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Aug 15, 2022 · New research by climate scientists has found that the risk of a monthlong superstorm, one that would pummel both Northern and Southern California with rain and snow in astounding quantities, is...
- Raymond Zhong
Oct 24, 2022 · Hurricane Sandy transitioned to a superstorm as it gained energy from multiple troughs. Each transition caused the storm to grow in size.
- Overview
- How did Sandy form?
- Sandy's aftermath
Superstorm Sandy was actually several storms wrapped together, which made it one of the most damaging hurricanes ever to make landfall in the U.S.
A “raging freak of nature” is how National Geographic described Hurricane Sandy when it hit land in fall 2012.
From beginning to end, Hurricane Sandy's progression caused deadly flooding, mudslides, and destructive winds from the Caribbean to the U.S. East Coast. An unusual combination of hurricane conditions and cold fronts made Sandy particularly potent. In the nine days that Sandy raged, it killed 70 people in the Caribbean and almost 150 people in the U.S.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates Sandy caused at least $70 billion in damages, making it among the costliest storms in U.S. history.
On October 22, 2012, a tropical depression formed off the northeast coast of Nicaragua in the Caribbean Sea. Two days later, it strengthened and officially became a Category 1 hurricane as it moved northeast. Hurricane Sandy passed over Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti.
(What are hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons?)
It pummeled Haiti with rain, setting off a torrent of mudslides that killed at least 50 people. By October 26, it had passed over Puerto Rico and Cuba, damaging the historic city of Santiago de Cuba.
Over the next few days, Hurricane Sandy continued north. It weakened to a tropical depression once reaching the Bahamas on October 27, but then it quickly restrengthened into a Category 1 hurricane. NOAA reports that this reformed structure was unusual and was spurred by warm waters. The tempest became huge, with a radius that stretched 100 miles.
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Hurricanes 101
Two years after Sandy, experts broke down why the storm was so deadly. All but one European weather model had predicted the storm would turn and travel out to sea instead of striking the U.S. Just before the storm hit, the National Hurricane Center put local weather offices in charge of issuing advisories. Many people chose not to evacuate.
Many homes along the East Coast were destroyed, with parts of the Jersey Shore and Staten Island particularly impacted. As long as five years after, some residents were still rebuilding, with many relocating to higher ground. Thousands of people were temporarily left homeless, and more than 20,000 households were displaced a year after the storm hit.
Though the storm itself wasn't as strong as other infamous hurricanes, a combination of weather factors and the fact that much of the region was unprepared for it contributed to high levels of damage.
Sandy is considered the fourth most expensive storm in U.S. history, and more than 600,000 housing units were destroyed in New Jersey and New York. The government of New York City estimates that $19 billion in damage was inflicted on the city alone. Five years after Sandy, more than a thousand New Jersey residents reported still being unable to return home.
A report published by the city of New York outlines where the region was vulnerable to a storm the size of Sandy. It found that while some infrastructure like flood walls was out-of-date, the city also did not have sufficient plans in place to deal with the disaster. Most businesses and homeowners in New York City did not have flood insurance, having never suspected a storm the size of Sandy could reach so far north.
As a result, Hurricane Sandy served as a wakeup call for many in the region.
- 3 min
A superstorm is a large, unusually occurring, destructive storm without another distinct meteorological classification, such as hurricane or blizzard.
Oct 24, 2022 · Superstorm Sandy didn't technically make landfall as a hurricane or tropical storm, but when it finally came ashore near Atlantic City, New Jersey, during the evening of Oct. 29, 2012, it did so...
Oct 20, 2022 · Elevated beach homes, walls of sand dunes, and new urban parks show how New York and New Jersey have rebuilt after one of the costliest weather disasters in U.S. history.
People also ask
What is a superstorm?
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Was Superstorm Sandy a raging freak of nature?
Aug 12, 2022 · Unlike a giant earthquake, the other “Big One” threatening California, an atmospheric river superstorm will not sneak up on the state.
