Hurricane Sandy slammed into the United States on October 29, 2012. It was the largest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm caused billions of dollars of damage across the northeast. Ten years later, America looks back at Superstorm Sandy — and how it shapes our future.
Sandy’s powerful winds stretched 1,000 miles (1,600 km). The giant storm made landfall in New Jersey — yet it affected 24 states from Florida to Maine. Strong winds and heavy rain knocked out power for more than 8 million Americans. A storm surge caused massive flooding. Sandy damaged or destroyed 560,000 homes. More than 100 people died.
Coastal areas in New York and New Jersey suffered the worst damage. That includes Seaside Heights, New Jersey. The town lost power and running water. People had to leave the town to stay safe. Anthony Vaz is the mayor of Seaside Heights. “For four weeks, no was allowed to come back.” He told News-O-Matic.
Hurricane Sandy also destroyed a pier in Seaside Heights. When that happened, a roller coaster fell into the ocean. Images of the coaster became a symbol of Sandy. Vaz called it “an icon that’s going to be in everybody’s memories.”
Groups worked to help those in need after Hurricane Sandy. For example, the Red Cross provided 17 million meals and snacks. It also gave out medical care and set up shelters too. A government agency called FEMA helped Americans rebuild. It gave millions of dollars for people to repair their homes. After 10 years, much has been done. Yet many projects are still under construction.
Of course, people built back differently after Sandy. For example, Seaside Heights created a new roller coaster in 2017. But this one isn’t on a pier. Instead, it sits inland to be safer from another storm. Cities also rebuilt hospitals and schools outside the flood zone. And many people had to their houses. That way, future floodwaters wouldn’t enter the homes.
“There is no one who lived through Sandy who will ever be able to forget it,” said Amy Chester. She works for Rebuild by Design, which helps cities become for stronger storms. And she believes Americans learned a lesson from Sandy. “Having gone through that experience,” Chester explained, “we now know how to build better.”
“I hope we don’t see a storm like this again,” admitted Mayor Vaz. “But we’re prepared.”
Updated October 26, 2022, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Lucy Albright
