Aftermath of a Super Storm

By Jordan Klingler

Hurricane Sandy hit the tri-state area about this time last year.  The storm touched down in Cuba and worked its way up toward the US and as it made its way up it only became bigger and stronger.  The storm was 1,100 miles long and was one of the most destructive storms in a long time.  Hurricane Sandy hit 24 states, including every single one along the eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine.  Sandy was first declared a hurricane, but soon became known as a superstorm, which was the largest storm to ever touch the Atlantic coast.  The damage totaled $68 billion and we still see a lot of the damage a year later.  Many people were stranded in their homes,  did not have power for weeks if not longer, and many lost their homes.

My grandparents who live in Long Beach Island, New Jersey, were very afraid that their home would be destroyed by the hurricane.  They were told to evacuate the barrier island because if they stayed they might be stuck there for a long time with no help or access to help.  Thankfully, their home survived and only had three feet of water in their basement/garage.  Other homes in Long Beach Island were not so lucky.  For instance, many homes along the shore line were swepped off of the pilings and washed into the ocean.  As you drive down the boulevard in Long Beach Island, you can see where homes used to be because all that is left are the pilings which the houses sat upon.

People who stayed in their homes on the barrier island say they will evacuate next time and it is not something they ever want to experience again.  A lot of businesses on the island were also very affected.  Many of them will not reopen because the storm destroyed their buildings.  The storm also affected a lot of the summer business, because many people were not able to go to the houses that they rented or they figured that the island was so affected that they went to vacation somewhere else.

As we come up on the year anniversary, many people see the damage that was done.  We can now see how far we have come as well as see how strong the tristate area is because we were able to recover from a superstorm.  Many areas are still recovering and many people have yet to move back into their homes, but the progression that has been made is astronomical.  Hurricane Sandy was a storm nobody will forget and no one wishes to see another one for a very long time.