been done in the past, and it will always work.  Let’s allow the "city officials" to worry about more realistic issues.

And QUIT using the tsunami as a scare tactic.

Technorati Tags: Conspiracy Theories

Tags: Conspiracy Theories

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