Hurricane Sandy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

At least 285 people were killed across the United States, the Caribbean, and Canada, as a result of the storm.[1][160][163][167][174][175]

Caribbean

Jamaica

Jamaica was the first country directly affected by Sandy, which was also the first hurricane to make landfall on the island since Hurricane Gilbert, 24 years prior. Trees and power lines were snapped and shanty houses were heavily damaged, both from the winds and flooding rains. More than 100 fishermen were stranded in outlying Pedro Cays off Jamaica's southern coast.[176] Stones falling from a hillside crushed one man to death as he tried to get into his house in a rural village near Kingston.[177] The country's sole electricity provider, the Jamaica Public Service Company, reported that 70 percent of its customers were without power. More than 1,000 people went to shelters. Jamaican authorities closed the island's international airports, and police ordered 48-hour curfews in major towns to keep people off the streets and deter looting.[178] Most buildings in the eastern portion of the island lost their roofs.[179] Damage was assessed at approximately $100 million throughout the country.[1]

Hispaniola

In Haiti, which was still recovering from both the 2010 earthquake and the ongoing cholera outbreak, at least 54 people have died,[168] and an estimated 200,000 were left homeless as of late Monday October 29, as a result of four days of ongoing rain from Hurricane Sandy.[180] Heavy damage occurred in Port-Salut after rivers overflowed their banks.[181] In the capital of Port-au-Prince, streets were flooded by the heavy rains, and it was reported that "the whole south of the country is underwater".[182] Most of the tents and buildings in the city's sprawling refugee camps and the Cité Soleil neighborhood were flooded or leaking, a repeat of what happened earlier in the year during the passage of Hurricane Isaac.[179] Crops were also wiped out by the storm and the country would be making an appeal for emergency aid.[183] Damage in Haiti was estimated at $750 million (2012 USD), making it the costliest tropical cyclone in Haitian history.[169] In the month following Sandy, a resurgence of Cholera linked to the storm killed at least 44 people and infected more than 5,000 others.[171]

In the neighboring Dominican Republic, two people were killed and 30,000 people evacuated.[163] An employee of CNN estimated 70% of the streets in Santo Domingo were flooded.[184] One person was killed in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico after being swept away by a swollen river.[163]

Cuba

Hurricane Sandy damage in Guantanamo Bay

At least 55,000 people were evacuated before Hurricane Sandy's arrival.[189] While moving ashore, the storm produced waves up to 29 feet (9 meters) and a 6-foot (2 meter) storm surge that caused extensive coastal flooding.[190] There was widespread damage, particularly to Santiago de Cuba where 132,733 homes were damaged, of which 15,322 were destroyed and 43,426 lost their roof.[164] Electricity and water services were knocked out, and most of the trees in the city were damaged. Total losses throughout Santiago de Cuba province is estimated as high as $2 billion (2012 USD).[165] Sandy killed 11 people in the country – nine in Santiago de Cuba Province and two in Guantánamo Province; most of the victims were trapped in destroyed houses.[191][192] This makes Sandy the deadliest hurricane to hit Cuba since 2005, when Hurricane Dennis killed 16 people.[193]

Bahamas

A NOAA automated station at Settlement Point on Grand Bahama Island reported sustained winds of 49 mph (74 km/h) and a wind gust of 63 mph (102 km/h).[194] One person died from falling off his roof while attempting to fix a window shutter in the Lyford Cay area on New Providence. Another died in the Queen's Cove area on Grand Bahama Island where he drowned after the sea surge trapped him in his apartment.[163] Portions of the Bahamas lost power or cellular service, including an islandwide power outage on Bimini. Five homes were severely damaged near Williams's Town.[195] Overall damage in the Bahamas was about $700 million (2012 USD), with the most severe damage on Cat Island and Exuma where many houses were heavily damaged by wind and storm surge.[173]

Bermuda

Owing to the sheer size of the storm, Sandy also impacted Bermuda with high winds and heavy rains. On October 28, a weak F0 tornado touched down in Sandys Parish, damaging homes and businesses.[196] During a three-day span, the storm produced 0.98 in (25 mm) of rain at the L.F. Wade International Airport. The strongest winds were recorded on October 29: sustained winds reached 37 mph (60 km/h) and gusts peaked at 58 mph (93 km/h), which produced scattered minor damage.[197]

United States

A total of 24 U.S. states were in some way affected by Sandy. The hurricane caused tens of billions of dollars in damage in the United States, destroyed thousands of homes, left millions without electric service,[199] and caused 72 direct deaths in eight states, including 48 in New York, 12 in New Jersey, 5 in Connecticut, 2 each in Pennsylvania and Virginia, and 1 each in New Hampshire, West Virginia and Maryland. There were also 2 direct deaths from Sandy in U.S. coastal waters in the Atlantic Ocean, about 90 miles (150 km) off the North Carolina coast, which are not counted in the U.S. total. In addition, the storm resulted in 87 indirect deaths.[1] This makes Sandy the deadliest hurricane to hit the United States mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, as well as the deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. East Coast since Hurricane Agnes in 1972.[200]

Due to flooding and other storm-related problems, Amtrak canceled all Acela Express, Northeast Regional, Keystone, and Shuttle services for October 29 and 30.[201][202] More than 13,000 flights were canceled across the U.S. on October 29, and more than 3,500 were called off October 30.[203] From October 27 through early November 1, airlines canceled a total of 19,729 flights, according to FlightAware.[204]

As of October 31, over 6 million customers were reported to be still without power in 15 states and the District of Columbia, according to a US Department of Energy tally. The states with the most customers without power were New Jersey with 2,040,195 customers; New York with 1,933,147; Pennsylvania with 852,458; and Connecticut with 486,927.[205] The storm underlines the fragility of the aging American infrastructure, with an electricity network that is ranked lower than that of considerably poorer nations like Slovenia or Portugal.[206]

Storm total rainfall for Sandy (2012) across the United States

The New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq reopened on October 31 after a two-day closure for storm.[207] More than 1,500 FEMA personnel were along the East Coast working to support disaster preparedness and response operations, including search and rescue, situational awareness, communications and logistical support. In addition, 28 teams containing 294 FEMA Corps members were pre-staged to support Sandy responders. Three federal urban search and rescue task forces were positioned in the Mid-Atlantic and ready to deploy as needed.[208]

On November 2, the American Red Cross announced they have 4,000 disaster workers across storm damaged areas, with thousands more en route from other states. Nearly 7,000 people spent the night in emergency shelters across the region.[209]

Hurricane Sandy: Coming Together, a live telethon on November 2 that featured rock and pop stars such as Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi, Mary J. Blige, Sting and Christina Aguilera, raised around $23 million dollars for American Red Cross hurricane relief efforts.[210]

As of November 5, 2012, the National Hurricane Center ranks Hurricane Sandy the second costliest US hurricane since 1900 in constant 2010 dollars, and the sixth costliest after adjusting for inflation, population and property values.[211] Their report also states that due to global warming the number of future hurricanes will "either decrease or remain essentially unchanged" overall, but the ones that do form will likely be stronger, with fiercer winds and heavier rains.[211]

Scientists at the University of Utah reported the energy generated by Sandy was equivalent to "small earthquakes between magnitudes 2 and 3".[212]

Southeast

In South Florida, Sandy lashed the area with rough surf, strong winds, and brief squalls. Along the coast of Miami-Dade County, waves reached 10 feet (3.0 m), but may have been as high as 20 feet (6.1 m) in Palm Beach County. In the former county, minor pounding occurred on few coastal roads. Further north in Broward County, State Road A1A was inundated with sand and water, causing more than a 2 miles (3.2 km) stretch of the road to be closed for the entire weekend. Additionally, coastal flooding extended inland up to 2 blocks in some locations and a few houses in the area suffered water damage. In Manalapan, which is located in southern Palm Beach County, several beachfront homes were threatened by erosion. The Lake Worth Pier was also damaged by rough seas. In Palm Beach County alone, losses reached $14 million.[213]

Gusty winds also impacted South Florida, peaking at 67 mph (108 km/h) in Jupiter and Fowey Rocks Light, which is near Key Biscayne.[213] The storm left power outages across the region, which left many traffic lights out of order.[214]

In east-central Florida, damage was minor, though the storm left about 1,000 people without power.[215] Airlines at Miami International Airport canceled more than 20 flights to or from Jamaica or the Bahamas, while some airlines flying from Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport canceled a total of 13 flights to the islands.[78] The Coast Guard rescued two sea men in Volusia County off New Smyrna Beach on the morning of October 26.[216]Brevard and Volusia Counties schools canceled all extracurricular activities for October 26, including football.[217]

Two panther kittens escaped from the White Oak Conservation Center in Nassau County after the hurricane swept a tree into the fence of their enclosure; they were missing for 24 hours before being found in good health.[218]

On October 28, Governor Bev Perdue declared a state of emergency in 24 western counties due to snow and strong winds.[219]

North Carolina was spared from major damage through the late evening hours of October 28, though winds, rain, and inland snow could affect the state through October 30. Ocracoke and Highway 12 on Hatteras Island were flooded with up to 2 feet (0.6 m) of water, closing part of the highway, while 20 people on a fishing trip were stranded on Portsmouth Island.[220]

On October 29, the Coast Guard responded to a distress call from Bounty, which was built for the 1962 movie Mutiny on the Bounty. It was taking on water about 90 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras. Sixteen people were on board.[221] The Coast Guard said the 16 people abandoned ship and got into two lifeboats, wearing survival suits and life jackets.[222] The ship sank after the crew got off. As of mid-morning on October 29, the Coast Guard rescued 14. Another crew member was found hours later but was unresponsive and died later on. Only the captain remains missing.[223][224] On November 1, the Coast Guard suspended its search for Robin Walbridge, the captain of Bounty. The search lasted more than 90 hours, covering approximately 12,000 square nautical miles in the Atlantic Ocean.[225] There were three Hurricane Sandy-related deaths in the state.[226]

On October 29, snow was falling in parts of the state.[151] Gov. Bob McDonnell announced on October 30 that Virginia had been "spared a significant event", but cited concerns about rivers cresting leading to flooding of major arteries. Virginia was awarded a federal disaster declaration, with Gov. McDonnell saying he was "delighted" that President Barack Obama and FEMA were on it immediately. At Sandy's peak, more than 180,000 customers were without power, most of whom were located in Northern Virginia.[205][227] There were two Hurricane Sandy–related fatalities in the state.[175]

Mid-Atlantic

The Supreme Court and the United States GovernmentOffice of Personnel Management were closed on October 30, and schools were closed for two days.[228][229]MARC train and Virginia Railway Express were closed on October 30, and Metro rail and bus service were on Sunday schedule, opening at 2 p.m., until the system closes.[230]

At least 100 feet of a fishing pier in Ocean City was destroyed. Governor Martin O'Malley said the pier is "half-gone."[231] Due to high winds, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the Millard E. Tydings Memorial Bridge on I-95 were closed.[232] During the storm, the Mayor of Salisbury instituted a Civil Emergency and a curfew.[233]Interstate 68 in far western Maryland and northern West Virginia closed due to heavy snow, stranding multiple vehicles and requiring assistance from the National Guard.[234] Workers in Howard County tried to stop a sewage overflow caused by a power outage October 30. Raw sewage spilled at a rate of 2 million gallons per hour. It was unclear how much sewage had flowed into the Little Patuxent River.[235] Over 311,000 people were left without power as a result of the storm.[205]

By the afternoon of October 29, rainfall at Rehoboth Beach totaled 6.53 inches (166 mm). Other precipitation reports include nearly 7 inches (180 mm) at Indian River Inlet and more than 4 inches (100 mm) in Dover and Bear. At 4 p.m. on October 29, Delmarva Power reported on its website that more than 13,900 customers in Delaware and portions of the Eastern Shore of Maryland had lost electric service as high winds brought down trees and power lines. About 3,500 of those were in New Castle County, 2,900 were in Sussex, and more than 100 were in Kent County. Some residents in Kent and Sussex Counties experienced power outages that lasted up to nearly six hours. At the peak of the storm, more than 45,000 customers in Delaware were without pwoer.[205] The Delaware Memorial Bridge speed limit was reduced to 25 mph (40 km/h) and the two outer lanes in each direction were closed. Officials plan to close the span entirely if sustained winds exceed 50 mph (80 km/h). A wind gust of 64 mph (103 km/h) was measured at Lewes just before 2:30 p.m. on October 29, Delaware Route 1 was closed due to water inundation between Dewey Beach and Fenwick Island. In Dewey, flood waters were 1 to 2 feet (0.30 to 0.61 m) in depth.[236] Following the impact in Delaware, President of the United States Barack Obama declared the entire state a federal disaster area, providing money and agencies for disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.[237]

A 50-foot piece of the Atlantic City Boardwalk washed away. Half the city of Hoboken flooded; the city of 50,000 had to evacuate two of its fire stations and the city's Mayor asked for National Guard help.[223] In the early morning of October 30, authorities in Bergen County, New Jersey, evacuated residents after a berm overflowed and flooded several communities. Police Chief of Staff Jeanne Baratta said there were up to five feet of water in the streets of Moonachie and Little Ferry. The state Office of Emergency Management said rescues were undertaken in Carlstadt.[238] Baratta said the three towns had been "devastated" by the flood of water.[239] At the peak of the storm, more than 2,600,000 customers were without power.[205] At least 37 people in the state were killed.[240]Damage in the state is estimated at $30 billion.[citation needed]

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said the city would have no mass transit operations on any lines October 30.[208] All major highways in and around the city of Philadelphia were closed on October 29 during the hurricane, including Interstate 95, the Blue Route portion of Interstate 476, the Vine Street Expressway, Schuylkill Expressway (I-76), and the Roosevelt Expressway; U.S. Route 1.[241] The highways reopened at 4 a.m. on October 30.[241] The Delaware River Port Authority also closed its major crossings over the Delaware River between Pennsylvania and New Jersey due to high winds, including the Commodore Barry Bridge, the Walt Whitman Bridge, the Ben Franklin Bridge and the Betsy Ross Bridge.[241] More than 1.2 million were left without power.[86] The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency reported 14 deaths believed to be related to Sandy.[242]

New York governorAndrew Cuomo called National Guard members to help in the state. Storm impacts in Upstate New York were much more limited than in New York City; there was some flooding and a few downed trees.[243]Rochester area utilities reported slightly fewer than 19,000 customers without power, in seven counties.[244] In the state as a whole, however, more than 2,000,000 customers were without power at the peak of the storm.[205]

Mayor Bloomberg announced that New York City public schools would be remain closed Tuesday, October 30 and Wednesday, October 31, but they remained closed through Friday, November 2.[245]CUNY and NYU canceled all classes and campus activities for October 30.[246] The New York Stock Exchange was closed for trading for two days, the first weather closure of the exchange since 1985.[247] It was also the first two-day weather closure since the Great Blizzard of 1888.[248]

The East River overflowed its banks, flooding large sections of Lower Manhattan. Battery Park had a water surge of 13.88 ft.[249] Seven subway tunnels under the East River were flooded.[250] The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said that the destruction caused by the storm was the worst disaster in the 108-year history of the New York City subway system.[251] Sea water flooded the Ground Zero construction site.[252] In addition, a four story Chelsea building's facade crumbled and collapsed, leaving the interior on full display; however, no one was hurt by the falling masonry.[253]

After receiving many complaints that holding the marathon would divert needed resources, Mayor Bloomberg announced late afternoon November 2 that the New York City Marathon had been canceled. The event was to take place on Sunday, November 4. Marathon officials had said that they did not plan to reschedule.[254]

Gas shortages throughout the region led to an effort by the U.S. federal government to bring in gasoline and set up mobile truck distribution at which people could receive up to 10 gallons of gas, free of charge. This caused lines of up to 20 blocks long and was quickly suspended.[255] On Thursday, November 8, Mayor Bloomberg announced odd-even rationing of gasoline would be in effect beginning November 9 until further notice.[256]

On November 26, Governor Cuomo called Sandy "more impactful" than Hurricane Katrina, and estimated costs to New York at $42 billion.[257]

The storm severely damaged or destroyed around 100,000 homes on Long Island with more than 2,000 homes deemed uninhabitable there.[258]

New England

Sandy's storm total snowfall in inches across the Appalachians

Wind gusts to 83 mph were recorded on outer Cape Cod and Buzzards Bay.[259] Nearly 300,000 customers were without power in Massachusetts,[205] and roads and buildings were flooded.[260] Over 100,000 customers lost power in Rhode Island.[261] Most of the damage was along the coastline, where some communities were flooded.[262]Mount Washington, New Hampshire saw the strongest measured wind gust from the storm at 140 mph.[263] Nearly 142,000 customers lost power in the state.[205]

Appalachia and Midwest

Sandy's rain became snow in the Appalachian mountains, leading to, unusually for a hurricane, blizzard conditions in some areas, especially West Virginia,[1] when a tongue of dense and heavy Arctic air pushed south through the region. This would normally cause a Nor'easter, prompting some to dub Sandy a "nor'eastercane" or "Frankenstorm."[264] There was 1–3 feet (30–91 cm) of snowfall in 28 of West Virginia's 55 counties.[1][265] The highest snowfall accumulation was 36 inches (91 cm) near Richwood.[1] Other significant totals include 32 inches (81 cm) in Snowshoe, 29 inches (74 cm) in Quinwood,[266] and 28 inches (71 cm) in Davis, Flat Top, and Huttonsville.[267] By the morning of October 31, there were still 36 roads closed due to downed trees, powerlines, and snow in the road.[266] Approximately 271,800 customers lost power during the storm.[205]

There were reports of collapsed buildings in several counties due to the sheer weight of the wet, heavy snow.[268] Overall, there were seven fatalities related to Hurricane Sandy and its remnants in West Virginia,[269] including John Rose, Sr., the Republican candidate for the state's 47th district in the state legislature, who was killed in the aftermath of the storm by a falling tree limb broken off by the heavy snowfall.[270]GovernorEarl Ray Tomblin asked President Obama for a federal disaster declaration, and on October 30, President Obama approved a state of emergency declaration for the state.[271]

Wind gusts at Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport were reported at 68 miles per hour (109 km/h).[272] On October 30, hundreds of school districts canceled or delayed school across the state with at least 250,000 homes and businesses without power.[273][274] Damage was reported across the state including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame which lost parts of its siding.[272] As of November 2, scores of residents still remained in Red Cross shelters and many schools remained closed as power outages existed around Cleveland and 89,000 customers remained without power in mostly the northeast part of the state, down from more than 250,000.[86] Snow was reported in some parts of eastern Ohio and south of Cleveland. Snow and icy roads also were reported south of Columbus.[273]

The US Department of Energy reported that more than 120,000 customers lost power in Michigan as a result of the storm.[205] The National Weather Service said that waves up to 23 feet high were reported on southern Lake Huron.[275]

More than a foot of snow fell in eastern Kentucky as Sandy merged with an Arctic front.[276]

Canada

The remnants of Sandy produced high winds along Lake Huron and Georgian Bay, where gusts were measured at 105 km/h (63 mph). A 121 km/h (72 mph) gust was measured on top of the Bluewater Bridge.[277] One woman died after being hit by a piece of flying debris in Toronto.[160] At least 145,000 customers across Ontario lost power as of the morning of October 30,[278] and a Bluewater Power worker was electrocuted in Sarnia while working to restore power.[279] Around 49,000 homes and businesses lost power in Quebec during the storm, with nearly 40,000 of those in the Laurentides region of the province, as well as more than 4,000 customers in the Eastern Townships and 1,700 customers in Montreal.[280] Hundreds of flights were canceled.[281] Around 14,000 customers in Nova Scotia lost power during the height of the storm.[282] As of November 28, 2012 the Insurance Bureau of Canada estimates preliminary damage figures will top $100 million in Canada.[162]