By Arianna Huffington Originally Posted: 8/30/11 01:40 PM ET on HuffPost’s Daily Brief With the death toll at 40 and rising, historic flooding in Vermont and parts of upstate New York, millions without power and an estimated $7-10 billion worth of damage, we can hardly say that anything about Hurricane Irene is cause for celebration -- but it would have been much, much worse were it not for the amazing collective action both by the federal and local governments, and by neighbors and communities. The storm's proximity to the 10th anniversary of 9/11 gives these efforts added resonance. At a time when the nation seems paralyzed and polarized, the pending milestone has already been cause for reflection about a time -- in the days … [Read more...]