My Non-Fiction Reading Response:

In the article “Next Stop For Subway: Draining the Tunnels” author, Dan Vergano is trying to present to us some of the serious issues caused by the recent Hurricane Sandy. The author not only discusses how much damage has occurred to the subway systems, but also to the equipment needed to  undergo the task of draining the tunnels. The author also tries to show us the severity of the situation by discussing how many people this issue affects. As well he shows us  how the issue relates to them. They also mention the cost of resolving the problem as a way to show us seriousness of how much the subways were  affected. Hopefully, with this great load of information, we can begin to understand how the Hurricane has hit all of us.

To show us the severity of the situation the author states ‘ “Andrew Cuomo announced two commuter rail lines halted by Hurricane Sandy’s onslaught would return to service along with the limited subway service, welcome news for the city’s 7 million or more daily riders.” ’The author wants the reader to understand really how many people this delay affects. He states that 7 million people take the train daily to emphasize that many people are set back without having the subway systems working properly. Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York, states ‘ “The challenge is not to build back, but to build back better.” ’ This makes me consider that the reason why trains are so delayed is because the workers are not only restoring the  subway systems. They are also improving them. It also makes me realize that in the long run this time taken up now to better the subways can be the reason why later on we are better prepared for a storm this severe.

The author also shares and quotes some information  as to why the subway system was further delayed. Katherine Waters of the American Public Transit Association states ‘ “Clearly if you have equipment underwater, the first priority is to get the water out.” ’ This makes me understand more deeply the issue at hand; the equipment is under water. If they cannot get to the equipment then it just further delays an already big issue. Another big issue is the cost of all these repairs. according to the article “... the costs of New York’s subway flooding from a hurricane are at $250 million to $1.5 billion...” The author wants the reader to understand how much this hurricane is costing to make us see how bad the hurricane hit and the measures we must go to in order to resolve the issue.

After reading this article I have come to understand the impact of the hurricane on many people including the people who ride the subway system. Before reading the article I did not really consider the cost of the damage and I was ignorant for not understanding why the trains were delayed for so long. The article has opened my eyes to see why the subway system is running so slow. I would like to further research how they are bettering the subway systems after facing this issue. Hopefully others can come to understand the severity of the situation and can substitute impatience for understanding.