[basil]

Do you think there was any way this tidal surge could have been predicted in time for people to get out?

Living on the coast, which I did for a lot of my life—(TX)—we were more or less used to hurricanes and such, and could prepare for them. Then again, we usually had several days’ notice.

The way I understand it—and correct me if I am wrong—nobody predicated this tidal wave that ended up hitting NY............

Has this ever before happened that you know of?

[wildandcrazyrussian]

That would have taken some journalism with enough curiosity to spend two minutes to find a website with direct weather data such as

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=44065

which is a buoy ten miles out at the entrance to the NYC harbor area, and showed 32' (thirty-two foot) waves as the hurricane was coming ashore that evening. (Now it shows the usual 5' range.)

[Mad Dawgg]

"The way I understand it—and correct me if I am wrong—nobody predicated this tidal wave that ended up hitting NY............"

Wasn't a Tidal Wave it was a tidal surge. And yeah it was predicted days beforehand over and over.