Dear Editor,

After viewing the pictures of the recent havoc wreaked by Superstorm Sandy on the US Eastern Seaboard, I could not help but wonder why it seemed like déjà vu, and as though I was walking a path with which I was very familiar. Then it dawned on me. I quickly pulled my DVD collection related to end of times and the many prophecies of global warning.

It’s almost frightening when one compares the events of these movies with Sandy’s aftermath; in particular, a movie released three years ago by the name of 2012. Let it be said that the United States is witnessing an increase in the magnitude and intensity of existing natural hazards. Eighty-eight killed (at the time of writing), and billions of dollars in damage.

For the first time the USA is fighting a battle for which it has little or no experience at all. Emergency managers and disaster preparedness teams must now proactively focus on the core discipline of natural disaster prevention and mitigation. Unfortunately, only a handful of schools examine this area as a taught course and specialty. The world is changing and I can guarantee that we will be seeing greater and more powerful storms.

In my 35 years on earth, it’s the first time I know that a storm could take Justice League hero titles: Superstorm. I do hope that we will never have to experience a “superhurricane”, “superearthquake” or perhaps a “supertsunami”.

In these difficult times for all nations, let us offer some assistance to the United States with their restoration process. I am sure that we have willing soldiers, firefighters, electricians and capable teams who can assist with the clean-up exercise. The greatest gestures are not those of cash, but rather of goodwill.

Richard Longmore

richardlongmore@yahoo.com