Hurricane Sandy Essay

772 Words2 Pages

On October 22, 2012, a tropical depression began to form in the Caribbean Sea due to steadily increasing wind speeds and low pressure. Hurricane Sandy quickly developed making landfall as a category 1 hurricane. From its formation in the Caribbean Sea on October 22, 2012 to its dissipation on October 31, 2012 hurricane Sandy lasted a total of 9 days ravaging the east coast of the United States and parts of the Caribbean. Hurricane Sandy was an extremely large and complex cyclone; analyzing its highly affected areas, unique characteristics, and damage reports help us to understand the lasting impact natural disasters leave in their wake.
Hurricane Sandy had its greatest impact on New Jersey, New York, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Haiti and Cuba. “The …show more content…

It is known as the second costliest hurricane in United States history. Electricity had been knocked out in businesses and homes, transportation was effected as roads were impassible, and extreme flooding and winds led to necessary rescues, destruction and death toll. According to a response and recovery report by FEMA, “on Sunday October 28, 2012, there were 1,032 FEMA personnel on the ground in anticipation of the harsh impacts caused by hurricane Sandy. After the hurricane, by Nov. 6 there were 5,384” (Fugate). The assessed damages were so bad that the number of people needed for relief efforts more than quadrupled. According to FEMA, “at the peak of response efforts, more than 17,000 federal personnel and over 11,000 national guardsmen were on the ground assisting with response” (Fugate). Many people were impacted by this disaster and it took a lot to rebuild all that was lost during hurricane Sandy. The CDC reported a death toll of 117 people and the largest percent were due to drowning in the floods.
In conclusion, hurricane Sandy was unlike any other hurricane. Its large size, intensity and unusual path made it a force to be reckoned with. Although its rainfall measurements and wind speeds weren’t that high compared to some other hurricanes, the storm still managed to significantly disrupt the country’s infrastructure and the cost of rebuilding and repairing affected areas was billions. Understanding the causes, characteristics and impacts of such natural disasters is one way we learn to prepare for such events before and rebuild our communities

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