President Obama will tour Hurricane Sandy-damaged areas of New York this afternoon, accompanied by various New York State officials and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

While the cleanup from the hurricane will likely be going on well into next year, it’s imperative that elected officials consider the country’s preparedness for storms of this magnitude in the future.

This past summer, the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) released a report co-written by former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and Assistant Secretary Col. Robert Stephan. The authors believe the United States is becoming too dependent on foreign suppliers to respond in a timely fashion following a crisis.

In the wake of yet another giant storm, it seems more imperative than ever to ramp up America's manufacturing base to prepare for future problems.

Image by Flickr user DVIDSHUB used following Creative Commons guidelines.