1.   A continental United States that was mercifully spared the physical devastation of two world wars is now a place vulnerable to attack in fact and spirit.

2.   New York companies that had stored all their records properly were able to get back into business quickly, despite the physical devastation.

3.   The physical devastation of downtown Manhattan may have been the deciding factor.

4.   While the physical devastation of the storm are disappearing, either through rebuilding or removal, the emotional wounds are much slower to heal.