“Sandy is not as strong as many other hurricanes have been, but it is much bigger,” explains Markus Stowasser, meteorologist at Allianz Re. “Hurricane-force winds stretched over 300 kilometers at landfall. And unlike other storms in the region, it will not drift away to sea, but will stay over land and head west and then north bringing heavy precipitation and strong winds to a large area.”
Sandy is bringing three storm ingredients: strong wind, much rain and storm surges along the coast. All three lead to falling branches or trees, torn up roofs, flying debris and flooding.
The entire eastern USA is in an emergency situation: schools and offices are closed, many flights are cancelled, so is public transport. Many households are without electricity, because trees have fallen on power lines or have damaged power plants. About a dozen people have died.
For days, US authorities had been advising people to take precautions and they also evacuated low lying areas, for example in New York. Sometimes, precautions may seem very simple, like parking cars in the garage, putting deckchairs indoors, closing window shutters and checking the roof.
“When you are up against a major natural force, precautions may save lives,” says Clement B. Booth, member of the board of management of Allianz SE.
Allianz has closed its offices along the East Coast, many staff are working from home.
Sabia Schwarzer, spokesperson for Allianz in North America, reported from Washington, D.C., on Monday afternoon: “Winds are getting dangerous now. Police will issue tickets to anyone out on the street, local TV and radio stations are asking residents to stay inside.”
