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.
Superstorm Sandy was a massive storm that brought significant wind and flooding damage to the Caribbean and the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern U.S. in late October 2012. Flash flooding and coastal surges killed 147 people. It was among the most costly natural disasters in U.S. history.
Sandy formed in the central Caribbean on and intensified into a hurricane as it tracked north across Jamaica, eastern Cuba and the Bahamas. Sandy moved northeast of the United States until turning west toward the middle Atlantic coast on the 28th.
Hurricane Sandy was the most devastating storm of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season. Explore the timeline and effects of this historic superstorm.
Read CNN’s Fast Facts on Hurricane Sandy. As a hurricane and post-tropical cyclone, Sandy was responsible for 147 deaths in the United States and 69 more in Canada and the Caribbean.
As of December 5, 400 NPS employees from 99 parks were supporting NPS and interagency recovery efforts for Hurricane Sandy. Expedited recovery will speed the resumption of tourism in impacted communities. Extensive recovery work is needed at the National Parks in New York and New Jersey.
Winds of tropical storm force extended from Maine to North Carolina, making Sandy one of the largest Atlantic storms ever recorded.
The devastation caused by Sandy is a reminder of the vulnerability of coastal communities to storm and flooding damage. This tool is helping people make better planning decisions that take into account future sea level rise.