Politicians and Leadership During Natural Disasters — VIDEO

By Barrett Holmes Pitner

Updated: October 31, 2012 | 3:13 p.m.
October 31, 2012 | 2:48 p.m.

With Hurricane Sandy and the destruction it left in its wake arriving so close to the presidential election, it is impossible not to consider how leadership, or a lack thereof — both national and local — can influence the opinions of the electorate.

Below are some of America's most recent and significant natural disasters, the responses of the government officials involved, and the reactions of the citizenry.

A disgruntled Chicagoan in the 1979 blizzard became so frustrated that she even considered running for mayor.

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