Sure, it could have been much worse, but it was wise to take the threat of Hurricane Irene seriously, to be ready for disaster. This storm was not overhyped.

Nationally, as of this evening, Irene had killed at least 40 people, including children, and left more than 4 million without power. Many New Jersey towns are still flooded and impassable. Any hurricane is unusual in the Northeast, and this one was a potential monster.

On talk radio, we heard the geniuses who said the media hyped this story to boost ratings. Please. The storm received only the 13th-most media coverage among Atlantic hurricanes over the past three decades, according to New York Times statistician Nate Silver.

Gov. Chris Christie seemed to catch his balance and then some. Although he was at Walt Disney World during the Dec. 26 blizzard and said there was no need for him to be in the state, he took the opposite approach this time. He ordered every precaution possible and reminded people he was directly involved by appearing on every television show he could find, regional and national. The man obviously learned his lesson, as did New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who took plenty of heat in the blizzard’s cold.

The most inspiring response over the weekend, though, came from common people, such as rescue workers and Red Cross volunteers. A Princeton First Aid and Rescue squad member, Michael Kenwood, 39, died after attempting to search a submerged car, a sacrifice that won’t be forgotten.

And it was heartening to see, everywhere, neighbors helping neighbors. Where power was lost on one side of a street, we saw extension cords feeding them power from their friends across the way. New Jerseyans were out en masse sharing everything from sandwiches to generators, and helping each other clear trees and pump out basements.

This isn’t over, not by a long shot. Thousands of homes and businesses remain flooded, and thousands more will be without power for days. But we’ve absorbed Irene’s hardest blow and we’re still standing. The fact that everyone took this threat seriously is a big reason.

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