The aftermath of Hurricane Irene is still being felt in the northeastern part of the United States with flooding the major cause of most destruction and death. But of the 32 fatalities reported in 10 states, the details show that far too many were not the sole fault of the storm.

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There is a debate over whether the government and the media "over-hyped" the storm and that's likely to continue for some time, but there can be no doubt that the constant coverage and updates along with mandatory evacuations in the most vulnerable areas saved countless lives. Unfortunately in natural disasters like this, there will often be those who lose their lives in spite of being forewarned and taking every reasonable precaution. But all too often the death toll climbs because of utter recklessness on the part of some victims.

In Bristol Connecticut, 46-year-old Shane Seaver died after he and another man went canoeing down a flooded street and the canoe capsized. According to local police, witnesses urged Mr. Seaver and his companion not to take their canoe into the swollen Pequabuck River but they said they couldn't pass up the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

A similar scene played out in Westchester County, New York when five men boarded an inflatable boat and attempted to navigate the Croton River which was moving about 40 mph due to the storm. That boat also capsized and one of the men died as a result.

In Florida, two men died because they ignored all warnings (and common sense) and attempted to surf the massive waves caused by Irene.

Many of the remaining deaths occurred when motorists were caught in flooding that quickly turned roads into rivers. How many of them put themselves and their passengers in harm's way by insisting on driving when it wasn't necessary?

Of course our sympathy goes out to all the victims and their families but there is an extra level of tragedy when deaths like these could have so easily been prevented. We can only hope that these people did not die in vain and that their stories will serve as an important reminder to potential victims of future disasters.