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Hurricane Sandy Timeline

(October 22, 2012 – November 2, 2012)

Hurricane Sandy was a powerful Atlantic hurricane that struck the Caribbean and the U.S. East Coast in late October 2012. Known as 'Superstorm Sandy,' it caused catastrophic flooding in New York and New Jersey, killed over 230 people, and resulted in approximately $70 billion in damage, making it one of the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history. Less

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Storm Development and Forecasting

Joint Task Force Sandy formed by Department of Defense

Oct 22, 2012

As the tropical depression strengthened to a hurricane, the United States Department of Defense formed Joint Task Force Sandy on October 22, 2012, to coordinate military support and disaster response preparations ahead of the storm's landfall.

Image source: Hurricane Sandy

Joint Task Force Sandy formed by Department of Defense

ECMWF correctly predicts Sandy's path eight days in advance

Oct 23, 2012

On October 23, 2012, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), headquartered in Reading, England, correctly predicted Hurricane Sandy's path nearly eight days in advance of its striking the American East Coast.

Bermuda issues tropical storm watch

Oct 26, 2012

At 1515 UTC on October 26, the Bermuda Weather Service issued a tropical storm watch for Bermuda, reflecting the enormous size of the storm and the anticipated wide-reaching impacts across the western Atlantic.

Sandy becomes extratropical off Northeastern US coast

Oct 29, 2012

The convection diminished while the hurricane accelerated toward the New Jersey coast, and the cyclone was no longer tropical by 2100 UTC on October 29. Most of the damage Sandy caused came after it became a Category 1-equivalent extratropical cyclone off the coast of the Northeastern United States.

Weather service upgrades improve forecast accuracy

Dec 31, 2013

A hardware and software upgrade completed at the end of 2013 enabled the weather service to make predictions more accurate and farther in advance than the technology available during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 had allowed.

Caribbean Impact

Cuba posts hurricane watch for six provinces

Oct 23, 2012

The Government of Cuba posted a hurricane watch for the Cuban Provinces of Camagüey, Granma, Guantánamo, Holguín, Las Tunas, and Santiago de Cuba at 1500 UTC on October 23 as Sandy approached the region.

Bahamas issues tropical storm watch for several islands

Oct 23, 2012

At 1500 UTC on October 23, the Government of the Bahamas issued a tropical storm watch for several Bahamian islands, including Acklins, Cat Island, Crooked Island, Exuma, Inagua, Long Cay, Long Island, Mayaguana, Ragged Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador Island.

Sandy makes landfall near Kingston, Jamaica

Oct 24, 2012

At about 1900 UTC on October 24, Sandy made landfall near Kingston, Jamaica with winds of about 85 mph (137 km/h). It was the first hurricane to make landfall on the island since Hurricane Gilbert in 1988. Winds left 70% of residents without electricity, blew roofs off buildings, killed one person, and caused about $100 million in damage.

Sandy intensifies to Category 3 and strikes Cuba

Oct 25, 2012

Just offshore of Cuba, Sandy rapidly intensified to a Category 3 hurricane with sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 954 millibars, making landfall just west of Santiago de Cuba at 0525 UTC on October 25. The storm destroyed some 15,000 homes, killed 11 people, and caused $2 billion in damage, making it the deadliest hurricane to hit Cuba since Hurricane Dennis in 2005.

United States Impact

Tropical storm watch issued from South Carolina to North Carolina

Oct 26, 2012

At 0900 UTC on October 26, a tropical storm watch was issued from the mouth of the Savannah River in South Carolina to Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, including Pamlico Sound, as the massive storm approached the United States coast.

Philadelphia mayor orders low-lying residents to evacuate

Oct 28, 2012

Mayor of Philadelphia Michael Nutter asked residents in low-lying areas and neighborhoods prone to flooding to leave their homes by 1800 UTC on October 28 and move to safer ground ahead of the storm's arrival.

New York coastal emergency plan activated

Oct 28, 2012

Later on October 28, officials activated the coastal emergency plan, with subway closings and the evacuation of residents in areas hit by Hurricane Irene in 2011. Governor Cuomo ordered the closure of the MTA and its subway, and the MTA suspended all subway, bus, and commuter rail service beginning at 2300 UTC.

Great Smoky Mountains route closed by snowfall

Oct 28, 2012 - Oct 29, 2012

In Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, several inches of snow led to the closure of a major route through the park on Sunday, October 28, and again after a brief reopening on Monday, October 29, 2012. The storm also resulted in Blacksburg recording its first measurable October snowfall in half a century.

New York Stock Exchange closed for two days

Oct 29, 2012 - Oct 30, 2012

Power outages and flooding in the area closed the New York Stock Exchange and other financial markets on both October 29 and 30, the first weather closure of the exchange since 1985 and the first two-day weather closure since the Great Blizzard of 1888.

Sandy devastates the Mid-Atlantic and New York City area

Oct 29, 2012 - Oct 30, 2012

Sandy brought a 13-foot (4.0 m) storm surge that devastated the coastal Mid-Atlantic region, killing 160 people in the United States and causing $65 billion in damage. It was the deadliest hurricane to hit the US mainland since Katrina in 2005 and the deadliest to hit the East Coast since Agnes in 1972. In 2016, it was determined to have been the worst storm to strike the New York City area since at least 1700.

Coast Guard responds to distress call from HMS Bounty

Oct 29, 2012

On October 29, the Coast Guard responded to a distress call from the Bounty, a tall ship built for the 1962 movie Mutiny on the Bounty, as the vessel foundered in the storm off the North Carolina coast.

Public transportation paralyzed across the country

Oct 30, 2012

The morning after the storm hit, on October 30, 2012, more than half of the country's daily public transportation riders were unable to commute due to inoperable service caused by flooding and power outages.

Relief and Recovery

News Corporation donates $1 million to relief efforts

Oct 31, 2012

On October 31, 2012, News Corporation donated $1 million to relief efforts in the New York metropolitan area following the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy.

12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief held at Madison Square Garden

Dec 12, 2012

On December 12, 2012, the 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City, raising funds for victims of the hurricane through an all-star benefit concert.

Senate approves $60 billion emergency relief bill

Dec 28, 2012

On December 28, 2012, the United States Senate approved an emergency Hurricane Sandy relief bill to provide $60 billion for US states affected by Sandy, but the House in effect postponed action until the next session which began January 3 by adjourning without voting on the bill.

New York Times reports ongoing recovery struggles

Jan 2013

In January 2013, The New York Times reported that those affected by the hurricane were still struggling to recover months after the storm had passed.

House leaders pledge vote on flood insurance and aid package

Jan 4, 2013

On January 4, 2013, House leaders pledged to vote on a flood insurance bill and an aid package by January 15, responding to criticism over the delayed action on Hurricane Sandy relief funding.

Cuomo establishes Governor's Office of Storm Recovery

Jun 2013

In June 2013, NY Governor Andrew Cuomo set out to centralize recovery and rebuilding efforts in impacted areas of New York State by establishing the Governor's Office of Storm Recovery (GOSR).

FEMA data analysis shows slow recovery assistance

Dec 6, 2013

On December 6, 2013, an analysis of Federal Emergency Management Agency data showed that fewer than half of those affected who requested disaster recovery assistance had received any, and a total of 30,000 residents of New York and New Jersey remained displaced.

Newsday reports housing difficulties for displaced Long Islanders

Mar 2014

In March 2014, Newsday reported that 17 months after the hurricane, people displaced from rental units on Long Island faced unique difficulties due to lack of affordable rental housing and delays in housing program implementations by New York State. Close to 9,000 rental units on Long Island were damaged by Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Irene, and Tropical Storm Lee.

GOSR reports over $280 million distributed to homeowners

Mar 2014

As of March 2014, the GOSR released a press statement that the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program had distributed more than $280 million in payments to 6,388 homeowners for damage from Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Irene, or Tropical Storm Lee. Every eligible homeowner who applied by January 20, 2014 had been issued a check, including over 4,650 Nassau residents for over $201 million and over 1,350 Suffolk residents for over $65 million.

Displaced residents protest at Nassau Legislative building

Mar 15, 2014

On March 15, 2014, a group of those who remained displaced by the hurricane organized a protest at the Nassau Legislative building in Mineola, New York, to raise awareness of their frustration with the timeline for receiving financial assistance from the New York Rising program.

FEMA plans review of all flood insurance claims

Jan 30, 2015

Days after the U.S. government announced new measures, as of 2015 the Federal Emergency Management Agency planned to review all flood insurance claims related to Hurricane Sandy amid concerns over underpaid claims.

Political and Climate Aftermath

Name Sandy retired by World Meteorological Organization

Apr 2013

Because of the severe damage and number of deaths caused by the storm in several countries, the name Sandy was retired by the World Meteorological Organization in April 2013 and will never be used again for a North Atlantic tropical cyclone. The name was replaced with Sara for the 2018 season.

Key Facts

  1. Hurricane Sandy formed in the Caribbean Sea on October 22, 2012, and intensified into a Category 3 hurricane before hitting Cuba.
  2. Sandy made landfall near Brigantine, New Jersey, on October 29, 2012, as a post-tropical cyclone with winds around 80 mph.
  3. The storm caused record storm surge flooding in New York City, submerging subway tunnels and knocking out power to millions of residents.
  4. Hurricane Sandy killed at least 233 people across eight countries, including 157 in the United States.
  5. With an estimated $70 billion in damages, Sandy became the second-costliest hurricane in U.S. history at the time, behind only Hurricane Katrina.

Source

This Hurricane Sandy timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

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