Hurricane Sandy is battering the East Coast this morning,
expected to wreak havoc for millions of people from the Mid-
Atlantic to northern New England. Our thoughts and prayers are
with those who are affected by the storm. Please take care and
be safe. Because of Sandy’s timing this late in October, the
confluence of multiple items could make the hurricane a 100-year
storm. Specifically, with colder air moving east and south from
Canada along with a full moon over the weekend, the storm surge
could be far larger than normal and the post-landfall storm
could turn to snow and ice. That means Hurricane Sandy brings
three different potential problems: flooding in coastal areas
and low-lying places, wind damage, and a strong likelihood of
power outages in the Northeast. Though the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) will notionally lead response and
recovery efforts, the reality is that the power companies, local
governments and community organizations will be the focal point
of most response and recovery a