Hazards CS - Hurricane Sandy

Question 1

Date of the tropical storm

Answer 1

29th October 2012

Question 2

Background of the storm (how fierce + how many states affected)

Answer 2

• When it made landfall, sandy had downgraded to tropical storm but covered a huge area which made it very damaging
• it affected 24 states in total, mainly NJ and NYC

Question 3

Cause of the storm

Answer 3

It unusually curved back towards the USA because of blocking high pressure over Greenland which prevented movement over the Atlantic

Question 4

Primary effects

Answer 4

• 600,000 homes were either damaged or destroyed
• $60 billion in damage was done
• 111 people killed

Question 5

Secondary effects

Answer 5

• all 3 NY airports immediately closed leaving thousands stranded in NY + over the world
• $ 18 billion in financial losses from closure of NY businesses
• stock exchange closed for 2 days for first time since 9/11

Question 6

Short term responses

Answer 6

• Red Cross sheltered 11,000 people
• Red Cross deployed 17 million meals and snacks
• Red Cross donated 7 million relief items which included cold weather clothing due to the arrival of a snowstorm

Question 7

Long term responses

Answer 7

• long term planning put in place for how to deal with future events, especially because of climate change
• new, stricter building codes enforced for coastal properties and an alteration to electricity supply across the region