It’s difficult to think of natural disasters as a business, but ultimately they are. More than three years ago, Superstorm/Hurricane Sandy hit heavily populated parts of the East Coast. We’re a wealthy country, though, with a robust national flood insurance program, plenty of disaster aid, and a can-do spirit. All of the people driven out of their homes have rebuilt or received settlements and moved on, right? No. [More]
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Allstate Realizes It Should’ve Asked First, Pulls Image Of Sandy-Ravaged Home From Ad
By 1.7.13
Although Allstate originally maintained that it hadn’t done anything wrong by using the image of a home ravaged by Sandy in an ad without obtaining permission from the couple who owned it, the insurance company says it’ll pull the image of that house. Besides the fact that the couple had no idea their home was in the commercial —which touts Allstate’s great customer service — they say Allstate is low-balling them on their insurance claim. [More]
Sandy Tries To Make Up For Devastation By Delivering A Stocked Bar To Neighborhood
By 11.7.12
Sandy ticked off a lot of people, but at least in one small, boozy way, she’s taken a step in making amends with the residents of one Brooklyn neighborhood. During her reign of havoc last week, Sandy pulled a marina pub loose from where it floated near the business’ main structure and sent it floating two miles to a residential street. [More]
Even If You Really Need Gas You Shouldn’t Fill Up 30 Regular Buckets To Take Home
By 11.5.12
Desperate times call for desperate measures. But there are certain things that need to be done correctly, even in the light of a natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy. While drivers on the East Coast have been stuck with long lines at the pump to fuel up cars and get gas for generators, police say one man went about gassing up the entirely wrong way. [More]
NY Attorney General Tells Retailers They Can’t Just Go Around Inflating Prices Post-Sandy
By 11.5.12
As hundreds of thousands of East Coast residents pull together to offer up goods and services to those devastated by Hurricane Sandy, there are still plenty of businesses and individuals who are willing to make a buck off someone else’s misfortune. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says his office has launched an investigation into claims of price gouging to go after anyone hiking prices on essential items like food, water, gas, batteries, accommodations and more. [More]
Should The NYC Marathon Go On As Planned This Sunday?
By 11.2.12
Update: The New York Times is reporting that the marathon will not be held Sunday.
Original Text: In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy New York City (and its fellow East Coast cities) is struggling to recover from the devastation the storm wrought. And now a battle is brewing between two camps, both of which want to see the city’s hurricane victims helped wherever they need it most. The fight is centered on Mayor Bloomberg and the city’s announcement that the NYC Marathon will go on as planned this Sunday. [More]
What To Do If You’ve Got Questions About Your Insurance Policy & Hurricane Deductibles
By 11.2.12
Yesterday we reported on vows by the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut that homeowners would not be on the hook for high hurricane deductibles on their insurance policies, but we’ve heard from readers who have received conflicting information. It’s a confusing time for many impacted by Sandy, so here’s what we suggest you do if you have questions or concerns about your insurance policy and any claims you might make. [More]
To Save Homeowners On Insurance Deductibles Governors Insist Sandy Wasn’t A Hurricane
By 11.1.12 — Updated: 11.2.12
Hurricane? What hurricane? Oh, Sandy? She was just a superstorm, say governors in states impacted by Sandy earlier this week. See, if she was a hurricane, homeowners would have to pay out anywhere from 1% to 5% of their homes’ values before insurance coverage would kick in. But if she wasn’t, as the governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are saying, that deductible doesn’t have to be met. That will likely result in huge savings for homeowners. Nice. [More]
Sandy Prompts Panic At The Gas Pump, Things Get Heated As Customers Rush To Fill Up
By 11.1.12
In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, a common thought prevailed among those in New Jersey who had cars — “What if the gas stations run out of gas?” As people panicked and drove off to find the nearest gas pump and long lines formed, those lines prompted other people to think that there must be a shortage if there’s a long line and so they join the line, too. And thus begins a cycle that has caused some emotional flare-ups at the pump. [More]
Comcast Offers Up Its Wi-Fi Hot Spots For Free To Anyone In States Impacted By Sandy
By 10.31.12
The spirit of goodwill toward our fellow humans in the wake of Superstorm Sandy continues to spread to big businesses. First AT&T and T-Mobile took a cue from the acts of generous individuals in helping out our neighbors by offering to share their networks for customers in the path of the storm, and now Comcast has announced it’ll offer up free WiFi to those in need in storm-ravaged states. [More]
Relief In Sight For Sandy’s Stranded Passengers As JFK & Newark Reopen For Some Flights
By 10.31.12
Call her a hurricane or call her a superstorm, but weather phenomenon Sandy is responsible for either stranding a lot of passengers away from home or keeping them from their destinations elsewhere. There’s some relief in sight after three days of flight cancellations, as two New York-area airports, John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty, have reopened for some flights. [More]
For Some Reason American Apparel Thought “Hurricane Sandy” Sale Was A Good Idea
By 10.30.12
There’s nothing like retailers taking advantage of natural disasters to get our collective duff up, something American Apparel is currently learning after offering a sale for people “bored” during Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy last night. [More]
Some East Coast Airports Open But Long Waits Likely For Passengers Of 16K Canceled Flights
By 10.30.12
While New York City’s major airports are still shut down for an indefinite amount of time, some airports on the East Coast are starting to send planes out after canceling almost 16,000 flights over the last few days. The bad news? Passengers from those canceled flights are likely going to be stuck for a while longer, as airlines honor tickets for passengers with existing reservations first. [More]
