Hurricane Sandy (unofficially known as "
Superstorm Sandy") was the deadliest and most destructive hurricane of the
2012 Atlantic hurricane season, and the second-costliest hurricane in
United States history.
Classified as the eighteenth named storm, tenth hurricane and second major hurricane of the year,
Sandy was a
Category 3 storm at its peak intensity when it made landfall in
Cuba.[1] While it was a
Category 2 storm off the coast of the
Northeastern United States, the storm became the largest
Atlantic hurricane on record (as measured by diameter, with winds spanning 1,
100 miles (
1,800 km)).[
3][4] Estimates as of
2015 assessed damage to have been about $75 billion (
2012 USD), a total surpassed only by
Hurricane Katrina.[5] At least 233 people were killed along the path of the storm in eight countries.[2][6]
Sandy developed from a tropical wave in the western
Caribbean Sea on
October 22, quickly strengthened, and was upgraded to
Tropical Storm Sandy six hours later. Sandy moved slowly northward toward the
Greater Antilles and gradually intensified. On
October 24, Sandy became a hurricane, made landfall near
Kingston, Jamaica, re-emerged a few hours later into the Caribbean Sea and strengthened into a
Category 2 hurricane. On
October 25, Sandy hit Cuba as a
Category 3 hurricane, then weakened to a
Category 1 hurricane.
Early on
October 26, Sandy moved through the
Bahamas.[7] On
October 27, Sandy briefly weakened to a tropical storm and then restrengthened to a Category 1 hurricane. Early on
October 29, Sandy curved west-northwest (the "left turn" or "left hook") and then[8] moved ashore near
Brigantine, New Jersey, just to the northeast of
Atlantic City, as a post-tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds.[1][9]
In
Jamaica, winds left 70% of residents without electricity, blew roofs off buildings, killed one, and caused about $
100 million (2012 USD) in damage. Sandy's outer bands brought flooding to
Haiti, killing at least 54, causing food shortages, and leaving about
200,
000 homeless; the hurricane also caused two deaths in the
Dominican Republic. In
Puerto Rico, one man was swept away by a swollen river. In Cuba, there was extensive coastal flooding and wind damage inland, destroying some 15,000 homes, killing 11, and causing $2 billion (2012 USD) in damage. Sandy caused two deaths and damage estimated at $700 million (2012 USD) in
The Bahamas. In
Canada, two were killed in
Ontario and an estimated $100 million (2012
CAD) in damage was caused throughout Ontario and
Quebec.[10]
In the
United States, Hurricane Sandy affected 24 states, including the entire eastern seaboard from
Florida to
Maine and west across the
Appalachian Mountains to
Michigan and
Wisconsin, with particularly severe damage in
New Jersey and
New York. Its storm surge hit
New York City on October 29, flooding streets, tunnels and subway lines and cutting power in and around the city.[11][12]
Damage in the United States amounted to $71.4 billion (
2013 USD).[13]
Read more:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Sandy
- published: 15 Apr 2016
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