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History

Hurricane Sandy

What is hurricane sandy?

· Emily Grant

Key facts

Type tropical cyclone[1]
Formation date October 22, 2012[2]
Landfall near Atlantic City, New Jersey[4]
Dissipated November 2, 2012[1]
Atlantic basin deaths 147[3]
U.S. damage more than $70 billion[2]

Hurricane Sandy was an extremely large tropical cyclone that struck the Caribbean and the U.S. Mid-Atlantic/Northeast in late October 2012, becoming known as "Superstorm Sandy" and causing over $70 billion in U.S. damage.

Context

Hurricane Sandy formed on October 22, 2012, during the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, and dissipated on November 2, 2012 [1]. It was the 18th named tropical cyclone of that season [4]. Sandy made landfall three times: in Jamaica, Cuba, and near Atlantic City, New Jersey [4]. Just before that U.S. landfall, it transitioned into a post-tropical cyclone [4]. The storm caused massive storm surge and flooding in New Jersey and New York [5]. It was one of the most destructive and costliest hurricanes in U.S. history, with damage exceeding $70 billion [2].

Documented claims

  • Sandy made landfall three times: Jamaica, Cuba, and New Jersey. [4]
  • Sandy transitioned into a post-tropical cyclone just before landfall near Atlantic City, New Jersey. [4]
  • Sandy was one of the most destructive and costliest hurricanes in U.S. history. [2]

Related

Hurricane KatrinaBoth are major Atlantic hurricanes that caused catastrophic damage in the United States, and readers comparing them would find useful context.Category 5 HurricaneSandy was a large and powerful storm, and readers may want to understand how its intensity compares to the highest hurricane category.

Questions and answers

What was unusual about Sandy?

Sandy was the largest Atlantic hurricane by diameter, with tropical-storm-force winds spanning 1,150 miles (1,850 km) [1].

How many died in Hurricane Sandy in NYC?

The storm caused 147 deaths across the Atlantic basin, including impacts in New York City [3].

Did Hurricane Sandy hit Canada?

Sandy's impacts were primarily in the Caribbean and the U.S. Mid-Atlantic/Northeast; the storm dissipated on November 2, 2012 [1].

Sources

  1. Hurricane Sandy - National Weather Service — weather.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. Microsoft Word - AL182012_Sandy.docx — nhc.noaa.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Sandy - NOAA/AOML — aoml.noaa.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  4. 2012: Hurricane Sandy | Stories from the UN Archive — webtv.un.org (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  5. Sandy and Its Impacts — nyc.gov (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in History