More than ever, we are facing unprecedented environmental disasters ranging from harsh, snowy winters pounding the Northeast, desiccating drought across Texas and New Mexico, powerful tornadoes demolishing towns in the Midwest and record rainfalls and flooding in different states. Over the course of a week this past summer, the East Coast experienced an earthquake and hurricane.

This trend of environmental events has become the new norm and it has coincided with our country coming down with a bad case of” Waiting for Katrina Syndrome” – a condition in which people refuse to examine the power of nature to disrupt their lives. Symptoms include ignorance and apathy over measures that could be taken to prevent calamity and unconditional acceptance of the outright lies and propaganda doled out by government and private industry leaders.

To make matters worse, our decrepit water and gas systems has been around for 60 to 80 years. Our roads, bridges and tunnels and levees are in a state of abject disrepair. We have not taken the crucial step of constructing emergency facilities in our cities and towns. Besides putting many people to work, building these facilities would provide some semblance of civility during a time of crisis. People would be able to take refuge and have access to medical clinics and food banks. The current response network that relies on the Red Cross, FEMA and the National Guard during times of crisis is dangerously inadequate.