Massive hurricane Irene, which slowly churned over the East Coast of America, moving through multiple states, has left 21 people dead and approximately $45 billion dollars in damage in the United States, due to flooding, damaged buildings and economic shutdowns. Over 4,000,000 people have been left without electricity and for some it will be two weeks before it returns. 

The hurricane left 5 people dead in the Caribbean and created roughly $3 billion dollars in damage to the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos and the Dominican Republic. Tens of thousands of people have been left homeless. It has become one of the costliest hurricanes in history. The hurricane is said to be heading towards Canada. 

The U.S. government is warning people to be vigilant in the coming days, as the swelling of rivers in America  could mean additional flooding. A few prominent individuals mocked the seriousness of the hurricane as overblown, but any storm that leaves over two dozen casualties and nearly $50 billion in damage is serious.

As someone that has lived through 5 hurricanes, including Andrew, I can attest, it is not something to be taken lightly. After hurricane Wilma, there was no electricity for two weeks, which was an unpleasant experience and not just due to having no internet or regular television service, but the pervasive darkness. Still, others have had it worse (see: Hurricane Katrina).