Staff Writer
A storm that was the second-largest coastal catastrophic event in American history occurred one year ago, on Oct. 29, 2012. Also known as Hurricane Sandy, this superstorm led to the deaths of 182 people as well as an estimated $62 billion in property damage. And a year later, Sandy’s remains are still present.
Hurricane Sandy slammed the Northeast region, devastating the eastern seaboard. The destructive winds and pouring rain led to power outages in millions of homes that lasted for days upon end. During this time, schools were closed across the East Coast and millions were hoping that this storm would not produce any damage. 8.5 million people across the eastern region lost power and electrical companies could not easily restore power to this homes. Some people were out for as short as a few hours to as long as a month. Nevertheless, this storm damaged many homes, as well as devastating the shores. The actual eye of the storm landed just shy of Brigantine, New Jersey. The boardwalks of these Jersey shores were completely destroyed and some parts of it were actually in the ocean waters. Not only did this storm affect New Jersey, where the central part of the storm it, but it affected the entire eastern region as a whole.
A year after the storm, boardwalks have been restored. The beaches have been temporarily repaired by recreating the sand dunes and planting beach grass so that the summer attraction sight would still be used. It took a good seven months for the restoration of many of these beaches, but it was well worth it. Over 8,000 people helped out as volunteers in an effort to restore this favorite summer pastime.
Unfortunately, many residents in New Jersey and New York are still displaced from their homes. They are fighting with insurance companies and government financial aid to get their homes restored. Many are struggling to find a temporary home while juggling their financial issues. Overall, a year later from the storm looks like most people are slowly recovering. However, there are some families out there that are looking forward to a recovery. But, ultimately, this storm made everyone across the eastern seaboard a little bit stronger.
