Hurricane Sandy: Coverage of the Storm and its Aftermath

By Climate Central

Ben Strauss on CNN with Anderson Cooper
Ben Strauss on NBC Nightly News

Superstorm Sandy — part hurricane, part fearsome nor’easter, the result of a bizarre confluence of events — battered the Eastern U.S. in October 2012. The storm brought a record storm surge to New York City and the New Jersey Shore, severely damaging coastal communities and shutting down mass transit throughout the New York metropolitan area. In addition, it caused 159 fatalities and caused an estimated $65 billion in damage according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The aftermath drove home the vulnerability of coastal cities like New York to sea level rise and storm surge. It also sparked a national conversation about how to better prepare the U.S. for extreme weather and climate events, some of which are becoming more frequent and severe as a result of the warming climate.

Climate Central is chronicling the science of Sandy and the discussion it started. View our archive of past and present coverage:

October 29: Hurricane Sandy Barely Shifted Climate Narrative

October 28: One Year Later: The Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy

October 28: Superstorm Sandy by the Numbers

October 28: One Sandy, Many Storms

October 28: Experts Say Sandy Showed Limits of an Accurate Forecast

October 24: Rockaways Eyeing Microgrids in Time for Next Hurricane

October 21: Sandy A Warning Rising Seas Threaten Nuclear Plants

October 3: The Most Detailed Visuals of Hurricane Sandy, Revealed

September 9: Microgrids: Sandy Forced Cities to Rethink Power Supply

September 5: Risk of Sandy-Level Flood in NYC Has Doubled Since 1950

August 20: Sandy Taskforce: Build Stronger for Worsening Storms

August 9: Sea Level Rise to Play Bigger Role in NYC Storms: Study

June 13: $110 Billion Price Tag for Extreme Weather Events in 2012

May 15: Panel Finds Flaws with NWS Guidance on Sandy’s Surge

May 7: Scientists Develop New Way of Classifying Hurricanes

May 4: Hurricane Sandy’s Immense Energy Shook the U.S.

April 30: Hurricane Sandy’s Untold Filthy Legacy: Sewage (Interactive)

April 30: Heeding Sandy’s Lessons, Before the Next Big Storm

April 4: In Wake of Sandy, NOAA Alters Hurricane Warning Policy

April 1: U.S. Dominated Global Disaster Losses in 2012: Swiss Re

Jan.31: Research Spawns Stunning Hurricane Sandy Animations

2012:

Dec. 31: Sandy Tops List of 2012 Extreme Weather & Climate Events

Dec. 20: NOAA: 2012 To Rank as Second Costliest Year Since 1980

Dec. 12: Sans Polar Satellites, Sandy Forecasts Would’ve Suffered

Dec. 11: NOAA Forms Hurricane Sandy Review Team, Again

Dec. 11: Warming May Bring More ‘Black Swan’ Storm Surges

Nov. 30: Hurricane Season Ends; Sandy Will Long be Remembered

Nov. 25: New York Times Op-Ed: Rising Seas, Vanishing Coastlines

Nov. 21: Ben Strauss on Rising Seas & the Fate of New York on PBS

Nov. 16: Weather Service Halts Review of Its Work During Sandy

Nov. 14: 32-Foot-Plus Waves From Hurricane Sandy Topple Records

Nov. 13: Senator Urges NOAA Not To Change Sandy Classification

Nov. 12: Post Sandy, Wetlands Could Help Shore Up NYC’s Defense

Nov. 9: Aerial Pictures Show Hurricane Sandy’s Destruction

Nov. 9: Sandy & Other Disasters Could Hurt Climate Change Cause

Nov. 6: Stunning NASA Visualizations: Sandy vs. Katrina

Nov. 5: New Storm Threatens Areas Hit Hard By Hurricane Sandy

Nov. 2: Will Sandy Be the Climate Change Wakeup Call We Need?

Nov. 2: Lack of Hurricane Warnings May Help Homeowners

Nov. 1: Sandy Brings Flurry of Attention to Climate Change

Nov. 1: Statistics Show Hurricane Sandy’s Extraordinary Intensity

Nov. 1: Downpours From Sandy Fail to Ease Drought in U.S.

Nov. 1: Ben Strauss Talks Hurricane Sandy and Flood Risks

Oct. 31: How Global Warming Made Hurricane Sandy Worse

Oct. 31: A Roundup of Hurricane Sandy News Reports

Oct. 30: Hurricane Sandy Paralyzes New York, New Jersey

Oct. 29: Hurricane Sandy Walloping East Coast With Surge, Winds

Oct. 29: Hurricane Sandy Roars Ashore, Threatening Record Surge

Oct. 29: Sandy's Storm Surge Explained and Why It Matters

Oct. 29: Eyeballing Hurricane Sandy From Space to the Sea

Oct. 28: From Storm Surge to Snow, Hurricane Sandy Has It All

Oct. 28: Hurricane Sandy Set To Deliver Massive Blow to East Coast

Oct. 27: Hurricane Sandy’s Five-Fold Flood Threat, with Local Maps

Oct. 27: How Fujiwhara Effect Will Toss Hurricane Sandy Into U.S.

Oct. 26: Officials Warn of Hurricane Sandy’s Rare Damage Potential

Oct 26: Historic Sandy Poised to Blast Mid-Atlantic, Northeast

Oct. 26: How Hurricane Sandy Can Become a ‘Frankenstorm’

Oct. 26: Sandy Is a Truly Unusual Event, Worthy of Our Attention

Oct. 25: East Coast Facing Major Threat From Hurricane Sandy

Oct. 25: Hurricane Sandy Aims For East Coast As a ‘Frankenstorm’

Oct. 24: Hurricane Sandy Looks More Likely to Slam Eastern U.S.

Oct. 24: Hurricane Sandy Poses Growing Threat To East Coast

Oct. 23: Will Tropical Storm Sandy Threaten U.S. East Coast?

Oct. 22: Grim Storm Scenarios Loom for Mid-Atlantic, Northeast