Hurricane Sandy Task Force Recommends Better Construction

President Obama’s Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force released their “Rebuilding Strategy” Monday, August 19^th. Hurricane Sandy was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of 2012, with 286 fatalities and $68 billion in damages. The task force was created to get families back into their homes, get small businesses up and running, and help communities rebuild their critical infrastructure.

One of the recommendations made by the task force is to help, “develop a resilient power strategy for telephone and internet communication systems and equipment, so that our ability to communicate when it’s most necessary is less vulnerable to disaster.”

The FCC reported that Hurricane Sandy knocked out 25% of wireless cell towers and about ¼ of cable services in 10 states. One of the task force’s main strategies is to, “ensure the region is rebuilt in a way that makes it more resilient – that is, better able to withstand future storms and other risks posed by a changing climate.” (Source: Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force Strategy)