Sociology of Technology - Essay Example

No one had seen this coming. The hurricane had been predicted, but the effects had not been seen yet. With so much use of technology in almost all aspects of life, it was almost impossible to imagine failed technology. Hurricane Sandy changed the outlook towards life and technology. A natural disaster had the capacity to wipe out structures of life that the human being had created. In economic terms, the roads were submerged in water and hence rendered impassable. The subway, which is a remarkable means of transport, was closed and this was loss for both the commuters and the rail transport industry.

The New York Stock exchange was also closed for two days, and this disrupted the trading of shares at the NYSE. People’s homes worth billions of dollars were destroyed. The vehicles that had been parked in the basement and other lower parking areas were submerged totally in water, not to mention the lives that were lost because of the destruction. The losses were estimated at $18 billion. Schools were closed during this time, colleges and universities cancelled their classes (Smith). Flights to JFK and the other airports in New York and New Jersey were cancelled as commuters were left stranded at the airport.

Most venues were closed including food joints and bus services. The New York’s Village Halloween parade was also cancelled as well as the New York City Marathon. The marathon had attracted so many people and many of them had bought tickets, which they did not use. The organizers spent a fortune arranging for the marathon. With the hurricane, there was no electricity supply in a big region of New York and New Jersey. Fires erupted, and fire fighters had a hard time accessing these areas in a bid to contain the fires.

People moved from their houses to safe areas as looters took advantage of their property. Looters were arrested in various parts of the state; some of them had posed as rescue workers. In the aftermath, there was a shortage of gasoline in parts of the city, as many stations remained closed. The hurricane caused adverse damages to the economy. The hurricane happened days before the presidential elections. Thousands of voters were displaced because of the flooding and evacuation process. It was feared that the effects of the hurricane were going to have an impact in president Obama’s campaign.

The hurricane affected the voting process, since polling stations had to be moved to other areas. There was a low voter turnout in affected areas. People became more interested in finding their loved ones than in participating in an election or election survey. The government was quick to help in the evacuation process and the National Guard was called to assist. Families were lost in the tragedy. Parents had a hard time looking for their children and other loved ones. The families that lost their loved ones can never be the same after suffering the immense loss.

There was emotional and physical pain from this tragedy, families had to look for other relatives in other states and reunite to see whether they could be assisted. Relatives of the affected people felt obligated to help the victims in this situation, help they otherwise would not have offered. Time was lost because of the hurricane, time that can never be recovered. Businesses were closed for days, schools, and colleges too. Transport was paralyzed, flights cancelled and events were pushed forward or cancelled.

The families that